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Back Rabbit Hole Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Rabbit Hole
  2. Also by Mark Billingham
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. Preface
  8. PART ONE
  9. ONE
  10. TWO
  11. THREE
  12. FOUR
  13. FIVE
  14. SIX
  15. SEVEN
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. THIRTY-TWO
  41. THIRTY-THREE
  42. PART TWO
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. FIFTY
  60. FIFTY-ONE
  61. FIFTY-TWO
  62. FIFTY-THREE
  63. FIFTY-FOUR
  64. FIFTY-FIVE
  65. FIFTY-SIX
  66. FIFTY-SEVEN
  67. FIFTY-EIGHT
  68. PART THREE
  69. FIFTY-NINE
  70. SIXTY
  71. EPILOGUE
  72. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  73. Back Cover

The staff all have keys so they can make round-the-clock checks when they need to, and even if it’s not a member of the staff, someone might have found a way to get hold of a key. Someone managed to get hold of a knife easily enough, didn’t they?

I told them. I told almost everyone, but they wouldn’t listen.

I lie perfectly still and wait for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

I can’t make out a shape and I can’t hear anyone breathing but me. I’m not really surprised, though, because whoever’s in here with me, they’re good at this. I’m struggling to suck up enough spit to swallow, never mind scream, and even if I could, there’s always someone screaming about something, so it’s not like I could count on anyone rushing down here to help.

Christ, it’s going to be so easy, because I’ve got nothing to fight back with, and now a voice inside my head is telling me, Who cares? There’s not a fat lot worth fighting for anyway, so what’s the fucking point?

I’m not worth fighting for.

So I relax, just a little, because there’s not much else I can do, and I think, This is you, then, you silly, soft cow. Lying here, giving Tiny Tears a run for her money and waiting for the Thing to do what it’s come for.

FIFTY

FIFTY

I’m having breakfast sitting on my own. I say having, I couldn’t eat a thing if you paid me, but I’m in here with everyone else because I was desperate to get out of my room first chance I got and now I want to be somewhere I can keep an eye on them all. See who’s matey with who all of a sudden and who’s giving me evils. Tune in to the chatter. Check out the alliances.

I’m still shaking this morning, but more importantly I’m still here.

Obviously . . .

If I was being paranoid, I’d say there was someone in my room last night and that it was a warning from a person who’s clearly enjoying scaring the crap out of me. Someone there to deliver a simple message: Best stay on your toes, because I can get to you any time I want.

If I was being paranoid.

I think it was actually a warning to myself. Early notice that the threat level was being ramped up, the way the government does sometimes with terrorists or whatever. My subconscious mind, having processed all the evidence and read all the signs, laying out a possibility, a probability even, and showing me exactly what could happen if I wasn’t careful. Telling me, in no uncertain terms, while I still had a chance to do something about it.