The Fall

About the Author Gilly Macmillan is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar-nominated author of What She Knew, The Perfect Girl, Odd Child Out, I Know You Know, The Nanny and To Tell You The Truth. She grew up in Swindon and studied at Bristol University and The Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She has worked at The Burlington Magazine and the Hayward Gallery and has been a lecturer in photography. She now writes full-time and lives in Bristol with her family. ALSO BY GILLY MACMILLAN What She Knew The Perfect Girl Odd Child Out I Know You Know The Nanny To Tell You the Truth The Long Weekend Gilly Macmillan THE FALL Contents Cover About the Author Also by Gilly Macmillan Title Page Dedication Map Author’s Note 1 Saturday 2 Saturday 3 Saturday 4 Five Years Earlier 5 Saturday 6 Saturday 7 Sunday 8 Five Years Earlier 9 Sunday 10 Sunday 11 Five Years Earlier 12 Sunday 13 Tuesday 14 Tuesday 15 Tuesday 16 Five Years Earlier 17 Tuesday 18 Five Years Earlier 19 Tuesday 20 Tuesday 21 Wednesday 22 Five Years Earlier 23 Wednesday 24 Wednesday 25 Five Years Earlier 26 Wednesday 27 Wednesday 28 Five Years Earlier 29 Thursday 30 Five Years Earlier 31 Thursday 32 The Day of his Death: 03:13 33 Thursday 34 Thursday 35 Thursday 36 The Day of his Death: 03:36 37 Thursday 38 Thursday 39 The Day of his Death: 09:09 40 Thursday 41 Thursday 42 The Day of his Death: 09:31 43 Thursday 44 Thursday 45 Thursday 46 The Day of his Death: 10:03 47 Thursday 48 In memory of Milo Macmillan Also a very good dog AUTHOR’S NOTE Lancaut is a real place but the houses and characters in this novel, as well as some of the locations, are fictionalised. The fictional locations, names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual places is purely coincidental. 1 SATURDAY Nicole I’m so lucky, Nicole tells herself. If the first thirty-two years of her life were exceptionally ordinary, the last two have been anything but. It’s almost impossible to believe. There are so many younger versions of herself she’d like to travel back in time and describe this new life to and not one of them would believe her. The car’s soft top is down and sun glints off the bonnet. Nicole’s new Chanel sunglasses filter everything the prettiest blush pink, even the lovely sheep grazing