Innocent or guilty?
Evie Riley will go to almost any lengths to survive; she is no-one’s victim…
At fifteen on a lonely walk home, she is violently attacked. In a desperate fight for her life, she believes she has killed her assailant. Terrified of the possible consequences, Evie flees to London with a rucksack but little else and survival becomes a daily struggle. For two long years, she lives on the streets surviving in the shadows, selling the Big Issue – but she is haunted by her past. Will she be discovered? Will she be arrested? And what even for certain happened that night?
Through her writing and taking her chances, she claws her way back to a life and becomes a successful author. Finally, she finds precious peace in the life she’s painstakingly rebuilt -but with a new identity. When one day she receives a menacing, anonymous letter, the safety she’s fought so hard for begins to unravel.
Who has found her and why are they tormenting her? She has to find them before they expose her to the world and its consequences. Does she have to kill again in order to survive?
Excerpt from the book
Heading to the door, Viv collected her coat from where she had thrown it over the back of the chair. Just as she was emerging into the old alleyway, she heard Maurice the doorman call after her. She turned, a question on her face. He was holding an envelope and even from a distance she could see that it had her name on it: ‘V. J. Wheeler’.
Her hand was out, a ‘thank you’ on her lips as she took it from his outstretched hand. How odd, she thought, that mail should be delivered here; who knew that she was even a member, apart from the other members? She glanced down, turned the envelope over and, as there was no further clue and her curiosity got the better of her, she ran her finger under the flap and took out the note. Just a simple note. She checked, but there was nothing else inside. It read, “I know who you really are and I know exactly what you did. Clock’s ticking.”
The blood drained from Viv’s face. She couldn’t move. She was still staring at the words, trying to make sense of them, when she heard, as though from far away
“Are you alright, Miss Wheeler?”
That was Maurice, who always stayed to see more than he should.
“Miss Wheeler? You are very pale.”
Viv looked up and at Maurice, but he seemed far away. She was trying to process the shock caused by what she had just read.
“I know who you really are and I know exactly what you did. Clock’s ticking.”
“Fine, Maurice. Fine. Nothing to see.”
And with that she shoved the note back into the envelope and the envelope into her pocket and left the club. A couple of seconds later, she doubled back.
“Maurice, did you see who left that note?”
Her heart was beating so fast.
“No, Miss Wheeler.”
It was too civilised a club to have anything as crass as CCTV, so what was she to do? She could not think clearly. A fine film of sweat broke out on her forehead. She tried to brush it away.
“I know who you really are and I know exactly what you did. Clock’s ticking.”