BooksBarbecue
Back The Cliff House Save as PDF
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. Booklist
  3. Title Page
  4. Praise
  5. Dedication
  6. Prologue
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  62. Epilogue
  63. Acknowledgements
  64. About the Publisher

‘You know what? I’m going to walk to Botallack,’ she said with sudden resolve. ‘It sounds amazing. Balancing right on the cliff edge with the sea crashing below? He was telling me about the Knockers which haunt the shafts.’ She laughed. ‘You have crazy names for spirits around here. Will you come, Jay?’

‘Piskies, not spirits,’ I said. But she ignored me.

‘Yeah.’ My brother had his back to us. His arm moved back and forth, and spots of white paint had spattered his skin, which glistened with sweat. ‘I’m done here, I reckon.’

‘Really? That’s great. I mean, I’d have been fine on my own but much better to have company.’ Edie’s eyes glinted.

A cloud passed overhead, its shadow moving quickly, momentarily dulling the glare of the sunshine.

‘Fine,’ I said. ‘I’ll come.’

‘You don’t have to. Not if you don’t feel like it.’

‘No, I want to.’

But Edie wasn’t listening. She had already started walking towards the house. ‘I’ll grab a few cans then we can get going.’

I watched her go inside then looked down towards my brother, who had put the lid on the tin of paint and was pressing it down with his foot.

‘Don’t you have to tell Eleanor you’re stopping?’

‘I told her this morning I’d work until two.’

I checked my watch. ‘It’s only quarter-to.’

‘She’s not here, so she’ll never know.’

‘I could tell her.’

He smiled at me but I didn’t smile back.

His face fell. ‘Jesus, Tam. Calm down. I’ll do an extra fifteen minutes next time, okay? What’s up with you anyway?’

I sighed and picked at a flake of paint on the wrought-iron table. ‘Nothing. I slept badly last night. You know I wouldn’t tell Eleanor anything bad.’ I traced my finger over the fretwork. ‘I thought you hated walking.’

‘Why do you say that?’

I shrugged. ‘I can’t remember the last time you went for a walk on the cliffs.’

‘It wasn’t that long ago. I do things without telling you, you know.’ He picked up the paint pot. ‘Anyway, I fancy it today. You know, if you’re feeling tired, maybe you shouldn’t walk that far.’

‘I’ll be fine.’

Edie emerged from the house holding a carrier bag, lager cans visible through the thin white plastic. She smiled broadly.

I smiled back.

It was only when she got closer I realised she was looking at Jago, not me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Jago

July 1986

The girls walk ahead. They each hold a can of lager. Edie smokes. He listens to them talking and studies her.