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Back The Family Next Door Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Also by
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
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  66. 61
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  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
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  90. 85
  91. 86
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  93. 88
  94. 89
  95. 90
  96. 91
  97. 92
  98. 93
  99. 94
  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
  104. 99
  105. 100
  106. 101
  107. 102
  108. 103
  109. 104
  110. 105
  111. 106
  112. 107
  113. 108
  114. 109
  115. 110
  116. Teaser chapter
  117. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“I found the tape in the tree house, right? Why don’t we see what else we can find? Maybe there are other clues in there.”

“I don’t know, Evan. It might be best to let sleeping dogs lie.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means not poking about in stuff that isn’t our business.”

His mouth set in a line, but he didn’t argue.

The floorboards above their heads creaked. Their father was pacing about, still talking to their auntie Carol. The house felt empty without their mother. She was the one who cooked dinner and made them read and shower and tidy their rooms. The steady hand on the tiller. Aster missed her.

“Do you think Mum’s okay?” Evan’s voice was small, as if he needed to ask the question, but didn’t want her to hear.

“She’s just gone out for a bit.” Aster picked up his empty plate. “She’ll be home soon.” She didn’t believe that, but she didn’t want to frighten him.

Dusk slid into darkness. Their father sat in the armchair, nursing a bottle of beer, the shadows deepening around him. He didn’t say much. Earlier that afternoon, he had knocked at every door on the street but no one had seen her. Both children cleaned their teeth and changed into their nightclothes without being asked.

An air of expectancy hovered around the house like an unwelcome guest. All of them were waiting for something to happen, for Olivia to call, for the sound of her key in the lock or a knock on the door from DS Stanton. Anything.

But time pressed on without empathy or compassion, as time always does. The clock in the hallway marked out the minutes, two children went to bed that night without a kiss from their mother and Olivia Lockwood still did not come home.

72

72

Tuesday 31st July 2018, 9:11 P.M.

4 Hillside Crescent

“Thank you, Wildeve. We’ll take it from here.” A pause. “Let’s hope you haven’t screwed things up for the rest of us.”

Those had been DCI Roger Sampson’s precise words when she had delivered Trefor Lovell to the officers still gathered outside his house that afternoon. Mac had stayed in the car, and she had escorted the old man across the road, knowing he wouldn’t try to run, all fight sucked from him.

She wasn’t certain what Sampson was driving at. Although off duty, she had behaved only as any other half-decent cop would have done. But that wasn’t the issue. Instead, she suspected he was alluding to the fact she should have been at home on compassionate leave. Any solicitor worth their salt would use it as a stick to beat her with, calling into question her judgment and challenging her ability to stick to the rules, seeking out that kink in the tracks that would derail any potential case.