Her Last Request: An Alex Harper Mystery Thriller (Alex Harper Mysteries Book 1) by Mark Ayre

Author:Mark Ayre [Ayre, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Twenty-Six

When Rebecca turned up—right on time and sporting a wide grin as always—Andrew almost sent her away. The thought of being apart from his kids today of all days knotted his stomach. How could he be sure they would be safe at school? According to Freddie, he had until midnight to find the book, but who could trust that psychopath? Maybe if Donald or Elizabeth had delivered the threat. Sure the elder Murrays were criminals and killers, but they at least acted rationally and predictably. If they promised not to go after your kids until a deadline, you could take that deadline as read. Freddie, on the other hand, who knew.

“Everything okay, Mr Monroe?”

“Call me Andrew, please.”

The girl nodded and smiled and seemed to understand, but he wasn’t fooled. He’d asked her a hundred times to call him Andrew. She never listened. She was nothing like the girls he had known at eighteen. None of his contemporaries were so unfailingly polite or cheerful. Every day was sunny in Rebecca’s world. She was faultlessly well-mannered and a godsend when it came to the kids. Especially with the long hours he worked. Not once had she complained when asked to stay late or to slot in an extra shift. In truth, she seemed to enjoy it.

“You look a bit under the weather, is all. Can I get you anything?”

“I’m fine, Rebecca. Let me get the kids.”

He wondered if she had been bullied in her younger years. He had been kind in his school days and bullied relentlessly as a result. But then, maybe it wasn’t the kindness. He had been shy and easily frightened. The kid who jumped at shadows. That was what the bullies picked up on. Rebecca didn’t seem like that. She had a natural confidence and energy. She probably had hundreds of friends.

“Help yourself to whatever you want,” he said as he left the room. “There’s juice in the fridge.”

“Thank you, Mr M—Andrew.”

He rolled his eyes. Next time it would be Mr Mondrew. Then back to Mr Monroe until he reminded her again.

Upstairs, he hurried the kids along and helped get them ready. He watched their every move and tried to keep the tears from his eyes. Could he let them go? Was he putting their lives at risk? What were the alternatives? The only one he could see was to pack up the car and leave town. In other words, uproot his settled kids and abandon his successful career. Plus, there was the house. Tessa’s house. Filled with memories. How could he leave what she had left behind?

It only took a few minutes to get ready. When the kids reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Rebecca, they bolted towards her, squealing, and she scooped them into a hug. They loved her. What would they do in a couple of months when she left? This was her gap year, and she had agreed to work for Andrew for six months before travelling. He had thought that would be fine.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.