Stolen Child by Laura Elliot

Author:Laura Elliot [Elliot, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, General, Crime, Thrillers, Suspense, Mystery & Detective, International Mystery & Crime, Psychological
ISBN: 9780007367986
Google: 1sw_-9DGPLYC
Amazon: 0008122873
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Published: 2010-07-21T16:00:00+00:00

When Janet called in to her apartment the following afternoon, she greeted her daughter’s new appearance with a mix of horror and disbelief.

‘How could you do something so drastic?’ she demanded. ‘I’d pass you on the street without a second glance.’

‘That’s the idea, Mother…and this is only the first step. I already use a pseudonym. I’m going to talk to Leo and change my name to Clare Frazier by deed poll.’

‘A name change?’ Janet sank into the sofa. ‘Did I hear you correctly?’

‘Yes.’ Carla sat opposite her and tried to calm her down. ‘As long as I’m Carla Kelly, I’ll never be left alone.’ Frazier was Gillian’s maiden name and Clare is my second name, so it’s a family name.

‘You may think so.’ Janet’s voice rose. ‘But I hope you don’t expect me to call you anything except the name I gave you at birth.’

‘No one outside my family is to know otherwise. Do you understand, Mother? This is very important.’

Janet leaned closer to Carla. ‘What in the name of God have you done to your eyes?’

‘Contact lenses. Purely cosmetic.’

‘But they’re green.’

‘An appropriate choice, don’t you think?’

Janet’s lips tightened. Her red lipstick had blurred into the lines above her mouth and Carla had a sudden impression of how her mother would look when she was an old woman. Time was laying stealthy hands on all of them. Six years…and Carla was still upright, still fighting.

‘I did warn you about Robert,’ said Janet. ‘Now you’re facing into a divorce, and he’s facing into a new life with that one…that strap of a one who threw herself at him as soon as your back was turned.’

‘What do you want, Mother? Marks out of ten for being right?’

‘I take no pleasure in being right. I’d give anything…’ Janet’s eyes watered as she stared at Carla. ‘You were so beautiful. And now…your father will be heartbroken. He loved your lovely hair.’

‘Dad will understand. He always does.’ Carla handed her a box of tissues. ‘I need to protect myself—’

‘But you ask for trouble. Honestly, Carla, what do you expect when you hang around with prostitutes?’

‘Anita was a child, Mother. And I didn’t hang around with her. She was my friend.’

‘Your friend?’ Janet was becoming increasingly agitated. ‘You can see why the media would want to know those details.’

‘There were no details. But that’s never stopped them writing about me. I’m selling my apartment and buying one on the other side of the canal. I’m moving on, Mother. Isn’t that what you keep asking me to do?’

‘Yes. But not by changing into a green-eyed man. Honestly, Carla, this is the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done. I wish I hadn’t been right about Robert. But he made a decision to get over things and now he has a son. What do you have? Tell me, what do you have?’

‘A daughter who is waiting for me to find her.’

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.