Read Online The Little One [Quick Read 2012] by Lynda La Plante - Free Book Online

didn’t reply.
    Kevin had just sat down to eat when he heard Barbara’s mobile phone ringing from the box room. She must have forgotten to take it off charge. He picked it up just as it
stopped ringing. The caller ID showed ‘Mike Phillips, editor’.
    Kevin couldn’t resist it. He pressed redial and waited. Mike answered.
    ‘Hi, I’m a friend of Barbara’s. Can I take a message?’
    ‘I’ve been waiting for her to get back to me about some mad ageing soap star,’ Mike said sharply. ‘Barbara was supposed to track her down for a feature.’
    ‘Mad . . . ageing . . .’ Kevin repeated.
    ‘Yeah. She said she might be returning to work.’
    ‘I see,’ Kevin said quietly. He promised Mike that he would pass on the message.
    His scrambled eggs had gone cold, but he was too furious to eat. Instead he called Alan.
    ‘She’s going to expose Margaret. I’m damn sure that was her intention all along. Persuading you to take her to the party so she could get the dirt on the poor woman.’
    ‘I don’t believe it!’ Alan said.
    ‘You’d better, because I talked to her editor. I warned you. She’s poison. When you get back tonight, we’ll deal with her.’
    ‘I should be home about five.’
    Kevin stormed outside to the small courtyard and lit a cigarette. He’d been trying to give up smoking because Alan loathed it, but he was so angry now he couldn’t help himself.
    When he had finished his cigarette, he went to the box room, picked up Barbara’s suitcases and laptop, and took them down to the hall.
    Barbara caught the tube to Knightsbridge and walked from there to Mr Sullivan’s office, which was on the ground floor of an elegant house. She rang the doorbell and a
secretary led her into a small waiting room.
    After five minutes, Edward Sullivan walked in. He was very tall and thin-faced, with a shock of thick white hair. He wore a smart navy-blue pinstriped suit.
    ‘You must be Barbara Hardy,’ he said, shaking her hand. ‘Please come into my office.’
    The room was dominated by a large oak desk with claw feet. A computer and telephone were to one side. On a large leather-backed blotter were numerous documents clipped together.
    ‘What is this about?’ Barbara said nervously.
    He gave her a quizzical glance.
    ‘You have been named as the legal heir to Miss Reynolds’s estate.’
    ‘I don’t understand.’
    Sullivan proceeded to explain that she was to inherit the manor house and a substantial sum of money. The conditions of the inheritance were rather irregular. She was to agree to live at the
manor house and to keep the promise she had made while she was a recent guest there.
    ‘Do you recall making Miss Reynolds a promise to shoulder her responsibilities?’
    ‘Well, yes, I do. But I am not sure of the exact details.’
    Barbara started to panic. She was hardly able to draw breath.
    ‘This is obviously in the event of Miss Reynolds’s death,’ Sullivan said.
    Barbara shook her head, completely baffled.
    The main condition was that Barbara must sign a legally binding document agreeing to live at the manor house. If she refused, or left after a short period, the will would become null and
void.
    Mr Sullivan also confirmed what Margaret had told her about planning permission. But apparently the will stipulated that no part of the manor house could be sold or divided into apartments.
    Barbara was still confused, but agreed to sign all the documents. After doing so, she asked why Margaret had made her the heir. ‘Is she all right?’
    ‘She seemed in very good spirits when she came here this morning. Why do you ask?’
    ‘I mean is she what they call “of sound mind”?’
    He gave a shrug as he carefully stacked all the papers.
    ‘She certainly seemed very alert and positive earlier. I am aware she’s had some problems in the past, but not for some time. I will need contact details from you, Miss Hardy, as I
will send copies of everything.’
    Barbara gave him Alan and Kevin’s