Lynda La Plante - Twisted

© 2014

Twisted was a difficult journey and one that required in-depth research from psychologists, who guided me through the various medical issues. My thanks and respect to the doctors and specialists who gave me their time and expertise. To Gillian Gordon for lending me volumes of medical journals and for giving me great insight into the specific medical conditions depicted in the novel. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Callum Sutherland for his constant support and research, both in the police procedures and the editing. He is such a dedicated man with a genuine, thorough patience and an ability to ensure that I get the facts correct. I have been fortunate to have Susan Opie again to do the final edit, and as always I thank her for her enthusiasm and brilliant notes and suggestions.

I have a terrific team at Simon & Schuster, and would like to thank in particular Suzanne Baboneau and Ian Chapman; James Horobin and his amazing sales team; Dawn Burnett and Jamie Groves for marketing; Simon & Schuster International sales team, all my friends at S &S Australia; Jonathan Ball in South Africa; Simon and Gill Hess in Ireland – I look forward to seeing you all soon. My gratitude to all other departments, who work so hard to design my book jackets and produce the finished books.

Thank you to my dear literary agent, Gill Coleridge, who has guided and advised my career for so many years, and to Cara Jones of RCW; and to Stephen Ross, Dan Ross and Andrew Bennet-Smith at Ross, Bennet-Smith for their support and financial guidance.

I also want to express my sincere thanks to Nigel Stoneman, who has guided all the publicity and promotions for my novels for many years. Nigel’s constant support, enthusiasm and generous spirit makes life on the road a pleasure. Also, thanks to Tory Macdonald who is my personal assistant and a jewel I am fortunate to have beside me.

It was the first dinner party Lena Fulford had agreed to attend since the separation from her husband. She was eager to show off her new image, although she couldn’t help a shiver of trepidation at being on her own. She had chosen to wear a new, and very expensive, figure-hugging Ralph Lauren white cocktail dress. Her thick blonde shoulder-length hair was loose and she’d made sure her makeup was perfect by going to the beauty salon that afternoon. She had decided to take herself to the dinner party, and she felt more in control by doing so. However, she began to doubt her decision as there was not a parking space to be found on Richmond Hill. After having to go past her host’s house twice, in frustration she decided to leave her car in the guests’ area at the Richmond Hill Hotel. From there she walked to the Berkoffs’ house, which was midway up the hill. Nervously she clutched her small white bag and flushed with embarrassment when the hostess opened the front door and shrieked.

‘Oh my goodness, JUST look at you!’ Maria Berkoff was her usual theatrical self.

She was a large overweight woman, which was accentuated by her tight red evening dress. But her hair was well-coiffed, and she wore chandelier drop earrings along with a multitude of pearl necklaces.

‘Lena, you look absolutely stunning, darling, and you seem taller than I remember. I might need a divorce so I can get to slim down and look so good – you must have lost pounds.’

‘Marcus and I are not divorced quite yet, and I think the weight loss is down to all the stress.’ Lena gave a small smile.

‘Oh how awful, but I thought it was all very amicable?’

‘It is, but I have been so busy organizing a new children’s themed party business, designing toys and-’

‘Really,’ an uninterested Maria said as she turned away.

‘I’ve called it Kiddy Winks. It’s been exhausting having to deal with all the hire of new staff and-’

‘Oh Kiddley Winks – what a super name.’

‘It’s Kiddy-’ Lena started to say before Maria interrupted.

‘The Middletons have had the most fantastic success running just the same sort of thing, so I’m certain yours will be strong competition. Now come and have a glass of champagne and let me introduce you to everyone. I think you have met most of them before at some time or other.’

Lena followed Maria into a large glass conservatory, where numerous well-heeled guests were gathered. Maria’s portly and effusive husband Sasha hurried to hand her a drink.

‘How lovely to see you, Lena! We do miss old Marcus, he was always the life and soul of our little events. How is the old chap doing?’

‘He was very well the last time I spoke with him,’ Lena assured him.

‘Good, and what about that daughter of yours – Angie, is it?’

‘No, Amy; she’s doing very well and enjoying boarding school.’

‘Jolly good, now let me introduce you to a very dear friend – he used to play squash with your husband, thrashed him regularly.’

Lena found it all completely excruciating, even more so as everyone was eager to know how Marcus was doing and repeatedly told her how much he was missed. Although she had met most of the Berkoffs’ guests before she had always been accompanied by her husband on such occasions. Now she had to endure being the focus of everyone’s attention simply because she was single. At dinner Lena found herself seated next to a much younger man and had to put up with Maria, always delighted with an excuse to gossip, giggling that perhaps her glamorous looks were down to her finding a ‘toy boy’.

Lena was infuriated and said curtly that she had no interest in forming any new relationship.

‘My latest business is my priority right now,’ she added.

‘Just teasing, darling, you are such a clever lady and very successful,’ Maria said as dinner was served.

For Lena it was three courses of substandard tasteless offerings, made worse by having to listen to one guest after another recalling previous evenings when Marcus had held court. He was a great storyteller, often with self-deprecating anecdotes about himself and his failed business ventures. The fact that Lena had invariably financed his thwarted attempts at success was never acknowledged. Being attractive, and somewhat vain, Marcus always relished the attention, and would have enjoyed listening to everyone repeating how much he was missed.

‘So will you be staying on in that gorgeous house?’ Maria asked.

‘I’m not sure, we haven’t discussed or finalized anything as yet.’

‘So where is that ex of yours living?’ Sasha asked, pouring himself some wine, and then proffering the bottle to Lena for a refill.

‘He has rented a flat in Mayfair from a friend who is abroad,’ she said and placed her hand politely over her wine glass. ‘I’m driving so I will just stick to water thank you, Sasha.’

‘Mayfair! Well do pass on our warmest regards, and email us his address. He never answers his mobile or the messages I leave him, and Maria and I would love to see him.’

‘I think he has a new number, and I’ll remind him to call you,’ Lena managed to promise politely.

At the earliest opportunity after coffee and mints, she excused herself, saying that she had a business meeting scheduled for early the next morning.