Prologue

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• How far would you go?   Russell

  After Luke had left, Russell was concerned. He hated keeping secrets from his best friend. Yet, this secret would crush him, and he swore to himself never to reveal it. They had both agreed to take it to their grave. Russell cleared away the dishes, spilling some ketchup on his shirt. His overweight belly protruded over his trousers and extended his white t-shirt. He had often wondered why Debbie was still with him. She was glamours, attractive and could have any man she wanted, and yet she had stayed with him. That is why he could not understand what Jessica had done, and so soon after her wedding to Luke. He only knew this secret because Debbie had shared it with him, telling him it was too much of a burden for her to bare.

• How far would you go?   Luke

  The night was still and the only sound to be heard was the distant noise of animals howling or fighting somewhere nearby. Luke glanced over to the bedside clock and stared at the light green display. Only one minute had gone since he last gazed at the mesmerising display. No matter how hard he tried to sleep, Luke could not find the rest he desperately needed. His mind was racing from what happened at the funeral. His encounter with death. Searching through his memory, Luke tried to picture the mystery assailant who offered to send him back to Jessica. Who was he? No matter how hard Luke looked he could not see the face of the man that attacked him. All he saw was misty rain and excruciating pain. What was more troubling was what the man told him. He had k

• How far would you go?   Sam

  I must tell you something before we start. Before I met Luke, he was in a bad way. I waited as long as possible before approaching him. If the timing wasn’t right, I would not have been able to help him, let alone convince him. What Luke needed was help, and I could help him. When I found him, the poor man was beside himself. After learning about Jessica’s death, Luke shut himself away. He stopped eating, stayed in bed, he stopped living. Russell and Debbie kept an eye on him, popping round, giving him food, and trying to get him out of bed. They had to arrange the funeral. Luke just stop functioning and shut everyone and everything out; he could not do anything. Somehow, they managed to get him to the funeral. I don’t know how they

• How far would you go?   Luke

  Luke sat on the sofa checking his watch. His expression was of concern. Two hours had gone by since Jessica left to collect her prescription. He looked at the time again. Pulling out his phone, Luke dialled Jessica’s number. He waited while the phone rang and rang until it forwarded to her voicemail. ‘Hey, this is Jessica. You know what to do, leave a message. Beep!’Luke hung up and tried again. Where was she? Had she decided to stop off somewhere? He knew she would have called if she was going to be late. He told himself not to worry, there had be a good explanation, and Jessica would burst through the door, carrying shopping bags, and apologising for being late. He needed a distraction.

• How far would you go?   Jessica

  Before we start, I must warn you that what happens next is horrific. It will emotionally scar you because it did for me. When I heard the news, I could only imagine what Luke was going through. I keep asking myself why. Sam, why did this happen to such a nice couple? What went wrong?When I look for those answers, I think about the wonderful things that happened to them, like telling Russell and Debbie the news over breakfast. I suggest you think about those things too. I’ll catch up with you all later.

• How far would you go?   Luke

  Luke sat quietly on the bench, legs crossed, watching the people walk. This part of the Thames was always busy. Many came here for lunch, and today was especially busy. It had been difficult to find somewhere to sit. Tucked away at the far end of the street was a free bench, where Luke now sat. The fast-flowing river, rushed downstream, pulling the murky water toward the sea. Boats bobbed up and down, tightly secured to their moorings, while others sped down the river.Luke took a bite out of his chicken sandwich. He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen. He had been planning this for a long time and was excited to tell Jessica his plans. Their two-year anniversary was next week, and Luke had planned to