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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

Shaun clearly wants company, so in the end I stop fighting him and follow the herd. I’m remembering the safety in numbers thing and asking myself what’s the worst that can happen. Then I remember that Mrs Brown’s Boys is on, and decide that’s probably it.

FIFTY-FOUR

FIFTY-FOUR

I don’t recognise any of the celebrities on Pointless Celebrities, but to be fair, I’m not paying too much attention to what’s happening onscreen. I’m watching the watchers. Tony’s gone to bed, but the rest of them are settled in good and proper.

Clare and Colin are still sitting together, just behind Lauren who’s in pole position as usual, remote in hand. Donna and Lucy are next to one another, with Bob sunk into an orange beanbag I’ve never seen before on one side of them, and Ilias sprawled in an armchair on the other. Mia and Femi are keeping an eye on things from opposite corners of the room.

I’m up at the back with Shaun, our chairs so close that you’d struggle to slip a fag-paper between us.

He’s still holding my hand.

Twice I’ve asked him if everything’s all right, twice he’s nodded and twice I haven’t believed him.

There’s nothing much to report until Jigsaw Man – who’s clearly never been in the TV room before – speaks up and asks if there’s any chance Lauren could change channels. ‘Because Through the Keyhole’s on in a minute.’

‘There’s no fucking chance,’ Lauren says.

Mia says, ‘Come on now, Lauren.’

Lauren turns round and looks at Colin, making it clear that if he pipes up again, she’ll stick one of his jigsaws where the sun doesn’t shine, piece by piece.

I look at Shaun. ‘Why is she always such a bitch?’

Shaun has moved on from the screwed-up scraps of paper routine. These days, he carries a pen and a block of Post-it notes around. Puts what he has to say on paper, then tears off the note and passes it across. Now, he lets go of my hand and does exactly that.

i know why she sings all the time.

‘OK,’ I say.

do you want to know why?

There doesn’t seem much point telling him I don’t really care, because he’s already writing again. This time, it’s several Post-its’ worth, so I turn back to the TV until he’s finished. On Casualty, someone has fallen off a ladder. Shaun taps me on the arm and passes me the torn-off notes one by one.

her dad killed her mum when she was a teenager. not sure how . . . (more)

I look at Shaun, then I look at Lauren, then I read the next note.