BooksBarbecue
Back Day of the Accident
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. What readers are saying about
  5. Epigraph
  6. Prologue
  7. Part One
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. Part Two
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. Part Three
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. 55
  65. 56
  66. 57
  67. 58
  68. Epilogue
  69. Acknowledgements
  70. THE NEXT THRILLER BY NUALA ELLWOOD
  71. THE BEGINNING

51

It is a perfect late-summer morning. The sun hangs lazily beside a white cloud as though trying to make up its mind whether to hide or shine. I lay my blanket down on the ground beneath the alder trees and watch as a heron pokes its beak into the water on the other side of the river. Elspeth loved herons. She said they were her spirit animal; whenever she’d had a bad day one would appear and make everything better.

The heron is a sign that I’m doing the right thing. Elspeth is near and in a short while I will be with her again.

I sit down on the ground and open my bag, taking out the boxes of painkillers. I lift out the bottle of cheap vodka that I bought on the way here. Hopefully, if I drink enough, I should be knocked out before the drugs take effect.