Dead Secret Read online

  Dead Secret

  Noelle Holten

  One More Chapter

  a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

  1 London Bridge Street

  London SE1 9GF

  www.harpercollins.co.uk

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  First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2021

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  Copyright © Noelle Holten 2021

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  Cover design by Lucy Bennett © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2021

  Cover photograph © Silas Manhood

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  Noelle Holten asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

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  A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

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  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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  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, down-loaded, 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.

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  Source ISBN: 9780008383688

  Ebook Edition © April 2021 ISBN: 9780008383671

  Version: 2021-04-01

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Chapter 77

  Chapter 78

  Chapter 79

  Chapter 80

  Chapter 81

  Chapter 82

  Chapter 83

  Chapter 84

  Acknowledgments

  A Note from Noelle

  Thank you for reading…

  You will also love…

  About the Author

  Also by Noelle Holten

  One More Chapter...

  About the Publisher

  For one of the strongest women I know –

  My mother, Irene Quinn.

  Chapter One

  He was out of breath, knuckles swollen and throbbing from the repeated punches thrown. He wanted it all to stop – it was too much. He couldn’t do it any more.

  ‘You’ll never get away with this.’ The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He had followed every instruction, but his nerves were shot.

  What the fuck have I got myself into?

  The woods were quiet, except for the sound of a fire crackling in the distance. A whisper of voices from the drunken youths sailed through the air.

  Would they hear him if he screamed?

  The sky grew dark, hinting at the storm approaching, casting a shadow that made the trees look like a menacing crowd of people surrounding him. He glanced around and then looked down at the screen on his mobile.

  There’s still time to stop it …

  The blow to the back of the head caught him off guard. It wasn’t supposed to be this way …

  He reached up and felt the back of his head. When he pulled his hand away and looked, it was covered in blood. Then the dizziness hit, and he fell to the ground. His eyes rolled. He looked left and then right. The leaves rustled behind him.

  No escape.

  He didn’t know how long he had been unconscious. When he woke, the pain was crippling. He felt weak, could barely move – he needed to get help. He reached his hand out and grabbed at the ground, looking for some leverage to pull himself forwards.

  He tried to push his body up from the ground, but he couldn’t. His arms shook; he was too weak. If he could get to his phone, he might be able to get help. He reached under himself, into his jeans pocket; a searing pain shot through his head with every movement, but he had to ignore it. It was fight or die time now.

  His pocket was empty.

  Then he remembered it had been in his hand just before he was struck. He lifted his head and looked around, biting his lip, and holding in the scream that desperately wanted to escape. His phone was a few feet ahead. If he could get to it, he could call for help.

  His nails dug into the leafy, cold ground and he used what little strength he had left to pull his way towards his mobile – it was like a beacon of hope taunting him with every agonising pull he managed.

  A noise behind him.

  He nearly had his phone. Just a little bit more.

  He looked up, facing the threat with pleading eyes. Just as he was about to wrap his hands around the device, a sharp pain caused him to cry out. He saw the hammer as it hit the ground and then the world went black.

  Chapter Two

  Lucy Sherwood never imagined she would be dealing with a client even before her refuge had officially opened, but the battered and semi-conscious woman in her doorway said otherwise.

  She knelt beside the woman, checking that she was breathing while her other hand searched in her oversized pocket for her mobile phone. When she finally found it, her hands shook as she dialled 999 – situations like these often triggered her own experience of domestic abuse, but she pushed those thoughts to the back of her head as she focused on what the control room operator was saying down the line.

  ‘Hi. My name is Lucy Sherwood. A woman just knocked on my door and collapsed when I opened it. Her face is cut, and her eyes are swollen. I’ll need an ambulance here as soon as possible.’ Lucy gave the call handler the full address to the haven and waited on the line as the operator asked her to confirm the female
was breathing. Lucy noticed the woman’s eyes flutter and, although her lips were moving, no sound was coming out. She told the operator to hold on as the woman began to come around.

  ‘Hi, sweetheart. I’ve called an ambulance. They’re on their way.’ She shook the woman gently by her shoulders, not wanting to harm her but hoping it would keep her conscious.

  The unidentified female’s eyes widened, and she bolted upright. She had a short, jet-black pixie-like haircut, and Lucy noticed what looked like a hearing aid behind her ear. Her clothes were damp; it had been raining intermittently and Lucy figured she must have got caught out in the showers.

  The female scrabbled to stand up, but Lucy held her shoulders, being careful not to use too much force. ‘Hey, it’s okay. Just sit here. You’re safe.’

  The young woman stared at Lucy as she shook her head. There was desperation in her eyes – a look Lucy was all too familiar with. Lucy heard the ambulance in the distance. ‘Here they are now. Can you tell me your name?’

  She shook her head, and Lucy looked at the large satchel she clutched to her body. It was large enough to hold some clothes and toiletries but not so big as to hinder an escape.

  ‘Okay. That’s fine. We can sort all that out later. Sit still. I don’t want you to hurt yourself any more than you already are.’ The ambulance pulled up outside the security gate and waited for Lucy to open it. ‘I just need to go and open the gate. I won’t be a minute.’ Lucy stood and ran to the office. She flicked on the light and found the fob, pressing the button as she returned to the young woman. The ambulance drove up the driveway and Lucy went to go and meet them halfway, but the girl grabbed her hand. ‘Okay, hun. I’ll stay.’

  ‘So, what do we have here?’ The female respondent knelt down and began to unload some equipment from her bag.

  ‘She turned up at my door and collapsed when I answered. I can’t get her to speak.’ Lucy looked the other woman in the eye and signalled at the satchel still being held tightly by the young female.

  A male paramedic stood back as his colleague asked the woman some questions. ‘Can you tell me where it hurts, hun?’ They watched as the young girl pointed to her face, her head, and her arm.

  ‘Okay. Let’s have a look at that arm. Tell me if it hurts when I touch you here.’

  The woman shook her head.

  ‘How about here?’ The female paramedic squeezed her forearm.

  Again, she shook her head but there was a large bandage with bloodstains seeping through at the top of her arm. ‘Did this happen today?’

  The woman nodded.

  ‘I’ll just check it over and give you a clean bandage. Okay?’

  Reluctantly, the young woman allowed the paramedic to change the dressing.

  When the paramedic reached her wrist, the young female winced and tried to draw her hand back. ‘That’s sore? Well, the good news is you can move it, so I don’t think it’s broken but we should probably get it X-rayed at the hospital.’

  The young girl yanked her arm away and winced while shaking her head furiously.

  ‘Okay. Stay calm. You don’t want to injure it any further now, hun. How about I bandage it for now, and we’ll revisit the X-ray in a little bit. Are you okay to stand? You might be more comfortable lying down in the ambulance.’

  Lucy noticed the woman staring intently as the paramedic spoke. She could read lips.

  The woman shook her head and clung to Lucy with her free hand.

  ‘It’s okay.’ Lucy knew exactly how the woman felt. Once you go to the hospital, you have to face questions from more professionals and acknowledge the abuse … or lie. ‘Do you want to come inside? You can lie down on the couch.’ Lucy pointed to the communal lounge door.

  The young girl nodded.

  They helped her up and carefully walked the mystery woman to the couch. Easing her down gently, the emergency services continued to check her out while Lucy stood back, waiting for the police to arrive. As if on cue, the buzzer for the front gate sounded. Lucy left the paramedics and opened the front door; pressing the key fob, she waited as the police drove in. They exited their vehicle and when they reached the door, she introduced herself, explaining that the woman was lying down on the couch while the paramedics looked her over.

  She whispered to the officers, ‘She won’t speak and doesn’t want to go to the hospital, so I’m not sure how much information you’ll learn but follow me.’ Lucy showed them to the communal living area.

  The two officers identified themselves to the woman on the couch, and Lucy noticed her body stiffen as they approached. The woman turned away from them and wouldn’t answer any of their questions.

  ‘She’s been through quite an ordeal and may be a little nervous. How about you leave your details and when she’s able and willing to talk, I’ll give you a ring. I have plenty of rooms here and she’s free to stay until we figure this all out.’ While Lucy waited for a response, she sent a quick text to her friends, Sharon and Mark. They were due to come around, but given the situation, Lucy didn’t think more people would be a good idea, especially as Sharon Bairden was an advocate for domestic abuse victims and Mark was a police officer who she used to work with in the Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit (DAHU).

  The officers looked at each other and nodded. One handed Lucy a card. She walked them to the door. ‘I used to work in the DAHU at Markston Police Station. I’m a Probation Officer, so I do have some experience. I don’t get the impression this is a random assault.’

  ‘Well, she is in safe hands then. We’ll log this into the system in case anyone reports anything about the assault or a missing female.’ Lucy handed the officers her card from the stack on the side table by the door and thanked them as she watched them leave.

  The paramedics were wrapping up the woman’s wrist. ‘Other than the swelling and cuts, there doesn’t appear to be anything broken. Did I hear you say that she can stay here overnight?’

  Lucy looked at the female paramedic. ‘Yes, that’s if she wants to. I don’t want to assume …’ She smiled at the stranger. ‘Do you have anywhere else you can go?’

  The young woman shook her head and patted the couch.

  ‘You want to stay here then?’ Lucy wanted to be sure the woman didn’t feel she was being forced into staying, while reassuring her that she would be safe.

  The woman nodded as she tucked her feet underneath herself.

  ‘Okay.’ Turning back to the emergency services, Lucy smiled. ‘I’ll keep an eye on her and if her situation changes or I have any concerns, I’ll bring her in to the hospital. Perhaps she’ll feel differently in the morning.’

  Lucy showed them to the door. It was going to be a long night. She’d decided that she would stay in the communal room with the woman so she could keep an eye on her. ‘I’ll get some blankets.’

  Lucy went to the cupboard in the hall and pulled out a large fleece throw. ‘That should do.’ She grabbed a thinner one for herself and hoped she was hiding the concern she felt.

  Why is she so afraid to speak?

  Chapter Three

  Lucy looked at the vulnerable young woman for a moment when she returned to the communal living area. ‘Do you think you can tell me your name now? Everyone’s gone, it’s just us.’ She wondered whether the woman was fearful of disclosing her details while other professionals were at the property.

  There was no response. Of course there wouldn’t be; the woman was staring into space – she hadn’t heard her.

  Lucy sat down beside her, and the female jumped. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you okay to talk?’ Lucy noted the woman once again staring at her lips as she spoke. ‘Can you hear me, sweetheart?’

  The woman’s hand wavered side to side and then she tapped the hearing aids. So, she was deaf or at least partially. The young woman held out her hand and mimicked writing.

  ‘Okay. I’ll get you something you can write on and then how about we get you some warm clothes, a nice cuppa, and hopefully some sleep. Do
you sign?’ Lucy wondered if she would need to get an interpreter in.

  The woman shook her head.

  Lucy stood and went to the metal cabinet at the back of the room. She still had boxes to unpack but remembered that she had put a load of notebooks and pens in the cupboard earlier that day. ‘I know I have some … ah, here they are.’ She pulled a notebook out of the box and reached into her own pocket for a pen.

  She handed them to the woman and waited.

  The woman didn’t take long before passing the notebook back to Lucy. It had only one thing written down.