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Back Familiar Strangers Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. Chapter One
  5. Chapter Two
  6. Chapter Three
  7. Chapter Four
  8. Chapter Five
  9. Chapter Six
  10. Chapter Seven
  11. Chapter Eight
  12. Chapter Nine
  13. Chapter Ten
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Chapter Fourteen
  18. Chapter Fifteen
  19. Chapter Sixteen
  20. Chapter Seventeen
  21. Chapter Eighteen
  22. Chapter Nineteen
  23. Chapter Twenty
  24. Chapter Twenty-One
  25. Chapter Twenty-Two
  26. Chapter Twenty-Three
  27. Chapter Twenty-Four
  28. Chapter Twenty-Five
  29. Chapter Twenty-Six
  30. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  31. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  32. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  33. Chapter Thirty
  34. Chapter Thirty-One
  35. Chapter Thirty-Two
  36. Chapter Thirty-Three
  37. Chapter Thirty-Four
  38. Chapter Thirty-Five
  39. Chapter Thirty-Six
  40. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  41. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  42. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  43. Chapter Forty
  44. Chapter Forty-One
  45. Chapter Forty-Two
  46. Chapter Forty-Three
  47. Chapter Forty-Four
  48. Chapter Forty-Five
  49. Chapter Forty-Six
  50. Chapter Forty-Seven
  51. Chapter Forty-Eight
  52. Chapter Forty-Nine
  53. Chapter Fifty
  54. Chapter Fifty-One
  55. Chapter Fifty-Two
  56. Chapter Fifty-Three
  57. Chapter Fifty-Four
  58. Chapter Fifty-Five
  59. Chapter Fifty-Six
  60. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  61. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  62. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  63. Chapter Sixty
  64. Chapter Sixty-One
  65. Chapter Sixty-Two
  66. Chapter Sixty-Three
  67. Chapter Sixty-Four
  68. A Letter from Jackie
  69. Acknowledgements
  70. About the Author
  71. Also by Jackie Walsh

Fuck, they’re still behind, they’ve slowed down too. What will I do? Where’s my phone? Shit. Where’s my bag?

It’s in the trunk. It’s in the trunk because I always put it there for safety in case someone smashes the window and grabs it. Which, right now, sounds like a much better nightmare.

I know what I’ll do; I’ll stay in the car until I see a police station and pull up there. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to attack me outside a cop station. Unless it is a cop, Turner having me followed, trying to catch me meeting Katie Collins.

My imagination just won’t let up.

I keep driving towards the bright lights and tall buildings until signs of life begin to appear. There are more cars now, people on sidewalks, trying to hail a cab after stumbling out of a nightclub. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll drive to Mattie’s. Al and Don should still be there, standing at the door.

Taking the next right turn, I pass the Boston Public Library and I head for Mattie’s. Soon I’m driving down the awkwardly narrow road flanked by tall buildings that leads to the parking lot at Mattie’s Club. Normally I hate that road, it’s too easy to scrape the car on the vehicles parked either side. But tonight I speed down there like it’s the Indy 500.

I see Al in the distance, pushing the bolt on the big red door, Don beside him, hands in his pockets, watching Al do the work. I have never been happier to see these two guys. Pulling up beside them, I watch the entrance to the lot, heart thumping, hands still gripping the steering wheel.

The SUV is nowhere to be seen.

Chapter Fourteen

Al came back with me to the apartment and waited until I was safely inside before leaving. He told me not to worry, that the SUV was probably just going in the same direction as I was. But I don’t think so. It was following me, I know it. But who would want to follow me? And why?

The room seems full of shadows. Creepy little reminders of ghosts and dangers hanging around. I double-check that the lock on the door is securely bolted, then close the curtains before switching on the light.

I used to feel safe here. Not anymore.