Woman’s Weekly UK – 23 July 2019

womansweekly.com 57

yesterday,onthewayback
fromourpicnic.Hetold
methetwoof youhadspent
thepreviousnighttogether,
afterhecameto your rescue
overtheburglary.’
‘Andyoubelievedhim?’
‘I’msorry,’Lukeshrugged
sheepishly.‘I shouldhave
knownbetter.Buttheman’s
a prettyconvincingliar.’
‘Noargumentthere!’
‘I wasreallycutupabout
it,’Lukecontinued.‘It made
ourmomentontheclifftop
seem...meaningless.I can’t
believeI fellforhispoison.’
‘HetoldmeI shouldn’t
trustyou,’Rachelrecalled.
‘Heevensuggestedyou
mighthavetakenthatphoto
of Carlandmethatwent
withthosepressstories,
paintingmeasa scarlet
womantryingto wreckthe
Cheritons’marriage.’
‘I guessheneededto turn
usagainsteachother,sowe
didn’tputourheadstogether
and figureout he was behind
allthis.’
‘Sh...Lookslikehe’sgoing!’
Theywatchedfromthe
shadowsas Tonyemerged
fromthehouseandhugged
Melissagoodbye.
‘Carlwouldneverhave
agreedto this,’she was
sayingguiltily.
‘Don’ttortureyourself
worryingaboutthat,’Tony
replied.‘Justgobackindoors
andstartpreparing for your
bigmoment.’
AsMelissaclosedthedoor,
Rachel’sbloodrancold.
‘Didyouhearthat?’She
clutchedLuke’sarm.‘They’re
talkingaboutCarlasif –’
‘What?Youdon’tsuppose
they’ve...gotridof him?’
‘I don’tknowwhatto
believeanymore,’said
Rachel,panicking.‘Untila
fewmomentsago,I would
neverhaveimaginedTony
woulddoanythinglikethis.’
‘Thenwehave to get away.
Comeon.’
Furtively,theycreptout
frombehindthestables.But
as Rachel edged forward,

SERIAL

Continuedoverleaf

keepingher eyes fixedon the

house,shecaughtherfoot

undera treerootandcrashed

to theground.In thedeathly

silenceof thedeserted

clearing,thethudof herfall

echoedoutlikea gunshot.

‘Who’sthere?’shouted

Tony,sprintingintothe

undergrowth.Hecoveredthe

distancein seconds;there

wasnotimeforRachelto get

upandrun.Cornered,Luke

stoodprotectivelyin frontof

her,helpingherto herfeet

as Tonyreachedthem.

Seeingthemboth, he

stoppeddead.

‘Rachel?Luke?’Thinking

fast,heaffecteda casual,

breezytone.‘Hey,fancy

bumpingintoyououthere!’

‘Don’tbothertryingto

bluff,’saidLukecalmly.‘We

heardeverything;weknow

exactlywhatyou and Melissa

havebeenupto.’

Rightoncue,Melissa’s

calledfromthehouse. ‘Tony?

Areyoustillthere?’

‘Bewithyouin a minute,’

Tonyshouted.‘What’sup?’

‘I justgota messagefrom

Carl,’calledMelissa.‘He’s

backat thecottage.’

Hearingthis,Rachel

almostcollapsedwithrelief.

‘SoCarl’sOK?’sheasked

breathlessly,facingTony.

‘Ofcoursehe’sOK.Hey,

whatdoyouthinkwe’ve

done,murderedhim?’A

broad smile of amusement

crossedTony’sface.

‘Lightenup,youtwo,’Tony

coaxedairily.‘All right,so

you’verumbledme,buthas

anyharmreallybeendone?’

Rachelexploded,

incensed.‘You terrifiedme!

Youmademewastepolice

timeoveryourstupidfake

abduction,youtriedto turn

Lukeandmeagainsteach

other,andyou’velied, over

andoveragain!’

‘I’msorry.I realiseall

thismustseemprettyalien

to youboth,’Tonysaid

condescendingly.‘Butthe

worldof showbizis a funny

place.Celebritiesuselittle

deceptionsallthetime,

to gettheirpicturesin the

papers,raise their profiles,

keepthepublicinterested.

It’sthewaythewheelsturn.

Theimportantthingis,this

flurryof interestwill generate

a lotof workforMelissaand

Carl.I’dbehappyto cut you

in on the profits.’

‘Forgetit,’saidLuke.‘I

wouldn’ttouchyourmoney

witha bargepole,knowing

whatkindof dirtytricks you

pulledto earnit.’

Rachellookedat them

boththoughtfully.It was

hardto imaginetwomore

differentmen.Herheart

swelledwithaffectionand

respectforLuke,a feeling

matchedonlybythesheer

contemptshefeltforTony.

‘You’dbettermakesure

Melissashowsupsafeand

soundrightnow,’saidLuke

defiantly,takingRachel’s

handandturningto walk

away.‘Otherwisewe’llbe

theonesgoingto thepapers.

Andunlikeyou,we’ll be

tellingthetruth.’

✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

Theskywasbeginningto

darkenasLukesatat the

windowof thebungalow,

lookingouttowardsthe

Cheritons’ cottage.

‘Well,whatdoyouknow,

thekidnapvictim’ssurfaced

safeandsound!’hejoked,

witha theatrical roll of

hiseyes.

Rachelfollowedhis

gaze.A smallcrowdwas

assembledaroundMelissa

andCarl’shome;the

normallytranquilstreet

wasbuzzingwith vehicles

andcameras.

‘Shallwegoandseewhat’s

goingon?’Lukesuggested.

‘Noneed.Look,they’re

liveonthelocalnews.’

Rachelgesturedtowardsthe

TV.Onthescreen,Carland

Melissawerestandingarm

in armat theedgeof the

privatebeach,reportersand

cameramenthrusting mics

undertheirnoses.

‘I’mjustsogladshe’ssafe

andwell,’Carlwassaying,

heartfeltemotionclouding

hiskind,friendlyface.

‘I’msoembarrassedabout

thisfuss.It wasalla silly

misunderstanding,’Melissa

chimedin emotionally;at

leastshehadthegrace

to look mortified.‘I can’t

apologiseenoughforany

worryI’vecaused.’

‘Aretheabductionrumours

true,MrsCheriton?’ shouted

a reporter.

‘Ofcoursenot!’Melissa

criedearnestly.‘ButI wantto

thankourfanswho’vesent

messagesof support.It’s

reallywonderful to know

peoplecare.’

‘Well,if sheevergetstired

of singing,she’sgota great

futureaheadasanactress!’

saidLuke,switchingoffthe

TV.‘That’sanOscar-winning

performanceshe’sdelivering!’

‘Oh,I don’tthinkshe’s

fakingit,’saidRachel.‘I think

thatemotionis genuine. And

Carl’scertainlyis.’

‘Yes.In spiteof everything,

it’sobvioustheylove each

otherverymuch.’

‘We couldstill expose

TonyandMelissa,’saidLuke,

goingbackto thewindow

and watching the crowds

‘Who’sthere?’shoutedTony,

sprinting into the undergrowth