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Back The Dead Line
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. By the Same Author
  3. Dedication Page
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. Acknowledgements
  86. Also Available by Holly Watt
  87. The Hunt and the Kill

‘But you do.’ Emily’s voice was calm. ‘You – of all people – know what it is like to want something beyond all reason. So that you’ll risk jail. You’ll risk lives. You’ll risk everything. You know exactly what that feels like, you just want something different.’

‘I don’t—’ Casey stopped, the room filling with silence.

For a second, Emily smiled up at her, that easy charm surfacing again. All at once, she was the beautiful girl, strolling arm in arm with her husband.

The perfect family.

‘Goodbye, Casey,’ she said. ‘Goodbye.’

81

81

Outside the hotel, the storm was breaking. The wind chased paper cups down the street with a hollow rattle, and commuters scuttled for cover. There was thunder in the air.

You have to choose.

The sky darkened. Casey stood in the growl of the traffic.

You have to choose.

A taxi clattered down the street, breaking the spell. Go.

Casey ran forward, arms windmilling. The taxi veered towards her and she was gone.

‘Where to, love?’

Casey’s mind whirled, and there was only one thought.

I always climb hills in a thunderstorm …

‘Primrose Hill,’ she said instinctively.

‘Course.’ The taxi spun on a sixpence.

He won’t be there, Casey insisted to herself. He won’t, he won’t,he won’t.

The storm roared. By the time she was paying the driver, the excitement was twirling round her. Face slick with rain, she couldn’t make out the top of the hill, the cast-iron lamp posts gargoyles in the gloom. You have to try. And Casey raced up the hill.

She made for the benches, up where Liv loves Charlie, so that it almost made her laugh aloud. And then she caught her breath. There was a figure, sitting, staring out over the city.

‘Ed,’ she shouted, her voice cracking. ‘Ed.’

The man turned. She could make out the silhouette of his shoulders against the darkened sky, the angle of his head. Him.

‘Ed!’ she called again.

Now he was moving towards her, hurrying down the path.

‘Ed.’ The shock hit her, and she skidded to a halt.

He hesitated. ‘Are you all right? What are you doing here, Casey?’

She couldn’t breathe, lungs heaving, almost turned away and ran. ‘I just … What you said up here … You made me promise not to ask you again … ’

He almost laughed, his face creasing in the ugly glow of the storm. ‘You haven’t come up here to ask me to come on the next story?’

‘No.’ Almost a shout. ‘But I don’t want to choose.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘I don’t want to choose … ’

He moved nearer. ‘What do you mean, Casey?’

‘I’ve been stupid.’ Casey pushed her hair back. ‘I’ve been stupid, and thoughtless, and careless.’

‘Casey … ’ For a second, the sun gleamed through a break in the clouds.