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 2018-01-24
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
Keep Reading …
About the Author
By the Same Author
About the Publisher
PART 1
CHAPTER 1
London, Belgravia, 16 February
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.
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