Marnie Riches - The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows

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First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins 2016

Copyright © Marnie Riches 2016

Marnie Riches asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of 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.

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Ebook Edition © March 2016 ISBN: 9780008138356

Version 2019-03-01

For Weez Maria Owenen, who has grown up to be one of the kickest-assest women I know.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Part 1

Chapter 1: London, Belgravia, 16 February

Chapter 2: North West England, Women’s Prison, 27 February

Chapter 3: Amsterdam, Bijlmer District, Later

Chapter 4: South East London, 28 February

Chapter 5: Amsterdam, Mortuary, 28 February

Chapter 6: St. John’s College, Cambridge, Later

Chapter 7: Amsterdam, Vinkeles Restaurant, 2 March

Chapter 8: A Village South of Amsterdam, 25 May, the Previous Year

Chapter 9: St. John’s College, Then, The Bun Shop Pub, Cambridge, 3 March, Present

Chapter 10: Amsterdam, Sloterdijkermeer Allotments, Then, an Apartment Block in Bijlmer, 4 March

Chapter 11: Amsterdam, Apartment in Bijlmer, Then, Police Headquarters, Later

Chapter 12: A Village South of Amsterdam, 25 May, the Previous Year

Chapter 13: The City of London, 5 March, Present, Mid-Morning

Chapter 14: London, Westminster, Later

Chapter 15: Amsterdam, Police Headquarters, 5 March

Chapter 16: South East London and Amsterdam, 6 March

Chapter 17: Amsterdam, Police Headquarters, 30 May, the Previous Year

Chapter 18: Berlin, Zoological Gardens, 9 March, Present

Chapter 19: Berlin, a Hotel in Potsdamer Platz, Later

Chapter 20: Berlin, Neukölln District, 10 March

Chapter 21: Amsterdam, Police Headquarters, 11 March

Chapter 22: Amsterdam, Marie’s Apartment, Later

Chapter 23: A Village South of Amsterdam, 8 June, the Previous Year

Chapter 24: South East London, 15 March

Chapter 25: Amsterdam, Police Headquarters, 16 March

Chapter 26: The City of London, 16 March

Chapter 27: City of London, Then, Aunty Sharon’s House, South East London, Later

Chapter 28: A Village South of Amsterdam, 4 August, the Previous Year

Chapter 29: Amsterdam, Oud West District, 12 August, the Previous Year

Chapter 30: Amsterdam, Police Headquarters, Later

Chapter 31: London, Westminster, 17 March, Present

Chapter 32: St. John’s College, Cambridge, Then, Cambridge Train Station, 18 March

Chapter 33: Doubletree Hilton Hotel in Cambridge, Later

Chapter 34: South East London, Later

Chapter 35: London, the West End, Later

Part 2

Chapter 36: A Village South of Amsterdam, 16 January, Earlier That Year

Chapter 37: London, South Docklands, 17 January

Chapter 38: South East London, Later, Then 21 January

Chapter 39: South East London, Later

Chapter 40: South East London, Aunty Sharon’s House, 22 January

Part 3

Chapter 41: London, Liverpool Street Station, 19 March

Chapter 42: London, South Bank, at the Same Time

Chapter 43: London, Later

Chapter 44: A Railway Arch in South East London, at the Same Time, and Flashbacks to Early February

Chapter 45: South East London, at the Same Time

Chapter 46: South East London, Aunty Sharon’s House, Later

Chapter 47: Amsterdam, Above The Cracked Pot Coffee Shop, Much Later, Then Sloterdijkermeer Allotments, Then, Even Later, Van Den Bergen’s Apartment

Chapter 48: Amsterdam, Van Den Bergen’s Apartment, Later Still

Chapter 49: Amsterdam, Bijlmerbajes Prison Complex, Then, Marie’s Apartment, Then, Sloterdijkermeer Allotments, 20 March

Chapter 50: Amsterdam, Police Headquarters, Then the Deenen’s House in a Village South of Amsterdam, 23 March

Chapter 51: Amsterdam, The Cracked Pot Coffee Shop, Then, Consulting Rooms, Then, Kamphuis’ Home Near Vondelpark, Later

Chapter 52: Amsterdam, Outside Kamphuis’ Home, Much Later

Chapter 53: Amsterdam, Van Den Bergen’s Apartment, 24 March

Chapter 54: Amsterdam, Police Headquarters, Then, Carlien Dekker’s House, Later Still

Chapter 55: A Village South of Amsterdam, Carlien Dekker’s House

Chapter 56: Zandvoort, Kennemer Golf & Country Club, Later

Chapter 57: Maldives, North Male Atol, Four Hours Ahead

Chapter 58: Amsterdam, Police Headquarters, Later

Chapter 59: A Village South of Amsterdam, Carlien Dekker’s House, Then, Marie’s Office, Police Headquarters, Later

Chapter 60: Amsterdam, Sloterdijkermeer Allotments, Later

Chapter 61: Amsterdam, Bijlmerbajes Prison Complex, 30 March

Chapter 62: Amsterdam, Mortuary, 31 March

Chapter 63: Amsterdam, The Cracked Pot Coffee Shop, at the Same Time, Then, Police Headquarters, Later

Chapter 64: Amsterdam, Prison Services’ Family Centre, 1 April

Chapter 65: Amsterdam, Hasselblad’s House, 2 April

Chapter 66: Amsterdam, Van Den Bergen’s Apartment, Then, Vinkeles Restaurant, Later, 4 April

Acknowledgements

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About the Author

By the Same Author

About the Publisher

Cold jabbed his raw skin where it was exposed. Hands, wrapped in torn, woollen gloves; the filthy threads had come loose, long ago. Blackened nails, blue fingers, toes on the cusp of being devoured by greedy frostbite. Vulnerable. But his discomfort mattered no longer. Only watching these two men, as he crouched behind a Range Rover, out of view. On this grand Belgravia street in London, double yellow lines – hidden beneath thick, shovelled banks of snow, but there nonetheless – ensured a clear line of sight.

Problem was, a man like him stood out, here. An imperfect grey figure, juxtaposed against flawless white stone; perfectly white snow, too deep to clear with grit, even in the city; icicles hanging from every portico and window frame – deadly diamond daggers.

Move along, sir. Sorry, no spare change. Shift, or I’ll call the police.

Always looks of utter disdain, as these wealthy denizens of SW1X picked up the scent of urine and stale alcohol. Especially the women. Clad in real fur, now. Since the Siberian winter of discontent …

Fuck them.

He had eyes only for these two men, standing outside Mosimann’s private restaurant. A picture of establishment respectability, posed in their cashmere outer layers before ecclesiastical built-beauty, where now only millionaires could afford to dine. Worshipping at the altar of fine food and business transactions, sealed over bottles of wine that cost thousands. Scum of the earth, these two. Black hearts so easily hidden beneath bespoke Jermyn Street clothing. Lies. Corruption. Evil.