use my real name,’ he says, half-laughing. ‘As a convicted fraudster I was going to find it hard going. Tom, or Thomas as my parents used to call him, was, apparently, a good upstanding citizen, and as I knew more about him than anyone else, he seemed the obvious choice.’
Beth looks at Alice, wide-eyed, as his admission takes hold.
‘So, you planned all this from the outset,’ says Beth, her voice shaking. ‘You were always looking to defraud me. It wasn’t just an opportunistic one-off.’
Nathan laughs heartily. ‘What? You think I fell in love with you first, and robbed you second?’
‘But, I—’ starts Beth.
‘I also knew who you were before I met you. Those dating sites are an invaluable source of vulnerable, needy women, looking for a knight in shining armour. I didn’t need to read too hard between the lines of your profile to find out who you were. By the time we met, I knew your full name, what you did for a living, who your father was and where your mother lived. All I had to do then was wait for you to get greedy – and boy, did you get greedy.’
Beth turns and raises her free hand, striking him on the face. He pulls her hair, yanking her head back, and she screams.
‘Beth!’ Alice calls out as she struggles to get up.
Beth is writhing, frantically trying to get a grip on him as he stands behind her with his hand furled in her hair, pulling on her scalp.
Alice runs unsteadily to where they’re standing, perilously close to the edge. ‘Get away from her,’ she screams, raising her arms. But just before she gets there, Beth kicks up with her foot, her heeled boot landing square in Nathan’s crotch. He momentarily lets go of her as he doubles over in pain and in that instant she pushes him with all her might.
He stumbles backwards as if in slow motion, and Alice tries to grab him, but instead of taking her hand, he reaches for Beth’s. Beth squeezes her eyes shut as she’s pulled towards the sheer drop, and in that split second Alice has to decide who she’s going to save. She lunges at Beth with everything she’s got, tackling her side-on. The force sends both Beth and Nathan upwards, seemingly flying through the air, their arms flailing. Alice reaches out and feels a hand grip onto hers. She closes her fingers around it as tightly as she can and pulls back with every shred of strength she can muster.
It’s only then, as the body falls heavily on top of her, that Alice is aware of the choice she’s made.
It was the right one.
EPILOGUE
I clamped my eyes shut as the floor fell away beneath my feet. The air whipped through my hair and I steeled myself for the cold, hard ground that was coming up to meet me.
I forgot to breathe – it seems that when you think it’s going to be the last breath you take, you want to hold onto it for just that little bit longer.
Alice could only save one of us, and after everything I’ve put her through, it didn’t deserve to be me. But it seems that a true friend will always be there, to catch you when you fall.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To my amazing agent, Tanera Simons, at Darley Anderson for her unwavering support and encouragement. Nothing prepares you for the leap into the unknown of the publishing world and she has been at my side when I’ve been too scared to open my eyes.
To everyone at the DA Agency who work tirelessly to get their authors books into the hands of as many readers as possible. They really are the best in the business. Special thanks go to Mary Darby and Kristina Egan in the Rights Department for translating my words into twelve languages. And Sheila David for her work on the secret project!
To Editors Extraordinaire, Catherine Richards at Minotaur Books in the US, and Vicki Mellor at Pan Macmillan in the UK. This novel has had many lives, and I’m so grateful that they helped me give it the best life possible.
From marketing and promotions, to audio and sales, the work that goes into publishing a book should never be underestimated. I am so incredibly lucky to have publishers who go the extra mile in ensuring that my books get out there. Heartfelt thanks to Andy, Kelley, Joe, Sarah, Nettie and Sam in the US, as well as Matt and Becky in the UK.
Thank you to my very special friends, Jo, Karen, Lynn, Nicky and Sam for their support and understanding when I’ve been lost to writing, edits and deadlines. Unreturned phone calls, cancelled get-togethers and postponed trips have not made me the best of friends.
To my mum, who will tell anyone who stops for long enough that her daughter is an author, and to my Aunty Carol; if I can do it, so can you! Dust that typewriter off!
The biggest love and thanks go to my husband and children for putting up with my alter-egos Alice and Beth – who weren’t always the easiest people to live with. They certainly weren’t very good at cooking, housework and keeping on top of the laundry! You’ll be pleased to hear that normal service will now resume (at least until I’m possessed by another character!)
PRAISE FOR SANDIE JONES
‘One of the most twisted and entertaining plots’
Reese Witherspoon
‘An absolute corker – wickedly relatable story, wonderful characters and a great twist. Should definitely be on your reading list for this summer’
T. M. Logan, bestselling author of Lies
‘A nice twist. I enjoyed the increasingly barbed exchanges between the mother and the prospective daughter-in-law – I think a lot of readers will probably identify with events in the book!’
Jojo Moyes
‘A twisty, deliciously fun read’
Sarah Pekkanen, bestselling author of The Wife Between Us
‘What an incredible read. Pammie was such a compelling and unique villain . . . It’s a definite must–read this summer!’
Hollie Overton, author of Baby Doll
‘Knocked my socks off! Psychological suspense at its most addictive, with a shocker of an ending. I couldn’t put it down!’
Michele Campbell, author of It’s Always the Husband
‘Thoroughly entertaining. Pammie is the mother-in-law from hell!’
Michelle Frances, number one bestselling author of The Girlfriend
‘Addictive . . . will keep you glued to the page’
Good Housekeeping
‘A compulsive, claustrophobic read. It made my heart rate climb, speaking to my darkest fears as a wife and mother’
Emma Kavanagh, author of The Killer on the Wall
‘A fast, easy read with skilful twists’
Sunday Mirror
‘Fun and fiendishly clever with a twist you will not see coming. Make room in your beach bag for this one’
Wendy Walker, bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten
‘An absorbing thriller with a great twist. A perfect beach read’
Kristin Hannah, number one New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale
‘Devoured this in two days. Compulsive, superbly plotted and all too believable! Earmark it now for your TBR pile’
Michelle Davies, critically acclaimed author of Gone Astray
‘A twisty, dark psychological thriller you’ll want to race through’
Best
THE FIRST MISTAKE
SANDIE JONES is a freelance journalist and has contributed to the Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Woman’s Weekly and Hello! magazine, amongst others. If she wasn’t a writer, she’d be an interior designer as she has an unhealthy obsession with wallpaper and cushions. She lives in London with her husband and three children.
Also by Sandie Jones