The Trade Off by Jones Sandie

Author:Jones, Sandie [Jones, Sandie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Contemporary, Adult
ISBN: 9781250836939
Amazon: 125083693X
Goodreads: 61884905
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Published: 2023-08-15T07:00:00+00:00

27

Jess

The waves of regret wash over me as I lie in bed, tears soaking my pillow as I silently beg the clock to turn back. I don’t want much; just a few hours to the time when I could have stopped this from happening.

Yasmin’s words goad me on a continuous loop inside my head, showing me how I could so easily have realized what she was trying to say. It was all there, hiding in plain sight, so why did I ignore it? I was perfectly placed to help her wait out the storm, but I failed her. Not only when I left her alone last night, but when I ignored her desperate cries for help in the early hours of this morning.

I pull the duvet over my head to ward off the glare of the afternoon sun that is streaming in through the window. I hate wishing it were gray and gloomy, but nothing about today is remotely sunny. I doubt it ever will be again. The ringing of my phone interrupts my maudlin thoughts, and I’m grateful for its shrill tone rescuing me.

“Oh my god, Jess,” shrieks Flic. “Have you seen the news? It’s that woman, Yasmin … She’s—”

“I know,” I say, unable to hear her finish the sentence. “I…” My voice cracks and I cough to clear my throat. “I … I found her.”

“What?” she exclaims. “Are you serious?”

I rub my head, wondering what part of Flic would think I was joking.

“It was so … so…” I can’t stop myself picturing Yasmin’s lifeless body hanging there, and my pathetic attempt to save her. “Oh god, I can’t even…” Tears roll down my face faster than I can wipe them away.

“Where are you?” she asks.

“I’m at home,” I sob. “But I don’t know what to do with myself. I can’t believe it’s happening. It’s so horrific and it’s all my fault.”

“Now listen to me. This isn’t your fault.”

“I quit my job,” I cry. “I can’t carry on working for an industry that does this to people.”

A sob catches in my throat as I begin to think about how many other lives have been destroyed by the toxic tabloids. God knows, I’ve seen enough in the short time I’ve been working at one.

“How can this be allowed to go on? I thought Max was on my side. I believed we were stamping it out.”

Flic sighs. “But isn’t that what tabloids do? This poor woman gave them an opportunity and they ran with it. It’s what they’ve always done.”

“She’s dead!” I shout. “How is that OK?”

“I’m not saying it’s OK,” says Flic. “I’m just saying that her indiscretion was deemed to be news, and in the public interest.”

“What someone does in their private life shouldn’t be cannon fodder for the masses … Not without their permission.”

“Come on,” says Flic, not unkindly. “You know how it works. You can’t be surprised.”

“But this hounding of people needs to stop,” I say. “It can’t be allowed to carry on.”

“And who’s going to be brave enough to take them on?” asks Flic.

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