Michelle Kelly - When I Wasn't Watching

At the tender age of fourteen, Terry Prince is sent to prison for the horrific abduction and murder of toddler Jack Randall. The marriage of Jack’s parents, Lucy and Ethan, crumbles under the strain of losing their child, and Lucy is left with her grief and the struggle of raising her seven-year-old son Ricky alone.

Eight short years later, Terry Prince is released on parole. Lucy’s world is turned upside down and all her pain rushes back to the surface. And when another young boy, Ben, goes missing in similar circumstances, she fears Prince has struck again.

Ben’s case is assigned to newly single DI Matt Winston, the same officer who found Jack’s body all those years ago. A chance encounter with Ricky renews his connection with Lucy, and they embark on a relationship. But with the memories of Jack’s murder suddenly so fresh in their minds, the line between hard and circumstantial evidence starts to blur. Matt is desperate to find the culprit before it’s too late this time, and Lucy is desperate for some kind of justice. But will catching Ben’s abductor really bring them the closure they seek?

When I Wasn’t Watching

Michelle Kelly

Copyright Copyright Author Bio Dedication Part One Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Part Two Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Part Three Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Epilogue Extract Endpages About the Publisher

HQ

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2014

Copyright © Michelle Kelly 2014

Michelle Kelly asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © June 2014 ISBN: 9781472096432

Version date: 2018-09-20

MICHELLE KELLYis a mother, writer and teacher from the West Midlands in the UK. She began writing for a living in 2013 and is the author of three historical romances for Harlequin Mills and Boon, including the Regency story 'The Rake of Glendir' the Paranormal Investigations Agency series for Xcite Books, and a forthcoming cozy mystery series for St Martins Press in the US. 'When I Wasn't Watching' is her first crime novel, and she is currently working on her second, to be published by HQ Digital in 2015.

For my son, Callum Michael Ian Bird. You make me proud every day.

Contents

Cover

Blurb At the tender age of fourteen, Terry Prince is sent to prison for the horrific abduction and murder of toddler Jack Randall. The marriage of Jack’s parents, Lucy and Ethan, crumbles under the strain of losing their child, and Lucy is left with her grief and the struggle of raising her seven-year-old son Ricky alone. Eight short years later, Terry Prince is released on parole. Lucy’s world is turned upside down and all her pain rushes back to the surface. And when another young boy, Ben, goes missing in similar circumstances, she fears Prince has struck again. Ben’s case is assigned to newly single DI Matt Winston, the same officer who found Jack’s body all those years ago. A chance encounter with Ricky renews his connection with Lucy, and they embark on a relationship. But with the memories of Jack’s murder suddenly so fresh in their minds, the line between hard and circumstantial evidence starts to blur. Matt is desperate to find the culprit before it’s too late this time, and Lucy is desperate for some kind of justice. But will catching Ben’s abductor really bring them the closure they seek?

Title Page When I Wasn’t Watching Michelle Kelly

Copyright Copyright Copyright Author Bio Dedication Part One Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Part Two Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Part Three Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Epilogue Extract Endpages About the Publisher HQ An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2014 Copyright © Michelle Kelly 2014 Michelle Kelly asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins. E-book Edition © June 2014 ISBN: 9781472096432 Version date: 2018-09-20

Author Bio MICHELLE KELLY is a mother, writer and teacher from the West Midlands in the UK. She began writing for a living in 2013 and is the author of three historical romances for Harlequin Mills and Boon, including the Regency story 'The Rake of Glendir' the Paranormal Investigations Agency series for Xcite Books, and a forthcoming cozy mystery series for St Martins Press in the US. 'When I Wasn't Watching' is her first crime novel, and she is currently working on her second, to be published by HQ Digital in 2015.

Dedication For my son, Callum Michael Ian Bird. You make me proud every day.

Part One

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Part Two

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Part Three

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Epilogue

Extract

Endpages

About the Publisher

Part One

It isn’t for the moment you are struck that you need courage, but for the long uphill climb back to sanity and faith – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Chapter OneTuesday

They told her over the phone.As if she, of all people, wasn’t important enough to warrant a face to face visit. For the next few minutes Lucy sat very, very still, staring at nothing in particular. Then she got up with exact movements, determined to be calm. She even made herself a cup of tea. Which she managed to drink half of before the rage came, hot and bubbling.