‘We don’t know exactly what happened.’
‘I want to kill him,’ Chrissy said.
‘You know what’s even better than that?’ Meg put her hand in her pocket, feeling for the tracker. ‘Bringing him down, along with the rest of them. And I think I know how.’
Chapter 52
With just twenty-four hours until the launch, the jail—now rebranded as Hartwell Entertainment Quarter—thrummed with activity. Event coordinators holding clipboards directed staging consultants, audio technicians fiddled with sound panels and blew into microphones, and people pushing trolleys charged left and right with huge potted palms and striped market umbrellas.
Issy stood in the middle of it all and allowed herself a moment of self-congratulation. Her job was done. Well, almost. One more day, then she could leave Hartwell and try to regain some sense of control over her life.
She was overseeing the placement of tables and chairs when her father’s Bentley pulled into the drive. She inhaled sharply. She knew he was coming down for the launch but hadn’t expected him to turn up a day early, unannounced. She wiped her sweaty brow and looked down at her grey T-shirt and denim shorts, wishing she was wearing something nicer.
A hush fell over the space as the Bentley rolled to a stop. Her father emerged from the back seat and stood up to his full imposing height.
‘Isobel,’ he barked, squinting in the bright sunshine as he looked in her direction.
Her chest tightened as she went to greet him. ‘What do you think?’ she asked. ‘It’s coming together.’
He surveyed the space, then looked at her and made an ambiguous huff. ‘Is there somewhere we can talk?’
As soon as the apartment door closed behind them, Malcolm turned to face her.
‘Hugh said you did that DNA test.’ He shook his head, scowling at her. ‘If he’s right, your stupidity astounds me. But, unfortunately, I suspect he is.’
She should have known Hugh would run to her father. She nodded. ‘Did he …’ Her voice faltered. ‘Did he tell you about the results?’ she asked, remembering her lie.
Her father glared at her. ‘He said I should hear it from you.’
There was a long pause.
‘Well?’ Malcolm scoffed. ‘What the hell were you thinking?’
Rage simmered inside her. ‘Me? How is this my fault? I’m not the one with something to hide!’
‘This is why I can’t trust you, Isobel! You don’t bloody think!’
Her fury boiled over. ‘No wonderyoudidn’t want me to do it!’ She spat the words at him in disgust.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘I know about Anna. I know what you did to her.’
‘Who the hell is Anna?’
‘The baby nurse.’
There was a twitch of recognition on his face. He frowned. ‘I didn’t do anything to her.’
‘Don’t you dare lie to me.’
‘I’m not lying. What has this got to do with Anna?’
‘You had sex with her. She had a child, and that child is my half-sister. The DNA says so.’
‘But—’
‘Even now, you can’t help lying!’ Issy shook her head. How pathetic he was, denying something she could prove!
