Fury builds inside me as it carries on ringing. How revoltingthese people are, making a living out of manipulating and threatening innocentpeople! Maybe I’ll report April to the police in the hope they can prosecuteher, and to hell with her nasty threats of retribution if I do so. She deservesto rot in jail for putting people through hell like this.
Filled with angry desperation, I snatch up the phone andyell, ‘Look, just bugger off, will you? You’ll get your bloody money. So stop terrorisingme.’
There’s silence at the other end. Then a familiar voicesays, ‘Krystle?’
My heart lurches. ‘Carrie?’
She breathes out. ‘Thank goodness. I thought I’d got thewrong number. What was that about money?’
I swallow. ‘Oh, that?’ I force a laugh. ‘I thought it wasAdam phoning. We’ve got this running joke...’
‘Oh. Right. Well, it’s not Adam. It’s me and I’ve got someamazing news.’
‘Go on.’
‘You’re not going to believe it.’
‘You’re pregnant?’
‘No. You know Ronan and I want to spend at least a yearenjoying “us” before thinking about babies.’
‘Okay. So what is it? This news? You’re not getting married,are you?’
She laughs. ‘No, you’re not even close.’ She pauses and Ican practically feel my twin’s excitement vibrating in the space between us.‘Oh, Krystle, it’s so amazing. I still can’t really believe it. But...well, I think we’ve actually gone and won the lottery!’
CHAPTERFIVE
My heart is beating fast. ‘What? Youthinkyouhave? What do you mean?’
She laughs. ‘Well, no. I mean, I guess it’s real. I’m justhaving a hard time shaking off the thought that some prankster’s going toappear at the door and shout “April Fool!”’
‘It’s July.’
‘I know. So I think it must be true. We’ve won the lottery,Krystle! Tonight’s draw. We were out for dinner and we got back in and didn’tcheck the numbers for ages. Then I remembered and got out of bed to look – andwe did it!’
‘Wow.’
‘I know. I honestly thought I was dreaming at first. I keptchecking and checking. Then I shouted for Ronan and he came through andchecked. And that’s when I realised it must be true. We actually had all sixnumbers.’
‘Carrie, that’s amazing!’ I squeak. ‘But are you really sure?I’d hate you to have got it wrong somehow.’
‘I haven’t, Krystle. Honestly.’
‘I know. But there was that woman whothoughtshe’dwon millions and then she realised she was overdrawn and her bank hadn’thonoured her lottery direct debit that time, so she hadn’t won at all.’
‘Ooh, grim.’
‘Yes. The poor woman. So what did you do when you realisedthe numbers matched?’
‘Well, when you win, you’ve got to phone the claims team andgive them some details. Then you get a confirmation email – and that’s arrivedalready!’
‘So how much have you won?’
She gives a squeaky laugh of disbelief. ‘Wait for it. £2.4million!’
‘Oh my God!’So it really is true.
‘I know. The National Lottery advisors are coming to thehouse. Apparently there’s a load of forms to fill in and identity checks to bedone. And then the money will apparently land in my bank account forty-eighthours later. But I won’t actually believe it’s happened until I go to the cashpoint and see that figure in there.’
