Shiver Sweet by H Elliston Read Free Book Online Page B

burglary attempt if my husband was there, or she’d have said.
    Brian wiped his oily hands on a rag.  "Must be.  He is her step-dad and is probably trying to help.  He’s not seen much of her lately, has he?  Skeletal visits, if that."
    "Why wouldn't Sarah phone me if she's hurt?  And why did Nicola sound scared?"  I looked to Brian for answers, jittering with nerves.  "What does it mean?”  I closed my eyes for a second, thinking hard.  “Nicola would not freak me out like this unless something was wrong.  Maybe Sarah’s feeling sick and John's going to help her because Nicola's been drinking or...”  I stomped in a circle again.  My mind jumped backwards.  “Skeletons!”
    “What?”
    Dots soon began connecting.  “Oh, hell.  I've got it all wrong."
    He flicked his chin up.  "What?"
    "If my husband is going after Sarah, and Nicola is that nervous..."  My voice deepened with dread.  "There's only one thing it could be.”
    “What?”
    “John’s given me until tomorrow morning to agree to his terms.”  I met Brian’s eyes.  Between searching for Claire and crashing the car, it had slipped my mind.  “I...I didn’t think he’d go through with it, but if I don’t sign the divorce papers...  Put it this way, he’s threatened to nudge things along.  To force me to sign.”
    “How?”
    “He’s going to tell Sarah about her real dad to get what he wants.” 
    “About Michael?”
    I gulped.  “Yes.”
    This realisation put another huge spike in my already tested-to-the-limit calm.  I should never have aired my secrets to John, but then that's what married couples do - trust each other.  I kicked some snow then faced Brian again.
    His mouth gaped.  He understood.  "He’s her step-dad.  Surely he wouldn’t be so cruel?  And why tell her tonight?”
    “I should have guessed he wasn’t bluffing.  The bastard," I scoffed, staring at Brian’s stricken face.  “He’s had enough.  Can’t wait ‘til morning and wants to get things wrapped up... in his favour of course!  Thank goodness Sarah’s not at home tonight.”
    Brian stared blankly. 
    I thought I'd better enlighten him.  "John’s hurt by the split and wants to punish me by taking the house and selling his half of my business.  I can understand him lashing out at me, but not Sarah.  He loves her, or so I thought.  I hoped that staying in the house would help Sarah feel more safe and secure.  This split is really affecting her.”
    “He won’t say anything.  It's just a threat."
    "Yes, it is.  He'll give me the chance to agree to his terms first.  But if I don't..."
    "John wouldn't sink that low, would he?”
    “Like I said, he hinted about it last week.  I hope I’m wrong, but he’s not been back to the house in ages, so it’s weird he turns up tonight just before the deadline, huh?”
    “Well... yes.  It is.”
    “Oh, he’s definitely on my shit list now.  We need to intercept him, or get to Sarah before he does.”  The truth would sting the most mature of people, but it would devastate a thirteen-year-old girl to discover that on the evening I discovered I was pregnant, her dad Michael was so disturbed that he drank himself into oblivion and slipped off a train platform to his death.  Sarah could never be allowed to know that news of her coming into this world was the cause of him going out. 
    Brian frowned.  "Can't you phone John and talk him out of it?"
    "He changed his number and withholds it when he phones."
    "Why don't you call his parents and get it from them?"
    Their precious son could do no wrong in their eyes.  "I’ll try, but I suspect they’ll hang up on me.”  I pulled out my mobile and dialed John’s parents.  They answered straight away and although they would not give me his mobile number, they did agree to tell John I’d give him the house in the divorce if he kept his mouth shut.  I saw no other way out.  “It’s important you pass my message on straight