Book two of the Angela Crossley TrilogyPublished byM-Y Books CONTRITIONbyVINCENT COBB

PROLOGUE

1996It was a Saturday evening in summer and Stephanie was on her way tomeet her boyfriend at a nearby pub. Her journey took her along thepathway besides the river, and although the spot was deserted it was alovely sunny evening and she felt quite safe; she had also taken thatroute before.Stephanie was in her final year at Bristol University, hoping to graduatein Biology. After that she was planning to study for her Doctorate andthen take up a post in research. Her interest was in Genetics.Her younger sister, Pauline, conceded that Stephanie was the cleverone in the family – it felt as though she was merely following in hershadow as she began her studies in law at the same University – shegladly allowed Stephanie to dominate them.Stephanie was attractive although a little on the heavy side, unlikePauline. It wasn’t so much she was overweight but the portents of whatmight lie ahead could be seen in the outline of her shape. This nightshe was wearing a loose fitting pair of jeans with, what might bedescribed as an over the top sleeveless blouse, showing a hint of herample cleavage, and casual sandals. Her dark hair, cascading almostdown to her waist and framing the most colourful of brown eyes,peered out at the world in undisguised innocence from a face that wasquite beautiful and deceptively beguiling. And in many ways she wasinnocent, but not in any way naïve. Her drive and determination wasalmost obsessive as she pursued her dream of academicachievements. The boyfriend, she had, she refused to move in withhim, informing him this was out of the question, as it certainly wouldhave interrupted her studies. So she kept him at arms length, ratheragainst his wishes, but his complaining didn’t impress Stephanie.She smiled as the thought occurred to her that tonight, Roger, wouldno doubt ply her with drink, then escort her back to his rooms, andthey would make love, as though it was the alcohol that was thetrigger and not Stephanie. She was remembering the last time theyhad had this experience when suddenly, with no hint of warning,someone grabbed her from behind and clasped a hand over her mouth.She tried to scream, and when this failed her teeth sought to gainsome purchase with the hand, but the man – she assumed it was aman – gripped her even more tightly until her breath began to fade.She was being dragged from the banks of the river into a tangle of bushes bordering the path. Panicking, she was about to pass out whenthe hand was released and a cloth was wrapped swiftly and tightly