The Truth I Didn't Tell You Honey

By Mark Edwards

Ellie Thanders manages to balance her role as C.E.O. of a multinational corporation based in LA, California with that of being a mommy and with that of being a good wife.

Her husband, Drew Thanders – a university professor wins a ticket for four to a well-loved destination along the Mediterranean coastline. He accepts the offer and takes her, their kids, Bria and Troy on that all expense paid family vacation.

Little does Drew know that the free ticket was actually a special invitation to his wife's past. While they are on the vacation he notices Ellie's sudden weird behavior after she comes back outside from their vacation beach house. She keeps getting these envelopes which she claims are from her company back home in California. She tries her best to hide them from her husband.

After going inside their vacation beach house to put away the most recent brown envelope that she received, while Drew and the kids waited on her to board the boat to the Grottos, she never returned.

One of their kids went missing shortly after.

Out of sheer frustration and heightened misery Drew calls in a female Private investigator from California – Detective Autumn, someone who he has personally known. She starts making strong leads to the disappearance of Ellie Thanders and one of their kids despite the resistance and lack of co-operation from local law enforcement that had been assigned. Detective Autumn suddenly loses interest in the case as she develops another interest.

Could Drew Thanders be alone in the quest for his wife and kid, especially when he doesn't even know who to trust, or who not to trust? How well does he know the woman with whom he shares his pillow with every night, before she suddenly disappears?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Edwards
• Release date: Oct 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215744390

Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people. He has sold 4 million books since his first novel, The Magpies, was published in 2013, and has topped the bestseller lists numerous times. His other novels include Follow You Home, The Retreat, In Her Shadow, Because She Loves Me, The Hollows and Here to Stay. He has also co-authored six books with Louise Voss. Originally from Hastings in East Sussex, Mark now lives in Wolverhampton with his wife, their children and two cats. Mark loves hearing from readers and can be contacted through his website, www.markedwardsauthor.com, or you can find him on Facebook (@markedwardsauthor), Twitter (@mredwards) and Instagram (@markedwardsauthor).

Book preview

Ellie Thanders manages to balance her role as C.E.O. of a multinational corporation based in LA, California with that of being a mommy and with that of being a good wife.

Her husband, Drew Thanders – a university professor wins a ticket for four to a well-loved destination along the Mediterranean coastline.  He accepts the offer and takes her, their kids, Bria and Troy on that all expense paid family vacation. 

Little does Drew know that the free ticket was actually a special invitation to his wife's past.  While they are on the vacation he notices Ellie's sudden weird behavior after she comes back outside from their vacation beach house.  She keeps getting these envelopes which she claims are from her company back home in California.  She tries her best to hide them from her husband. 

After going inside their vacation beach house to put away the most recent brown envelope that she received, while Drew and the kids waited on her to board the boat to the Grottos, she never returned. 

One of their kids went missing shortly after.

Out of sheer frustration and heightened misery Drew calls in a female Private investigator from California – Detective Autumn, someone who he has personally known.  She starts making strong leads to the disappearance of Ellie Thanders and one of their kids despite the resistance and lack of co-operation from local law enforcement that had been assigned.  Detective Autumn suddenly loses interest in the case as she develops another interest.

Could Drew Thanders be alone in the quest for his wife and kid, especially when he doesn't even know who to trust, or who not to trust?  How well does he know the woman with whom he shares his pillow with every night, before she suddenly disappears?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A special shout out to my editor in chief and my creative team.  This project would not have been possible without your contribution.  It was fun working with you all.

D I R E C T O R  O F  P H O T O G R A P H Y

M A R K  E D W A R D S

P R O L O G U E

Th e  R e g i o n  o f  P i c c o l a

The rains poured that night, like it never did before.  He could hardly see outside.  The wipers worked tirelessly but seeing outside still proved futile.  He kept wiping the winds-screen with the short dress that belonged to his most recent victim.  He then pulled up to the bar towards the left.  He looked at the broken outdoor lamps that hung from the walls. 

'I guess they had a shoot-out here, earlier,' he said.  The hot air from his breath defrosted the windshield, slightly.  He replaced his tom hat and buttoned his trench coat.  He mustered the courage to face the weather outside.

'He stepped out of the panel body transporter van and ran towards the bar. 

It was warm inside.  He walked past the blonde haired woman who started flirting with him. 

She's a lucky woman; tonight would have been her last, had I not pressing issues, he said to himself. 

He moved over to the bloke who sat at the corner of the bar who had his back turned to the honky tonk merriment.  He had been expecting him.  He was late, in fact.

'What took you so long?'

'Atrocious weather.'

'A wet night, indeed,' he giggled painfully.  He took a sip of his vodka. 'The package wasn't delivered to our contact in CA.'

'I heard.'

'You know what could happen if we don't fix this?  I thought you had full control.'

'I do, here, but not over there.'

'Well fix it!'

'I know someone.'

Chapter One

LAKESIDE, CA.

Ellie Thanders

'M ommy!'

'Yes, Bria?' I answered while flashing my hair to my back.  I switched my 6 S handset from my right hand to my left, giving me the chance to get a good grip of little Troy.  He was actually driving his bigger sister nuts by throwing his cereal in her freshly done braids.  My two kids, they were always at it.  I think I know the reason why.  Troy may have been a bit jealous because Bria had become a teenager.  She played with her bigger friends, making him a bit lonely.

'Listen, the both of you!  You've got to learn to love each other,' I scowled.  ‘Oh, John, I forgot that you were on the other line.  I've got kids that rival each other.'  I switched my phone back to my right hand after hauling Troy away from his sister.  This kid was so stubborn, and strong.

'Momeee!'

'Bria, what is it now?'

Oh no.  These kids were about to drive me nuts. Give-me-strength.  I didn't want to swear at my own kids.

'John, we'll have to talk about this later.  How about 10:00 this morning, in my office?  We can close the deal and our directors would be more than happy.'

'Sure, Mrs. Thanders.'  He probably thought that I had the worst kids in L.A.  I could hear the chuckling in his voice, that brute.  Anyways he was like my right hand at BellTune Communications.  We've closed 90% of the deals with top handset manufacturers, thanks to that wretch.  He was like a thorn in the butt of our competitors.  We couldn't do without him.  I knew sometimes Drew wondered about us.  Hell no.  I loved my husband and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my family which had been a gift from above.  They all meant so much more to me than being the C.E.O. of BellTune Communications.  Plus, if I lost Drew I knew I'd never find another man as caring as him; speaking of which...

'Drew!'

'Coming, Honey.'

'You know you ought to be downstairs, right?'

'In a minute, Sweetie Pie.' 

'Troy, put the cat down, please!'  I swear I was going to slap that little boy.  He had reached the age to get a proper arsing from me.

‘Mommy, I just wanted someone to play with.'

He sure