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Back The Cottage Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. THREE
  6. FOUR
  7. FIVE
  8. SIX
  9. SEVEN
  10. EIGHT
  11. NINE
  12. TEN
  13. ELEVEN
  14. TWELVE
  15. THIRTEEN
  16. FOURTEEN
  17. FIFTEEN
  18. SIXTEEN
  19. SEVENTEEN
  20. EIGHTEEN
  21. NINETEEN
  22. TWENTY
  23. TWENTY-ONE
  24. TWENTY-TWO
  25. TWENTY-THREE
  26. TWENTY-FOUR
  27. TWENTY-FIVE
  28. TWENTY-SIX
  29. TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. TWENTY-NINE
  32. THIRTY
  33. THIRTY-ONE
  34. THIRTY-TWO
  35. THIRTY-THREE
  36. THIRTY-FOUR
  37. THIRTY-FIVE
  38. THIRTY-SIX
  39. THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. THIRTY-NINE
  42. FORTY
  43. FORTY-ONE
  44. FORTY-TWO
  45. FORTY-THREE
  46. FORTY-FOUR
  47. FORTY-FIVE
  48. FORTY-SIX
  49. FORTY-SEVEN
  50. FORTY-EIGHT
  51. FORTY-NINE
  52. FIFTY
  53. FIFTY-ONE
  54. FIFTY-TWO
  55. FIFTY-THREE
  56. FIFTY-FOUR
  57. FIFTY-FIVE
  58. FIFTY-SIX
  59. FIFTY-SEVEN
  60. FIFTY-EIGHT
  61. FIFTY-NINE
  62. SIXTY
  63. SIXTY-ONE
  64. SIXTY-TWO
  65. SIXTY-THREE
  66. SIXTY-FOUR
  67. SIXTY-FIVE
  68. SIXTY-SIX
  69. SIXTY-SEVEN
  70. SIXTY-EIGHT
  71. SIXTY-NINE
  72. SEVENTY
  73. SEVENTY-ONE
  74. SEVENTY-TWO
  75. SEVENTY-THREE
  76. SEVENTY-FOUR
  77. Suggested topics for reading-group discussion
  78. Keep Reading …
  79. Lisa Stone also writes under the name of Cathy Glass.Don’t miss her latest book …
  80. About the Author
  81. Books by Lisa Stone
  82. About the Publisher

She was about to raise her phone and start filming when out of the dark a girl appeared. She watched in horror and amazement as the girl joined the boy. She needed to start filming now or she could miss the opportunity. Adrenalin pumped through her as she slowly raised her phone, praying they wouldn’t turn and see her at the last moment. Then she was looking at their images on the screen and recording. Jan kept the phone as steady as her trembling hands would allow. They moved from one pile of food to the next. Closer now, closer still, then right up to the window. The boy looked in. Jan stifled a cry and kept filming. But he’d seen her. They turned and fled.

Trembling, Jan pulled herself to her feet and came out from behind the sofa. She switched on the living-room light and closed the curtains, struggling to calm herself. What had she just seen?

She stood in the living room, gripping her phone. It contained the proof she needed, evidence of what she and Chris had seen. There was no pretending or denying they existed now. Trying to silence her racing heart, Jan played the video. The image was dark but with the camera’s infrared they were clear enough to see. Two of them, child-like, taking the food and then coming right up to the window, looking straight at her. If she hadn’t seen them with her own eyes, she would never have believed it. Children, but not like any she’d ever seen.

She pressed play again and examined the clip more closely. Then she spotted something else and a new fear gripped her. Partially visible in the shadows at the outer edge of the patio was the outline of an adult. She hadn’t seen it when she’d played the clip before and had been concentrating on the foreground. She played the clip again. It was certainly a person. Too indistinct to identify or even be sure if it was a man or woman. Were they still out there? What did they want? She needed to call the police.

At that moment the front doorbell rang and Tinder began barking from upstairs. Terror gripped her. She felt sick with fear. Keep calm and call the police, she told herself. Press 999. She was about to when her phone began ringing. The caller display showed Chris. What the hell!

She pressed to accept the call.

‘It’s me at the front door,’ he said. ‘Can I come in?’

‘What do you want?’

‘To make sure you’re all right. Are you?’

‘No.’

‘Well, open the door so I can help you.’

‘What made you come here now?’

‘You’re not answering my texts.’

Could he be trusted? Did she have any choice?

FORTY-NINE