Tell Me No Secrets Read Online Free PDF

it.
    â€˜And the window cleaner will be here around eleven. His money is on the kitchen counter.’
    I wave back over my shoulder and walk around the side of their house. It’s built of huge, solid bricks of grey granite that have silver- and gold-coloured seams running through. It’s the type of stone that weathers well and the climbing roses complete the picture of an ideal country house.
    I follow the winding path of stepping-stones to the bottom of the garden. Euan is an architect and he and I share a workspace. He designed it himself, soon after they moved back from London. The cabin is modern, built from Scandinavian pine, and is all soft angles. The roof is made from layers of cedar shingles that blend in with the surrounding trees and it’s pitched at an angle allowing five huge Velux windows to draw light from the sky into the rooms. There are two rooms: one we work in and the other is a guest bedroom with double bed and en suite bathroom.
    I can see Euan through the side window as I walk towards the door. He is working on a barn conversion for one of the local solicitors and is standing in front of his drawing board. He’s wearing a T-shirt with Not now I’m busy written across the front of it, jeans and a pair of trainers.
    I push open the door. Murphy barks and runs over to Euan, launching himself up on to his chest. Euan wrestles him back to the ground, rubbing his ears from side to side until Murphy barks again. Meanwhile Euan’s dog Muffin has come over to me. She is also a Labrador, a gentler, calmer version of Murphy and she pushes a ragged slipper into my hand. I take it from her and throw it across the room. She runs for it and Murphy joins her, then they settle down into their dog bed in the corner, resting their heads on each other’s back.
    Euan is swinging his arms in circles like an athlete warming up. ‘Good walk over?’
    I nod. ‘It’s the best sort of day out there. So Tom’s not well?’ I take off my jacket.
    â€˜Temperature, headache, up all night vomiting. What can I say?’ He rubs both hands over his face. ‘He’s thirteen. I thought we were past all that.’
    â€˜What time did you start work?’ I ask him.
    â€˜About six.’ He sits down. ‘Any more calls from Orla?’
    I shake my head. ‘I’ve been thinking on the walk over here. What’s the worry?’ I hang my jacket on the stand and look to him for confirmation. His face is noncommittal. ‘Why would she want to rock any boats? What could she possibly have to gain?’ I check the water level in the kettle then press the switch to on. ‘What motive could she have for digging up the past? I mean really?’ I let out a breath. ‘Coffee?’
    â€˜Please.’
    â€˜I don’t think she’ll ring again.’ I look at him and he raises his eyebrows, waits. ‘But if she does, I’m going to make it clear that I don’t want to hear from her. We’re grown-up women for God’s sake. What’s she going to do? Harass me? Stalk me? Shout our secret from the rooftops?’ I stop ranting, sit down and look straight ahead. ‘You know what? I think I overreacted.’
    â€˜Well . . .’ Euan looks doubtful.
    â€˜No, really, I do. She’s probably embarrassed by the whole thing and—’
    He cuts in. ‘She was never that easily embarrassed.’
    â€˜She might have changed.’
    â€˜Have you? Have I?’
    â€˜Changed?’ I think about it. ‘Yes . . . and no.’
    â€˜Don’t be fooled by her. You know what she’s capable of.’
    I think back to some of the lies she told and the people she hurt and I give an involuntary shiver. ‘Do you think she’s intending to come back to the village?’ I swallow the lump in my throat. ‘Do you think she’s going to say something about Rose?’
    â€˜I don’t