The Other Couple

Praise for Diane Jeffrey ‘Deliciously dark and suspenseful … A tour-de-force’ Alex Michaelides ‘Pacy, twisty and full of shocks, all the way to the jaw-dropping finale’ S.E. Lynes ‘A scorchingly good thriller’ Lisa Hall ‘Brimming with tension, riddled with doubt and suspicion, insidious and compelling with a terrifying ending that had me catching my breath’ Sue Fortin ‘A tense, gripping domestic noir that shows just how fast the dream of a new life can turn into your worst nightmare’ T.M. Logan ‘With twists and turns that will wrong-foot you all the way, a dash of dark humour and a strong emotional punch’ S.J.I. Holliday ‘A thought-provoking and gripping read’ Roz Watkins ‘Superb … Maps the complex territory of female friendship with great insight, and kept me gripped from the very start’ Kate Rhodes ‘Heartbreaking and nuanced – with a clever twist but so much more than a thriller … beautifully written and gripping’ Catherine Cooper ‘An intriguing concept and an addictive read’ Annabel Kantaria ‘A thoughtful drama exploring an unlikely friendship’ John Marrs About the Author DIANE JEFFREY is a USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in North Devon, in the United Kingdom. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat. The Other Couple is her sixth book. Diane is an English teacher. When she’s not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays. Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Readers can follow Diane on Twitter, Instagram, or on Facebook and find out more about her books on her website. Also by Diane Jeffrey Those Who Lie UK US He Will Find You UK US The Guilty Mother UK US The Silent Friend UK US The Couple at Causeway Cottage UK US The Other Couple DIANE JEFFREY HQ An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2023 Copyright © Diane Jeffrey 2023 Emoji © Shutterstock.com Diane Jeffrey asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins. E-book Edition © June 2023 ISBN: 9780008547967 Version: 2023-04-11 Table of Contents Cover Praise for Diane Jeffrey About the Author Also by Diane Jeffrey Title Page Copyright Dedication Note to Readers Part One Chapter 1: Kirsten Chapter 2: Kirsten Chapter 3: Amy Chapter 4: Kirsten Chapter 5: Amy Chapter 6: Amy Chapter 7: Kirsten Chapter 8: Amy Chapter 9: Kirsten Chapter 10: Amy Chapter 11: Amy Chapter 12: Kirsten Chapter 13: Amy Chapter 14: Amy Chapter 15: Kirsten Chapter 16: Amy Chapter 17: Amy Chapter 18: Kirsten Chapter 19: Amy Chapter 20: Amy Chapter 21: Amy Part Two Chapter 22: Amy Chapter 23: Kirsten Chapter 24: Amy Chapter 25: Amy Chapter 26: Kirsten Chapter 27: Amy Chapter 28: Kirsten Chapter 29: Amy Chapter 30: Kirsten Chapter 31: Amy Chapter 32: Kirsten Chapter 33: Amy Chapter 34: Kirsten Chapter 35: Amy Chapter 36: Kirsten Chapter 37: Amy Chapter 38: Amy Chapter 39: Kirsten Chapter 40: Amy Epilogue: Amy A Letter from Diane Jeffrey Keep Reading … Acknowledgements Dear Reader … About the Publisher For my Number-One Fan, Barry. This one’s for you, Unc, with my love and gratitude for your support. xxx Note to Readers This ebook contains the following accessibility features which, if supported by your device, can be accessed via your ereader/accessibility settings: Change of font size and line height Change of background and font colours Change of font Change justification Text to speech PART ONE Chapter 1 Kirsten They have to leave that afternoon, and she’s dreading going back to London, back to reality. The long weekend has been incredible – almost three days and three whole nights together, without life getting in the way for once. The perfect break from the hustle and bustle of the Big Smoke; a brief escape to the seaside. Lazing for a few minutes more between the brushed cotton sheets, she sniffs the salty air as it drifts into the bedroom through the open window, making the curtains billow and whipping up dust motes that eddy in a shaft of sunlight. She strains to make out the song Nick’s singing in the shower, but the running water drowns out the words and melody. Nick sang at the top of his lungs on the drive down, too, streaming Eighties hits from the music app on his phone through the car speakers. He’s not much of a singer, but knowing he’s happy and that she has contributed to his happiness brings a smile to her face. For a few seconds, she manages to mute the voice in her head that is spewing out pessimistic clichés such as all good things must come to an end and nothing lasts forever. She has woken up with her stomach contracting and her throat constricting, unable to shake the impression that they’re careering towards some inevitable disaster from which they won’t recover. She has no idea where that presentiment has come from and can’t quash it, even though she finds it completely irrational. Is it something Nick said? She racks her brains, replays snippets of the previous day’s conversations, but she can’t think of anything.