But whether they stay in our lives or not, my repair must come from inside of me. ‘To thine own self be true,’ Mr Shakespeare would have said, and I’m determined I will be.
I’m determined I won’t let everything that’s happened destroy us.
Gripped by Amelia’s story in I Lie in Wait? Don’t miss Her Last Lie, another heart-stopping thriller from Amanda Brittany. Available now!
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Acknowledgements
Firstly, I would like to thank my wonderful editor Belinda Toor who has been absolutely amazing. I’m so grateful for all her support in making I Lie in Wait the best it possibly can be.
Thank you to everyone at HQ; with huge thanks especially to Anna Sikorska for another fantastic cover design, to my excellent copy editor Helena Newton, to Abigail Fenton and to Christopher Sturtivant.
Thank you to my fabulous agent Kate Nash and her brilliant team, as well as her writers for their support since I joined the agency.
Sending big thanks, as always, to my lovely friends Karen Clarke, Joanne Duncan and Diane Jeffrey for their endless support and feedback. Writing can be a lonely business at times, so to have such supportive writer friends is wonderful.
I’ve been so lucky to have such support on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram from so many friends, readers, and writers – huge thanks to every single one of them. I couldn’t have got this far without them, and wish I had space to name everyone, but I hope you know who you are.
I’m so grateful to all my lovely readers, and to the blogging community for all their support and brilliant reviews – it means so much. Thank you.
I would like to thank too Sally Maskell and Kate Nussey, who provided the names for Julia Collis and Detective Inspector Kate Beynon in I Lie in Wait, after winning a competition I ran on my Facebook page. Sally’s choice was in memory of her sister, Jane Collis. Thank you to everyone who took part in the competition, and donated to my Her Last Lie fundraising page.
Thank you so much to my family and friends for listening to me go on about writing, and for being there for me. Again, you know who you are. I love you all.
Special thanks to my daughter-in-law, Lucy, who once again bravely read an early draft of my novel, and to my sons Liam, Daniel and Luke who tirelessly support me, and to Janni and Amy for cheering me on. Thanks to my mum who still tells everyone she meets that her daughter is a writer, and to Cheryl and my dad who my acknowledgements would never be complete without.
And last but never least a special thank you to Kev who has supported me since I started on my crazy writing journey. I’m dedicating this book to you.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Her Last Lie …
Prologue
Saturday, 23 July
NSW Newsroom Online
Serial killer Carl Jeffery convicted of triple hostel killings, granted appeal.
Six years ago, the so-called Hostel Killer, Carl Jeffery, now thirty-one, was found guilty of the murders of Sophie Stuart, nineteen, Bronwyn Bray, eighteen, and Clare Simpson, twenty-six. He got three life sentences.
Now his younger sister, Darleen Jeffery, hopes to get him acquitted.
Mr Jeffery was accused of targeting women travelling alone in Australia. He would gain their trust, and when the women ended their relationship with Jeffery, he would tap on their window in the dead of night, wearing a green beanie hat and scarf to disguise his appearance, striking fear. He later killed them.
The main prosecuting evidence came from his intended fourth victim, Isla Johnson from the UK, who survived his attack and identified him as her assailant. She suffered physical and psychological injuries. Following Mr Jeffery’s trial, she returned to England where she now lives with boyfriend Jack Green.
During his trial, Jeffery broke down when questioned about his mother, who left the family home when he was eleven, leaving him and Darleen to live with their abusive father, who died three months before the first murder.
Darleen, who penned the bestseller My Brother is Innocent, has campaigned for her sibling’s release for almost six years. She claims her brother’s DNA was found on Bronwyn Bray’s body because they had been in a relationship, and that this wasn’t taken into account fully at the trial. She also insists the court should re-examine Isla’s statements of what happened the night of her brother’s arrest, suggesting there is no proof that he started the ‘bloodbath’ that unfolded that night.
Canberra’s High Court granted permission today for an appeal, agreeing there are sufficient grounds for further consideration of the case. The hearing will take place on 30 September.
Leaving court today, Darleen, wearing a two-piece royal-blue skirt suit, told reporters, ‘I’m over the moon. I believe we have a sound case, and I can’t wait for my brother to be released.’
We contacted Isla Johnson in her hometown of Letchworth Garden City, England. She told us she wouldn’t be attending the hearing. ‘They have my original statements, and I’ve no more to offer,’ she said.
PART 1
Chapter 1
Tuesday, 26 July
It was hot.
Not the kind of heat you bask in on a Majorcan beach. No tickle of a warm breeze caressing your cheek. This was clammy, and had crept out of nowhere mid-afternoon, long after Isla had travelled into London in long sleeves and leggings, her camera over her shoulder, her notepad in hand.
Now Isla was crushed against a bosomy woman reading a freebie newspaper, on a packed, motionless train waiting to leave King’s Cross. The air was heavy with stale body odour and – what was that? – fish? She looked towards the door. Should she wait for the next train?
She took two long, deep breaths in
