THIS BOOK IS FOR W.R., TO WHOM I WISH ALL GOOD THINGS This book is for W.R., to whom I wish all good things Sophie Sanders For Tim This book is for W.R., to whom I wish all good things Title taken from A. Manette Ansay’s Good Things I Wish You ISBN 978 90 826912 0 7 / NUR 646 This is a work of non-fiction. Names, places and/or incidents in this book’s presented dedications are found at the Public Library in Utrecht, the Netherlands, section English Fiction. Any resemblence to reality is entirely intentional. First printing, June 2017 © Sophie Sanders I This book is for W.R., to whom I wish all good things. For Scotty and Gracie. For Beth and Emmett Richardson, who got me hooked on crime. Thanks for the felonies. For Travis Wilhite, be- cause there is always hope. For Eve. For Peter Ginsberg. To Aqa Jaan, so I can let him go. For Bill and Mildred Groth, my uncle and aunt, thanks for a million laughs. For my sisters, five of the strongest, most beautiful women I know. For my brother, Khalid Aboulela. For Molly Friedrich. For Albic, alma de mi vida. For Philip, luz Y dulzura. for Michael Maar. For Roana, Ruby Ann and Reva. Light, love and strenght regained. For the dads, to- gether twenty-five years, and for Rachael Arthur, with love. To Dad, for sponsoring the arts. for Steve Vender. To my fellow commuters on the Santa Cruz - Churchgate local line. Dedicated to Hanne Adler - Olsen. Without her, the well would run dry. For Georgina, who believes... Rocco and Jay; The greatest gifts, Both, at the same time. For Mimmie. For my Fairy Godmother, Sarah Kelly. To my wonderful family, especially my wife Helga Ahmad. For Jonathan Randal. To my mother and Marc H. Glick. To my uncle Mike, the first of many musicians in my life who made me say, “I want to play like that.” For Nicole Aragi. Demon Destroyer. Luscious Dove. This novel is dedicated to the people of the Sonoran Desert. Randy dedicates this book to: my precious wife, Nanci, my won- derful daughters, Karina and Angela, my excellent sons-in-law Dan Franklin and Dan Stump, and my beloved grandsons, Jake, Matt, Tyler and Jade. For each of you, my family, no man could be more grateful to God than I am. For you, Dad - with all my love. Per adua surgo. For my grandmother Lily. To Gajus, who is always there to remind me I can do it, especially when I’m convinced I can’t. For Mum. To REBECCA MOESTA, not just for this novel, but for all the books in the series and all the novels 11 I’ve written. You helped me find my Guiding Star not only in my Elizabeth. To Jonathan and Marion. For my father: you always writing but in my life. To DEB RAY, who was a dear friend long loved a good story. This one’s for you. before she became such a devoted fan. To TIM JONES, who has This book is dedicated to my amazing parents, Bosky and taken me on countless real-life adventures to keep my imagina- Paul Andrew. To C.T. For Margaret Harry, owner of The House tion stoked for creating fictional ones. Beauty Spa, Liverpool, a lady whose generosity of spirit, enthu- This book is dedicated to MY SON, GUY JOHNSON, AND siasm, organisation and loyalty I greatly admire, who has worked ALL THE STRONG BLACK BIRDS OF PROMISE who defy the tirelessly raising thousands of punds for charities, particularly odds and gods and sing their songs. For Josephine Fairley. For The Variety Club of Great Britain. Thank you, Margaret, for a my teachers. Especially those who taught me Latin and Hebrew: wonderful evening at the Hope St. Hotel. For Dave and Mau- the gift of double vision. For L and P, who continually teach me reen - thanks for many good times, the best is yet to come. FOR what really matters. For my family and friends - thank you for ANABELLE AND ERIC. FOR COLIN. For Reuben. For Sheila, your love and support. for Linda Watson. For the lost ones. To Sarah and Nicholas. For my parents Marcia Antopol, Jeff Moskin Eric, with gratitude. For M.M.S. For S.C.T. For Bernadette, an & Paul Johnson. STEPHAN, ALISON AND DAVID. TO MI- insufficient tribute. For My Parents. For dad, with all my love. CHAEL AND JANE. TO GWYNETH. For Rupert Christiansen. To William C. Gordon, my partner in love and crime. For the To my sister, Alison. Your assistance and unwavering support Gwynns, with love. to David Battye. To my most beloved; Mom, has been more valuable -and more appreciated- than I can convey and sister Rasha, and to all of my friends, the Girls of Riyadh. with a simple ‘thanks’. For Kim... ...and to the courageous Men and Women of the 363rd THIS BOOK IS FOR S. To Jeff, who still believes I can, even Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron and the Pacific on the days when I’m not so sure. To my children, Isabella, Ruth, Forces AEF 7. Dedicated with love and respect to my literary Deri and Ciaran, and to Steve. For Mum and Dad. To my brother agent and friend, Danny Buror. To my brave giants August and Chris, his wife Edie, my sister Connie, and her husband Jim. Albin. For my family - Iranian, Lithuanian, and American. To To Mary and Henry for patience and endurance. For the two Philip Larkin. To Betty and Paul Fussell. To Isabel. To Chris- Carmelitas in my family, y para las familias separadas en todo topher Hitchens. Again to my mother. To Antonia. To Sally. For el mundo. For Neal, who’ll enjoy this one and Luthfa, without my parents, Shaheen and Mahfuz Anam, who planted hope in whom nobody would be reading this. Love to you both. To Bob, my heart. To the most beautiful pot-bellied moustachioed dwarf Leland, Ellis and Al. for Don Delillo. For my family. For my in Abergavenny. For my daughters, Anastasia and Helen. To Jeff. mother, Jane, with love. To Tsila, Atalya, Don, Todd, Zoe and To my patients. For Jane. To Sara and Sean, for their love and pa- Lula for their immeasurable love and support. For Red Group, tience and all their great ideas. For the Lemonia Three: Amanda you know who you are. For Elissa. FOR MARSHALL, who has Craig, Liz Jensen and Marika Cobbold. For Aaron, for Ray, and become a man to be proud of, and for BEVERLY, who helped, for all the other modern-day Judahs. For Simon Bainbridge. For and for CHRISTOPHER, BRIAND, AND MELISSA, with Love. 12 13 TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT, THIS WORK IS, BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS’S PERMISSION, MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS’S DUTIFUL AND OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT, THE AU- THOR. To my grandmothers, Anne and Alice, who told me their stories and left enough room for me to imagine my way inside. For my lovely Red and dearest Jerry - who do not appear in this book. 14 II For Olly and Sam (not forgetting Fin). For Olly. To Tink. To the monkey and the frog. For an eternity of ten thousand tales. For W. To my mother, ‘Ago’ Fadoa. For Marius Chivu. For Kerstin and Louis Sparr. With love. For Sarah and Kris Glynn. For my children: Sefi, Zac, Theo and Summer. To my parents, Nick and Daphne Bagshawe. Whenever I count my blessings, you’re first on the list. For Mum and Dad, with love. To Andrew and Marga- ret Hewson, with affection and gratitude. For Matthew and Ben. For Peter. To M. For Jon. For Edward. To M. For Lucien. For Ann and John Harrison. To Mitch Hoffman, my editor and, more importantly, my friend. To Michelle. Twenty years of marriage and twenty books. A ride of a lifetime with the woman I love. To the cast and crew of Wish You Well, thanks for an incredible ride. To Art and Lynette, with much love and respect. To Spencer, my little girl all grown up. And I couldn’t be prouder of the person you’ve become. To Shane, Jon, and Rebecca, and the entire cast of King & Maxwell TV series, thanks for bringing my characters so vividly to life. FOR DIANE WHO IS MISSED. To Zoe and Luke. To my mom, my brother, and my sister, for all the love. To David Young and Jamie Raab, the dynamic duo of publishing and my friends. To Alli and Anshu, Catherine and David, Mari- lyn and Bob, Amy and Craig: great friends all. To Tom and Patti Maciag: Go forth and have fun. You’ve earned it! To my family. To C.T. For Samantha. To Chase. For Chase, the Beloved. FOR LOST LOVES. To Colm, Douglas, Ellen, Alice. To Mr. Leon- ard Cohen, whose songs have kept me going throughout my life. Thank you for the songs! To Brian, my hero. To Mary Maddison. For Sue Booth-Forbes. To Grainne and to Melanie. For Neetha. For Neetha. For Neetha. This is for my wife, Neetha. To Moira Reilly, thank you for being your warm, wise and wonderful self. With you here, the book begins on the perfect note. 19 To Ger McDonnell, for finding lost plots, unravelling twists, Mary Muench. Bernadette. To Janna. For Donnacha and Diar- and being an unflawed heroine. For Peter. For Neetha. For Nee- muid. For Nicola, who has been making me laugh for 25 years.