‘I wouldn’t see her. The staff could feed and look after
her. She’d be your little pet.’ Sheridan had flashed him a
wicked smile. She’d threaded her arm through his, draw-
ing him close as she whispered in his ear. ‘To be honest,
it turns me on.’
If only it had, Sheridan reflected.
‘It’s not that easy though, is it?’ Daniel had replied. ‘It would kill me if I found out you were seeing someone else.’
‘It’s just a bit of fun. It’s not as if you’d be having
an affair behind my back. Everything would be under
my terms.’ Sheridan had turned to him, her face grow-
ing serious. ‘Do you know what the divorce rate is in
Hollywood?’ She did not wait for him to reply. ‘Over
fifty per cent. Throw in an age gap and it’s higher than
that. I’m doing this to protect our marriage. If you have
Kelly, you won’t go looking elsewhere.’
‘But Sheridan, I love you.’
‘And I love you. Which is why we’ve got to give this
a try.’
‘What if she goes to the press?’
‘The threat of being sued is enough to buy her silence,
and besides … once we get her here, she’s yours. Who is
she going to tell?’
Daniel’s face was alight with possibility. It was as if
all his birthdays had come at once. ‘What about after? I
mean, we can’t keep her forever…’
‘We cover our tracks and pay her off. But we can’t
stay here. Too many prying eyes. There’s an apartment
in New York with a basement floor. It’s ideal.’
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‘New York would be easier for work…’ Daniel’s voice tailed off.
‘Exactly. Another reason why we should go.’
‘Yes, but another woman … What if you hate me for
it? It’s not worth the risk.’
‘You were with another woman last week. How many
more actresses will you star alongside?’
Daniel’s silence spoke volumes. A tiny piece of Sheridan
wanted him to deny it, but he wasn’t that sort of man.
She knew what he was when she married him, and this
was her best compromise.
‘You’re amazing, you know that?’ he said, placing his
hands on her face.
That night, they’d had mind-blowing sex. The next
day, Sheridan had made Kelly an offer she couldn’t refuse.
Now she sat here with Roz in silence, wondering how
it had all gone wrong. She never could have predicted
that Daniel would fall in love with Kelly, or his reaction
when he found out that she had died. Roz was there to
make everything better. Sheridan could still claw things
back. Because she would rather share her husband with
another than have her marriage fall apart.
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CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Roz
May 2019
I didn’t have the heart to read this week’s update aloud
to my baby. I knew I had grown far too close to her. At
thirty-six weeks of pregnancy, doing the simplest things
took a lot more effort. Eating, sleeping – even breathing,
sometimes. I imagined my baby curled up safe and warm
in her temporary cocoon. She was at least six pounds in
weight and would soon be born. I rubbed the base of my
spine as I rose from the table and picked up the letters
I had written earlier in the day. I made my way to the
bathroom. There was no way I could leave them out for
anyone to find.
Tearing up the notepaper, I scattered it down the toilet
and flushed. The letters I had written would never be read
by their intended, but the small ceremony gave me some
much-needed closure. Words of regret had bled on to the
page, intermingling with my tears as I said my goodbyes
to my mother, to Dympna and to my baby, which was
the most painful of all. Daniel had ensured the return of
my supplies, including my pencils and pens. But how far
would his kindness stretch?
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Thoughts of Kelly’s final moments filled my mind,
keeping me awake long into the night. Did she know her
days were numbered? I hoped not. Perhaps Kelly’s head
was full of dreams for the future: becoming a famous
actress, sending money home to her family. Becoming
a star.
I had no reason to believe Sheridan’s story, but I ac-
cepted it just the same. A complication in childbirth had
led to Kelly’s demise, and there was nothing to say the
same fate would not befall me. Sheridan might not be a
murderer, but she had stood by and watched Kelly die.
Why? Daniel refused to discuss the subject of Kelly in
any way, shape or form. I could sense his anguish at the
very mention of her name.
Perhaps he loved her, and that was her undoing. I
frowned as unanswered questions filled my mind. Why
do it all over again with me? Sheridan could have called
for help when Kelly started bleeding, but she hadn’t. And
now it would be the same with me. I realised with some
clarity that what I felt for Daniel was dependence, not
love. But how did he feel in return? The baby growing
inside me was not his flesh and blood.
I combed my hair, then smeared a thin layer of Vaseline
on my lips. Sheridan was away with Monica at a char-
ity event in LA. I pulled up the strap on the pretty lace
maternity dress that Daniel had loaned me. It was one
of Sheridan’s, a red number that had been gifted by yet
another up-and-coming designer.
The table in my basement room was set for two with
plastic throwaway cutlery, and soft music played. Upstairs, Anna was cooking us a three-course meal. Daniel had
gone to some lengths in order for me to have a nice night.
But my days above ground had ended. He did not say as
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much, but I knew the trust between us was hanging by
a thread.
Dabbing Sheridan’s perfume into the curve of my neck,
I almost felt human again. Gasping, I placed a hand on the
side of my stomach as my baby moved beneath my skin.
‘I’ll name you Tigger if you keep on bouncing around
in there,’ I chuckled.
My baby girl was cramped but agile, and it had been
a relief when I’d heard Dr Blumberg tell Sheridan that
she was engaged, head down. At least she should not have
the complication of a breech birth.
My heart skipped a beat as the lift came down.
Smoothing my dress, I stood, feeling like a teenager on
my first date. I had to get this right. I had to at least try.
‘You look beautiful,’ Daniel said, handing me a bunch
of yellow roses.
I took them with gratitude, inhaling their sweet scent.
I wanted to reply that I looked like a whale, but there was no place for the old Roz tonight. ‘Thanks,’ I said instead, too embarrassed to relay a compliment. Daniel may as
well have stepped out of the cover of GQ magazine.
‘So where are we tonight?’ It had become our latest
; game. Daniel would describe the faraway places he had
been to, transporting me into his world.
‘We’re in The Chequers, back in my hometown.’
Daniel regaled me with details of his favourite res-
taurant and the food they used to serve. He slid off his
jacket and placed it on the back of the chair while I laid
the roses to one side. I did not feel like food. I needed to get this over with; my heart was beating so hard I couldn’t take it any more.
I took a step towards him. I was barefoot, because
Sheridan deemed heels to be a hazard, but my toenails
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looked pretty in pink. Rising up on my tiptoes, I
stretched my arms around his neck. I inhaled citrus
and spice, the tantalising scent of his aftershave, as I
nuzzled his skin.
‘The food can wait,’ he said, his voice husky. He slid
his arms around my expanding waist.
‘OK,’ I whispered breathlessly. It was hardly the most
romantic setting, a heavily pregnant woman in a base-
ment flat. But it was now or never. Every moment we had
spent together had been leading up to this. It wasn’t that
I wanted to sleep with him – I had to. Creating a bond between us gave me my best chance of staying alive. Time
was running out, and there would be no use for me once
my baby was born.
I allowed him to kiss me, deep and slow, before I
followed him to the bed.
‘Are you sure?’ he said. ‘Because if you’d rather leave,
I won’t stand in your way.’
I suppressed my surprise. It was a trick. He was test-
ing me. I knew what would happen if I tried to escape.
‘I want to be here, with you,’ I lied, unbuttoning his
shirt.
Daniel seemed pleased with my response as a slow
smile crept onto his face. ‘Really?’
‘More than anything,’ I murmured, trying to clamber
on to the bed. My stomach was not making this easy,
and I had no idea how I could turn anyone on in my
present state, much less a Hollywood superstar. ‘Sorry,’
I said, as the mattress bounced under my weight. It was
laughable. I was almost out of breath, and we hadn’t even
done anything yet. I lay facing him on my side. ‘I feel
ridiculous,’ I admitted, as my nerves kicked in. ‘Look at
the state of me.’
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‘You’re beautiful,’ he whispered, but his eyes carried a
blank nothingness that drove a shiver down my back. Was
he thinking of someone else? Was I here at all? Pushing
down the straps of my dress, he leaned in and kissed my
shoulder. It all felt so surreal. He was breathtakingly
handsome, but there were no fireworks between us, and
Daniel seemed to sense my reluctance. The baby kicked,
a timely reminder of my circumstance, and my fingers
slowed over his belt buckle. I wasn’t a princess in a tower, and he wasn’t my prince charming. He was Sheridan’s
husband and my captor.
‘Woah,’ he said, stilling my hand as he placed his on
top. ‘This isn’t right.’
My heart was hammering so hard, I could barely catch
my breath. ‘What’s wrong?’
Daniel shook his head. ‘You don’t want this, not really.’
‘I…’ I tried to speak, but the words would not come.
I watched as Daniel buttoned his shirt, swung his feet
onto the floor.
‘I’ll have the food brought down to you,’ he replied.
‘It’s steak. You don’t want it to spoil.’
‘No, wait, don’t go,’ I said, holding my dress to my
chest. ‘Is it because I’m pregnant?’ I needed answers, if
only to second-guess what would happen next.
‘It’s not you…’ Daniel tucked his shirt into his trousers.
His gaze wandered over the room, as if seeing my prison
for the first time. ‘I can’t do this any more.’ He bent to
pick up his shoes from the floor. ‘Leave the dress out for
Anna. She’ll put it back in Sheridan’s wardrobe.’ He did
not look back as he walked to the lift.
I tried to follow him, but by the time I’d clambered
off the bed, the lift doors were closing. I was about to
call after him to say he had left his jacket, but managed to 311
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stop myself in time. There could be keys in there. How
stupid could I be?
I blinked in the dim light, my gaze on the lift display
as it showed the lift travelling upwards.
Daniel’s jacket felt silky-smooth as I ran my fingers
down the side pocket. Empty. Sighing, I watched the
lift display signal that it was on the upper floor. Soon he would realise his mistake and make his way down. I had
just seconds.
‘Please,’ I whispered under my breath, praying his
keys weren’t in his trousers. But as I slipped my hand into the inside pocket of the jacket, I was rewarded not with
keys, but a mobile phone. I ran my fingers over it; it was
surprisingly cheap for someone of Daniel’s calibre. Could
I get enough reception to make a call?
The ding and whirr of the lift signalled it was back
in action. He was on his way again. I wanted to scream
in frustration. Even if I could get reception, there was
no time.
It’s a burner phone, I thought, having read in Celeb Goss of the lengths Sheridan and Daniel went to to ensure
their privacy.
I jabbed my thumbs over the buttons, texting the
word was all I had time for, but Dympna would know
what it meant. Quickly, I negotiated his sent messages
folder to delete it. My heart was in my throat as the lift
arrived on my floor.
Holding my breath, I slipped the phone back into
Daniel’s jacket. Taking swift steps towards the sink, I pulled a plastic tumbler from the cupboard as he approached.
‘Use the bottled stuff, it’s better for you,’ Daniel said,
taking his jacket from the chair.
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‘It’s fine,’ I said, facing the sink wall. I could not risk him seeing my guilt-stricken face. My head raced with
worries as I heard him disappear via the lift, my emotions
in complete turmoil.
I imagined Dympna’s alarm as she read the text. If
only I’d had time to think things through. What if she
rang Daniel’s number? Asked for me by name? I had done
everything I could to gain his trust, and now I could have
blown it all away.
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CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Dympna
Dympna’s fingers curled around her armrest as she gulped
another mouthful of conditioned air. She couldn’t believe
her own powers of persuasion. After weeks of nagging
her father, he had finally caved in and bought flights to
New York. But now her stomach tightened as she looked
through the window of the Boeing 777, which was about
to take off. Her limbs were rigid, her feet glued to the
floor.
‘I can’t. I need to get off.’ Her words came as a sharp
whisper.
She had been in such a tizzy since receiving Roz’s text
that she’d forgotten about her fear of flying – until now.
As the plane moved on to the runway, Dympna squeezed
her eyes tightly shut. ‘Tell them, Dad, please. I need to
get off. I thought I could do it, but I can’t.’
Beside her, she heard her father’s soft chuckle. Felt
his strong hand cloak hers and squeeze tight. ‘You can
and you will.’
‘But what if I’m wrong?’ she said, between panicked
breaths. ‘I’ve taken you from work, given up my job.’ She
looked at him as if only then realising the seriousness of
the situation. ‘What have I done?’
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‘You’ve opened a strong lead into Roz’s case. One
we can’t ignore. Don’t let your nerves get the better of
you now.’
After checking her phone, Dympna had done a double-
take at the sight of the one-word text. PICKLE: their childhood code word. Nobody could dispute that Roz
was in trouble, but thankfully she was still alive.
Dympna had agonised about ringing the international
mobile number, and had telephoned her father for advice.
But US police checks had come back with nothing, and
by the time they’d called, they were rewarded with a
dead line. Dympna’s next action was to get her father to
commit to travelling to New York.
‘We’ll find her,’ John continued. ‘Have faith in your-
self. Now, deep breaths – here we go.’
Closing her eyes, Dympna breathed in through her nose
and out through her mouth as the plane ascended. Going
to her happy place, she recalled clambering into Roz’s bed
at the weekend to gossip about who they’d met the night
before. But the memory brought a pang of sorrow. Only
now did she realise what a huge upheaval this had been for
Roz. Her heart ached for her friend and she bitterly regretted letting her walk out of the front door of their flat alone.
Whatever she had done, Dympna needed to see her again.
Seamus had said very little on the journey to the
airport. She saw remorse in his eyes, but he repeated his
assurance that he would be there for her when she got
back. Each time he took a short breath, she felt like he
was trying to tell her something, but each time his gaze
fell to his shoes and the words would not come.
Even Dympna’s mother was teary as she’d said her