BooksBarbecue
Back Dog Rose Dirt Save as PDF
Chapters (52)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. Acknowledgements
  51. Also by Jen Williams
  52. About the Publisher

She swiped a cloth over the wound, and it burned fiercely for a few seconds, but Michael barely noticed. In here, with Colleen, all of his misery and fright had fled. In here, he was strong again. The knowledge that he could, if he wanted, take the scissors from her and cut her – that he could place his hands around her slim neck and push the life out of her – was comforting. It also increased his feelings of protectiveness for her. She was the one good thing. She was his alone.

‘Colleen.’ She looked up at him, and he saw that the blush had turned her cheeks quite pink. He knew then that she felt it, too. ‘What would I do without you?’

33

‘I need to get out of here for a bit. Do you want to come with me?’

Nikki clearly hadn’t been home long as her shopping was still on the kitchen counter and she had kicked her tights off in the hallway, replacing them with a pair of fluffy pink slippers that looked especially ludicrous with her sober grey shirt.

‘Where were you thinking of going?’ She shifted the shopping out of the way and began filling the kettle. ‘Cup of tea?’

‘Got anything stronger?’

Nikki looked pointedly at her watch, but nevertheless went to the fridge instead and liberated a half-full bottle of white wine.

‘Hev, you look like you’ve been up all night. What’s going on?’

Heather shook her head and accepted the glass of wine, taking three deliciously cold gulps before answering.

‘I’ve had enough of that house, Nikki. It’s, uh, it’s sending me round the bend. I was thinking of driving up to Lancashire, going to this Fiddler’s Mill place, having a look around. Why not? Call it a tribute to my mum, call it closure, whatever.’

Nikki joined her at the kitchen counter, a glass in her hand.

‘And what about your visits with Michael Reave?’

‘They’re over. After the article, I …’

‘Hmm. You haven’t heard from the detective, then?’ Nikki’s face was carefully blank. She knew all about Heather’s night with Ben Parker, thanks to a hushed chat before her mother’s funeral, and so, inevitably, Heather had texted her the ignominious details of the end of the whole thing too.