The winners, p.1
The Winners, page 1
THE WINNERS
GILLIAN JACKSON
Copyright © 2025 Gillian Jackson
The right of Gillian Jackson to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in 2025 by Bloodhound Books.
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publisher or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
www.bloodhoundbooks.com
Print ISBN: 978-1-917705-24-0
CONTENTS
Newsletter sign-up
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Epilogue
Author notes
Also by Gillian Jackson
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Newsletter sign-up
Acknowledgements
A note from the publisher
CHAPTER ONE
‘Julie, come here quickly! I think we’ve won the lottery!’ Malcolm’s voice cracked with disbelief, rising in pitch and volume until he sounded as if he were choking. His hands trembled, gripping the ticket like a lifeline.
Julie sighed, shaking her head as she diced carrots at the kitchen counter. ‘Come on, love, you say that every week. It’s not funny anymore.’
‘No, I swear! We’ve got all five numbers and the two lucky stars! Look!’ Malcolm dashed into the kitchen, his face flushed, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and giddy hysteria. He shoved the ticket toward Julie, nearly dropping it in his excitement.
‘For heaven’s sake, Malcolm–’ she started, but his expression stopped her cold. This wasn’t one of his pranks. A strange flutter stirred in her stomach as she hurriedly dried her hands and followed him into the lounge.
Malcolm Grainger was half laughing and half crying, his face flushed from excitement as he stared in disbelief at the numbers on the television. Julie snatched the crumpled ticket, her head snapping around to the screen to memorise the numbers before they disappeared. Fumbling with uncooperative reading glasses, she finally caught the winning sequence.
‘Seventeen, twenty-one, thirty… Oh, Mal, you’re right, we’ve won the lottery!’ With trembling hands, Julie’s arms snaked around her husband’s ample waist, and he squeezed her until she could hardly breathe. Releasing her, Malcolm flopped onto the sofa and stared in disbelief at his wife. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The world had frozen; the only sound was the rapid thumping of her heartbeat in her ears. Then Malcolm let out a strangled laugh, half joy, half disbelief, and pulled her into a crushing hug.
‘We need to call the kids!’ Julie squealed, bouncing on her heels.
‘No, not yet.’ Malcolm pulled back, gulping in air as if he’d just run a marathon. ‘We don’t even know how much we’ve won. It is a rollover, isn’t it?’
Julie nodded furiously. ‘Yes! But maybe we’ll have to share?’
‘We need to check the official site.’ Malcolm lunged for the laptop, yanking it open. The screen flickered to life agonisingly slow. ‘Come on, you useless thing!’
Julie grabbed his wrist. ‘Move over, you’re all fingers and thumbs!’ She seized control, navigating to the website with the precision of a woman on a mission.
The jackpot amount flashed in bold, bright red across the screen. £22 million. The world tilted. Malcolm whooped, his feet drumming against the sofa cushions as he jumped up and down like a schoolboy. ‘Twenty-two million! And we’re the only winners! Julie, we’re rich!’
Julie grabbed his face, squeezing his cheeks. ‘Malcolm Grainger, we are multi-millionaires!’ She returned her gaze to the screen. ‘There’s the number for the lottery people. Get a pen and write it down!’
Malcolm did so, and the couple gazed at each other, huge grins splitting their faces.
‘You ring them, I can’t stop shaking.’ Julie giggled.
‘I need a drink first!’ He took a can of beer from the fridge and offered one to Julie, who shook her head.
‘Champagne would be more appropriate; pity we don’t have any.’
Malcolm tapped in the number while Julie perched on the edge of the sofa, holding her breath and listening to one side of the conversation. A series of stuttering noises was impossible to interpret, but Malcolm was nodding and smiling, which must be positive. He eventually recited their address and telephone number before mumbling a few grunts of thanks and replacing the phone.
‘Incredible! We’re the only winners, Julie. Twenty-two million pounds and only one winning ticket!’ Malcolm’s breathing was erratic, and his previously ruddy face suddenly paled.
Julie pulled him onto the sofa. ‘Sit down, love, before you fall. So, what happens next?’
‘Someone will ring tomorrow and arrange to come here and meet us, probably on Monday. They said something about verifying the ticket, advisers and publicity… I couldn’t take it all in, but they’ll explain everything tomorrow.’
The hiss of the kettle from the kitchen prompted Julie to her feet and she moved automatically to make a pot of tea, the proper thing to do in all circumstances. Malcolm was sitting in the same spot when she returned with two steaming mugs, his face expressionless. Their little dog, Trixie, was curled on his knee, totally unimpressed by the momentous occasion as Mal mechanically stroked her head.
‘I’m going to ring the kids now!’ Julie announced, unable to contain the delight bubbling up inside her body any longer and desperately wanting to share their good news.
‘No, let’s leave it till tomorrow when we know more.’
‘What more do we need to know? We’ve won the lottery, Mal! All our worries are over – and for the kids, too! We can pay off their mortgages and have a family holiday at Disney World like we’ve always dreamed of. I’m going to ring them now.’
Malcolm shrugged. In need of fresh air to clear his head, he took the dog into the garden while Julie scrolled for her daughter’s telephone number.
‘Pull the other one, Mum.’ Kate Burton groaned at her mother’s voice, ‘Another tenner, is it?’
‘No, it’s twenty-two million pounds, actually!’ Julie grinned, knowing Kate would assume it was a joke, just as she had with Malcolm.
‘Are you serious? If not, and this is a wind-up, I don’t think it’s particularly funny.’
‘I’m serious, girl! Someone’s ringing from the lottery tomorrow, but they’ve confirmed there’s only one winning ticket, and we’ve got it!’
‘Wow… really? Mum, you’re not winding me up, are you?’ Kate eventually accepted that her mother was speaking the truth, incredible though it seemed. They chatted excitedly for only a few more minutes as Julie wanted to ring their son, Danny, which she did as soon as the phone disconnected. Danny expressed similar disbelief, taking even more persuading than his sister that this wasn’t a joke. Then his booming laugh echoed down the phone, ‘That’s brilliant, Mum, congratulations!’ Both children promised to visit first thing the next day. If it hadn’t been so late and their own families were not in bed, they would have dashed around immediately, but celebrations would have to be postponed until morning.
Julie, flushed with excitement, went to find Malcolm, who had come in from the garden and gone upstairs. She found him getting ready for bed like a typical Saturday night.
‘What are you doing?’ She spun her husband around, wanting to dance and sing. ‘We can’t go to bed now; there’s too much to discuss and plan. It’s not every day you win millions on the lottery.’
Malcolm extricated himself from Julie’s grasp and saved himself from tripping over as he struggled into his pyjama pants. ‘I know, love, but I think we’re getting a bit carried away with it all. What do you want to do? Go shopping already?’
‘I would if the shops were open! Come on, we should be celebrating. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to us, and I know I won’t be able to sleep tonight.’
Reluctantly, Malcolm followed his wife downstairs. ‘I just think we should rein it in a bit, not get too excited.’
Julie would happily climb up on the rooftop and announce their good fortune to the whole world, but now the initial excitement had worn off, warning bells were sounding in his head. Perhaps the win would bring more than simply good things into their lives. After Malcolm’s initial euphoria and as reality dawned, he knew that broadcasting this news could potentially bring untold damage to their family. Julie turned to her husband, ‘Oh, Mal. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to us. Nothing bad is going to come of it.’
But Malcolm remained frozen in place. His gut twisted with unease, a shadow creeping at the edges of his euphoria. Twenty-two million pounds. Enough to change their lives forever. For better… or for worse.
CHAPTER TWO
Julie awoke to the tune of Joy to the World as the doorbell chimed its anthem repeatedly until she staggered downstairs to open the door, Trixie barking at her heels. She’d slept surprisingly well, which could have been due to the bottle of wine she’d polished off before eventually turning in, and woken only a few times, aware of her husband’s restless night and the number of times he’d left their bed to make a milky drink or to stare into the inky blackness of the night from the bedroom window, his stillness masking an inner turmoil.
Danny took his finger off the doorbell and hurried in, accompanied by a gust of wind. ‘Appropriate tune, Mum!’ Grinning, he gave his mother a bear hug and lifted her tiny frame right off the ground to swing her around. ‘Happy lottery win! It’s like Christmas and birthdays have all come together!’
Once he’d put her down, she giggled and straightened her clothes. The reality of the lottery win flooded her sleepy mind once again, and she squealed with delight, brown eyes suddenly wide with excitement.
Danny said, ‘Angie’s taken the kids to swimming lessons; she’ll be round later.’ Danny’s children, Tom, ten and Becky, eight, had been told of the win. ‘Becky’s already asking if we can buy a house with a swimming pool!’
Malcolm appeared beside them, bemused by their pleasure, and the three moved automatically into the kitchen. Julie put the kettle on, flopped down at the table, propped an aching head in her hands and grinned at her son. ‘Well, what do you think?’
‘Amazing, fantastic… what can I say? Tell me again how much you’ve won. I don’t know if I dreamt it.’
‘Twenty-two magnificent million pounds and we’re the only winners! It hasn’t quite sunk in yet!’
‘Get away!’ Malcolm corrected laughingly. ‘You had most of it spent in your head last night. I think you could sort out the country’s economy single-handed now. Better buy some shares in M&S, son; their profits are about to take a huge upturn.’
The win couldn’t have come at a better time, particularly for Danny, who’d been made redundant from work a month previously and continually worried about the bills he could no longer pay.
‘You won’t have to downsize now, Dan, and young Tom can still attend that private school you’d set your heart on.’
‘Thanks, Dad. It’s good of you to say, but we don’t have any expectations, you know. This is your win.’ Danny spoke from the heart. A windfall would be more than welcome, but he wouldn’t assume any entitlement to his parents’ winnings.
‘You know we’ll see you right,’ Mal assured him, quietly delighted at his son’s attitude. ‘There’ll be as much pleasure in watching you enjoy the money as in spending it ourselves. Besides, we wouldn’t know what to do with such a huge amount.’
Julie rose to make the tea, affectionately squeezing her husband’s shoulder in passing. Malcolm was saying all the right things, yet something didn’t quite add up – his smile didn’t sit right on his face. Perhaps he was still in shock, which would certainly account for it. She could hardly believe it herself, and after all, how should people behave when they’d suddenly become millionaires? When it was all confirmed by the lottery people, it would sink in, and then they could celebrate.
‘Now, where’s Kate?’ Malcolm said. ‘It’s after eight o’clock. I thought she’d be battering the door down at daybreak.’
Julie filled the teapot. ‘She won’t want to wake Daisy if she’s still sleeping. They’ve had a few rough nights with teething lately.’
As if Kate had heard her name, the doorbell rang again, and Danny jumped up to let his sister in.
Kate and her husband Geoff entered, and more hugs and squeals ensued. Baby Daisy grinned happily, enjoying the festive mood of the adults while oblivious to what had triggered it. Tea was poured, and the delighted family talked simultaneously.
‘We should be having champagne!’
‘We’ll book a table at The Grange tonight, early enough for the children to come.’
‘What time are you expecting the lottery people to ring?’
‘Have you told Auntie Susan yet, Mum?’
‘We could eat out every night now if we wanted to!’
‘Are you going to see your dad and let him know, Mal?’
The noise rose to a crescendo until Malcolm raised his palms, took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then cautioned, ‘Let’s slow down a bit here, shall we? We haven’t got the money yet, so there’s no need to broadcast it to all and sundry, right?’ He became the voice of reason, silently nursing his fears and hoping to steer his family in a different direction from the one they were blindly heading.
‘Don’t be a killjoy, Mal. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to us. I want to shout it to the world and his wife!’ Julie was giddy, on a high with delight.
Kate looked thoughtfully from one parent to the other. ‘Perhaps Dad’s got a point, Mum. They give you the “no-publicity” option for a reason. Some folk try to take advantage of situations like this. There are con artists who write begging letters and other awful stuff. We should consider such folk, surely?’
‘Stuff and nonsense!’ Julie replied. ‘We know who our real friends are; the rest can go and jump for all I care.’
Malcolm’s brow furrowed as he busied himself with the cornflakes. An agreement on this matter was not going to be reached easily.
‘Have you thought about what you’ll spend it on? Do you think you’ll move?’ Danny’s excitement bubbled over again.
‘We haven’t had time to think of anything yet, have we, love?’
‘No, it’s too soon.’ Mal’s unenthusiastic response didn’t go unnoticed by Julie, who was growing increasingly concerned at his lack of enthusiasm.
‘Why don’t you go to the home and chat with your dad? He’ll be thrilled for us, I’m sure.’
‘Yes, I thought I’d go later today after we’ve heard from the lottery people.’ His smile provided Julie with only a little reassurance that everything was okay.
