Goodbye My Precious Child Read online

  Goodbye My Precious child

  DI Sally Parker #6

  M A Comley

  Jeamel Publishing Limited

  Contents

  GOODBYE MY PRECIOUS CHILD

  Other Books By M A Comley

  Keep In Touch With The Author:

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  NOTE TO THE READER

  GOODBYE MY PRECIOUS CHILD

  DI SALLY PARKER #6

  M A COMLEY

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author M A Comley

  Published by Jeamel Publishing limited

  Copyright © 2019 M A Comley

  Digital Edition, License Notes

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Other Books By M A Comley

  Blind Justice (Novella)

  Cruel Justice (Book #1)

  Mortal Justice (Novella)

  Impeding Justice (Book #2)

  Final Justice (Book #3)

  Foul Justice (Book #4)

  Guaranteed Justice (Book #5)

  Ultimate Justice (Book #6)

  Virtual Justice (Book #7)

  Hostile Justice (Book #8)

  Tortured Justice (Book #9)

  Rough Justice (Book #10)

  Dubious Justice (Book #11)

  Calculated Justice (Book #12)

  Twisted Justice (Book #13)

  Justice at Christmas (Short Story)

  Prime Justice (Book #14)

  Heroic Justice (Book #15)

  Shameful Justice (Book #16)

  Immoral Justice (Book #17)

  Toxic Justice (Book #18)

  Overdue Justice (Book #19)

  Unfair Justice (a 10,000 word short story)

  Irrational Justice (a 10,000 word short story)

  Seeking Justice (a 15,000 word novella)

  Caring For Justice (a 24,000 word novella)

  Clever Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)

  Tragic Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)

  Sinful Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)

  Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)

  Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #1)

  No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #2)

  Cold Case (DI Sally Parker thriller#3)

  Deadly Encounter (DI Sally Parker thriller #4)

  Lost Innocence (DI Sally Parker thriller #5)

  Goodbye My Precious Child (DI Sally Parker #6)

  Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella with Tara Lyons)

  The Missing Children (DI Kayli Bright #1)

  Killer On The Run (DI Kayli Bright #2)

  Hidden Agenda (DI Kayli Bright #3)

  Murderous Betrayal (Kayli Bright #4)

  Dying Breath (Kayli Bright #5)

  The Hostage Takers (DI Kayli Bright Novella)

  No Right to Kill (DI Sara Ramsey #1)

  Killer Blow (DI Sara Ramsey #2)

  The Dead Can’t Speak (DI Sara Ramsey #3)

  Deluded (DI Sara Ramsey #4)

  The Murder Pact (DI Sara Ramsey #5)

  The Caller (co-written with Tara Lyons)

  Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events

  Deadly Act (Hero series novella)

  Torn Apart (Hero series #1)

  End Result (Hero series #2)

  In Plain Sight (Hero Series #3)

  Double Jeopardy (Hero Series #4)

  Sole Intention (Intention series #1)

  Grave Intention (Intention series #2)

  Devious Intention (Intention #3)

  The Man In The House (co-authored with Emmy Ellis)

  The Lady In The Street (co-authored with Emmy Ellis)

  The Child In The Tree (co-authored with Emmy Ellis)

  Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)

  It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)

  A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)

  A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)

  High Spirits

  The Temptation series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)

  Past Temptation

  Lost Temptation

  Tempting Christa (co-authored with Tracie Delaney) Billionaire romantic suspense series #1

  Avenging Christa (co-authored with Tracie Delaney) Billionaire romantic suspense series #2

  Keep In Touch With The Author:

  Twitter

  https://twitter.com/Melcom1

  Blog

  http://melcomley.blogspot.com

  Facebook

  http://smarturl.it/sps7jh

  Newsletter

  http://smarturl.it/8jtcvv

  BookBub

  www.bookbub.com/authors/m-a-comley

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you as always to my rock, Jean, I’d be lost without you in my life.

  Special thanks as always go to @studioenp for their superb cover design expertise.

  My heartfelt thanks go to my wonderful editor Emmy Ellis, my proofreaders Joseph, Barbara and Jacqueline for spotting all the lingering nits.

  A special shoutout to all the wonderful Bloggers and Facebook groups for their never-ending support of my work.

  To Mary, gone, but never forgotten. I hope you found the peace you were searching for my dear friend.

  Prologue

  July 2000

  The two children giggled excitedly. Anna’s heart swelled with love and joy for the first time in ages. No, that wasn’t quite true. When she was with her adorable children she was frequently at peace and happy—it was the other things in her daily existence that she had a hard time dealing with. Life as a single parent not only stretched the realms of capabilities but also the purse strings. She’d saved up for a few weeks for the bus fare alone to take the children to the Great Yarmouth Marina leisure park. They deserved a treat; they were good kids. Actually, they deserved much more than just a day trip out to have some fun. She was doing everything she was capable of to change that. She’d started a new job just over a month before, which meant that payday had arrived at the end of the previous week. This was her first real opportunity to spoil her wonderful kids, apart from the extra chocolate bar she’d bought them in the weekly shopping which she intended sharing with them the following day.

  That night, however, she had something selfish to look forward to: her first date in five years. Dean was a colleague. He worked in the office next to hers. He was a high-flyer in the business, according to the secretary, Cynthia, working alongside her. Anna couldn’t believe her luck when Dean took time out of his busy schedule to chat with her every chance he could.

  Cynthia had giggled. “Looks like our Dean has a crush on you, young lady.”

  Anna was gobsmacked. After years of being single, the thought that a man—a handsome, wealthy one at that—would find her attractive had her heart fluttering every time he breez
ed past her desk, which was becoming more and more frequent. He’d finally plucked up the courage to ask her out on a date. Hence the reason she’d brought the children out that day, maybe to ease her guilt at leaving them for the first time in years. She was a constant in their lives. There when they woke up, came home from school, and when it was time to put them to bed at night. This date meant everyone’s routine was about to be disrupted. She hoped wearing them out at the leisure centre would help them all make the transition without too many hitches.

  “Mum, can Millie and I go down the slide? I’ll watch her, she’ll be safe, I promise.”

  Anna smiled at Louie. He was twelve, older than his sister, Millie, who was only six. Their father had been put in prison years before. She’d lost contact with him since then. They had never married; he’d never really wanted the kids. He used to beat Anna up at every chance, but the second he had struck Louie, that had been it. She’d packed up what little possessions they’d had and left the house. She’d contemplated going back home to her parents in London but had decided against it at the last minute, knowing how domineering her mother could be regarding the children’s upbringing. She drove Anna nuts. So she’d ended up in a hostel for a few months until she’d found a job in a shop. The kindly manageress had felt sorry for her and offered her the flat above as temporary accommodation.

  Anna had sourced all her furniture on her meagre wages from the nearby charity shop. The children were a credit to her, never pestering her for money she didn’t have. They were aware she did her best for them, often putting their needs ahead of her own. She always ensured their bellies were full before she sat down to eat her own paltry meals.

  She reflected on her past and shuddered. She’d come a long way in such a short time and only had herself to thank for the lovely flat they now lived in. Some of the furniture had been replaced and was being paid for on zero percent finance deals that she was setting money aside for. Her life was getting increasingly better with each passing month. Her new job was the icing on the cake, and her date with Dean was the cherry on top of that.

  She watched the children playing with each other. Despite the difference in ages, Louie was his younger sister’s guardian angel, watching her every move, especially when they got out of their depth in the water. He’d secured the armbands on Millie. Anna looked on from her lounger as she read her classic novel Gone with the Wind. Another hour or so, and the kids would be like shrivelled prunes; they’d need to go home then. She hated to spoil their fun, but now she was earning a regular income, she felt confident that trips like this would be a regular occurrence in their future.

  “Mum…over here. Look at us.” Louie waved from the top of the slide, his sister already in position for the descent. He positioned one leg on either side of Millie, and they both waved their arms in the air during their journey.

  Anna’s heart was in her mouth when they got near the bottom. They both hit the water, and Louie swiftly swam to his sister’s side. Millie was coughing and spluttering, but being in her brother’s arms made her laugh out loud and shout, “Do it again, Louie.”

  So they got out of the water and ran to the slide once again. This went on for the next half an hour. Anna glanced at her watch; time was getting on now. As much as she hated spoiling their fun, it was time to get ready and go. The bus was due in twenty minutes. “Louie, Millie, make this the last slide now. We need to go soon.”

  “Aww…Mum,” Louie complained, his smile slipping as he reached for his sister’s hand.

  “Can’t we stay, Mum, pwease?” Millie added, egged on by her older brother.

  “I promise we’ll come back next week, how’s that?”

  Louie trudged over to the slide, whispered something in his sister’s ear, and together they ascended the steps.

  Anna got the children’s clothes ready to take into the changing rooms, then she bundled all their belongings into the bags. She glanced up to see the children laughing and screaming as they came down the slide for the final time.

  “Come on, you two terrors. Out you come.” She held a towel open for Millie and then a second one for Louie.

  “We had the best time ever, Mum. Thanks for bringing us here today.” Louie smiled and pecked her on the cheek.

  “You’re welcome. I wish I had the money to bring you here more often. Who knows what the future might have in store for us all? Let’s get you two changed. We’ve got ten minutes before the bus arrives.”

  They rushed into the changing rooms. Louie went into the boys’ while Anna took Millie’s hand and led her into the girls’. They met up again five minutes later and ran to the bus stop together, giggling.

  Once the bus arrived and they were settled in their seats, Anna presented each of them with a small bag of nuts to replace the energy they had burnt off.

  Her thoughts turned to what she should wear for her date with Dean. Did she go casual? Or should she wear the one decent dress she owned?

  She was still trying to decide a few hours later, after she’d made the kids pasta, baked beans and cheese, one of their favourite meals, and the babysitter, Lisa, had arrived. Lisa had been visiting them on and off for a few weeks now, to get her used to the children before she babysat them. She was the teenage daughter of one of the ladies at work who was delighted that Anna was going on her first date in years. She’d volunteered her daughter’s services. Lisa was a dab hand at dealing with younger children and wanted to be a nanny when she was a little older.

  She took Lisa into the bedroom and pointed at the outfits she’d spread out on the bed. “First date, which one should I choose?”

  Lisa rubbed at her chin with her thumb and forefinger. “I would go the casual route—the trousers and sparkly top if I were you. The dress is pretty, though,” she added quickly as if not to cause offence.

  Anna laughed. “Trousers it is then. Thanks, Lisa. I’ll have a quick shower and be out in a few minutes. The kids are watching Toy Story. That should keep them amused for a while.”

  “I’ve brought an assignment with me. I need to crack on with it over the weekend. It’s due on Tuesday, and I’m only a third of the way through it.”

  “Assignment, for college? What subject?”

  “The history of the lightbulb.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Oh goodness me, that can’t be right, surely? Fancy the teacher marking all the papers. They’re bound to say the same thing, aren’t they?”

  “That’s where the problem lies. We’ve got to use our imagination and come up with something unique to say about them.”

  “Will Google help?”

  Lisa sighed. “I’m hoping so. Enough about my woes, you get yourself ready. What time do you want the children in bed by?”

  “Millie no later than seven, just after I leave in fact, and Louie, hopefully, will be exhausted from his adventures today. Make it nine for him, although I suspect he’ll go much earlier, knowing him. He’s never really been one for staying up late. They share a room. He’s really considerate and won’t wake Millie. Once she’s asleep, you shouldn’t hear a peep out of her.”

  “They’re a credit to you, Mrs Pickrel.”

  “Please, call me Anna. Thank you; they truly are the greatest kids ever to grace this earth.”

  “I’ll leave you to get ready; your date will be here soon. Are you excited or nervous?”

  “A bit of both. Am I allowed to say that?”

  “Understandable. You’ll enjoy yourself, I’m sure.”

  “I hope so. The trouble is, everything has revolved around the kids for so long I’m not sure how I’m going to converse with an adult.”

  “Nonsense, you’ll be fine. Mum says you’ve slotted in well at work. She likes you anyway. Oops, should I have said that?”

  They both laughed.

  “I’m glad. I like your mum, too.”

  Lisa smiled and left the bedroom. Anna jumped in the shower, dried her hair then swiftly pulled on her black trousers and sparkly silver top and studied he
r reflection in the mirror. She nodded her approval and went back into the bathroom to apply her makeup. She had decided to keep it subtle for this evening. She wouldn’t want to give Dean the wrong impression. She gasped when the doorbell rang. Terror struck her heart and glued her to the spot.

  Lisa knocked on the bedroom door a few seconds later. “Anna, your date has arrived.”

  “Thanks, Lisa. I’ll be right out.” One last study of her reflection, and she was satisfied by the overall effect. She left the bathroom and slipped into the one pair of decent shoes she possessed, the ones she wore to work every day, hoping to disguise them under her trousers in case Dean noticed them.

  She emerged from the bedroom to find Dean chatting to the children in the lounge. Again, her heart clattered against her ribs. Dean was aware she had children; she hadn’t wanted to mislead him in any way. He’d told her that he had a younger brother he was really fond of and her having kids didn’t bother him in the slightest.

  “Wow, you look amazing,” Dean praised, the moment he laid eyes on her.

  Her cheeks heated. “Gosh, thank you. I hope the children have made you feel welcome?”

  “They have. I fear I’ve interrupted their movie. Louie was just telling me about your adventures today. Sounds like you all had a fabulous time.”

  “You’ll have to come with us one day, Dean,” Louie shouted, excitedly.

  “I’d love to. If your mum would be up for that.” He turned to look at her, his pearly white teeth sparkling under the living room light overhead.