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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

Three of them, I was right. Two uniforms – a man and a woman – and a second bloke I’m guessing is the DI. Fifty-something, with a brown leather jacket over his shirt and tie like he’s ten years younger and fitter. As they walk towards the door, I watch him put on a lanyard that’s definitely not rainbow-coloured, turn his ID card the right way round and exchange a few words with his colleagues.

Words of caution, probably. A request for those less ex­perienced than him to stay calm, no matter what they might have to deal with.

Bear in mind what this place is . . .

I stand up when the detective rings the bell and our eyes meet through the glass, but then Marcus appears, moving quickly towards the airlock with his keys at the ready. Yeah, he definitely knew to expect visitors.

He asks me if I’d mind moving away from the door a little.

So, I do, but not far.

Once the doors are locked again and the officers are inside, there are handshakes and mumbled introductions. Marcus holds out an arm as if to guide them to a pre-arranged room, which is when I step forward.

‘Alice, please—’

I ignore Marcus and step close to the man in the leather jacket. ‘Can I have a quick word?’

‘That’s a bit tricky at the moment,’ he says.

He takes half a step past me and I go with him. ‘I’m ex-Job,’ I say.

Marcus is ready to intervene, but the DI stops and looks at me. ‘OK. I know who you are.’

Of course he does.

‘It won’t take long,’ I say. ‘It’s important.’

The detective nods at his uniformed colleagues to let them know I’m not dangerous – at least not right this minute – then at Marcus. He says, ‘It’s fine,’ and while the two uniforms stay by the door, me and the detective follow Marcus towards the MDR.

It feels like a long walk, suddenly.

Donna is already on the march and stares as she passes. Clare and Colin stand together and watch from the dining room doorway. Bob is gawping outside the nurses’ station and, from wherever he’s lurking, Ilias gleefully shouts, ‘Someone’s in trouble.’

For once, he’s spot on.

Marcus shows the detective into the MDR, allows me to follow, then before he steps out and closes the door, gives me a look that would normally shit me up for the rest of the day. A warning look, that tells me he’s got my number and that I should really think carefully before I do something stupid.

Right now, though, I don’t even blink.