BooksBarbecue
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
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  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
  89. 84
  90. 85
  91. 86
  92. 87
  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

“Oh, come on. He lives in The Avenue. His wife is dead. He makes those creepy little dolls, for Christ’s sake. One of the crime scene guys said she even had the same weird painted face.”

“Think, Wildeve. You’re not the only one who spoke to the SOCO guys. She’s been dead a long time. That’s not how this killer operates. And yes, Lovell has got opportunity, there is some circumstantial evidence, but it’s not enough, is it? What about motive?”

He was right, of course. Wildeve’s head whirled, filling with questions. Was it possible her own instincts hadn’t been off-kilter after all?

“But you said Lovell was hiding something. How do you know that?”

Mac pushed a hand through his hair. “I should have told you this yesterday. Adam was onto something. A few hours before his body was found, he left a voice mail explaining that he needed to speak to me. He was in The Avenue, he said. He sounded excited, that he had a theory and he’d explain when he saw me.”

He fumbled for his mobile. “Adam didn’t show up when he said he would, but he did send this text.” He passed it to Wildeve. LOVELL KNOWS. Mac shook his head. “I don’t know what he meant by that, Wildeve, and my hands are tied. I’m just a retired copper and Sampson won’t listen to me. But if you could somehow speak to Lovell again and persuade him to tell us what he told Adam, we’ll have the key to unlocking this case.”

73

73

Wednesday 1st August 2018, 2:06 A.M.

25 The Avenue

At first, she thought it was rain, throwing itself in angry handfuls at her window.

She rubbed her eyes, swimming up through sleep. But there was no trickling sound of water from her open casement window, no drumming on the roof. The glowing numbers of her alarm clock informed her it was six minutes past two. She switched on her light and saw two or three pebbles lying under her sill.

She padded over to the window and looked out on the street below.

A mass of blond hair, a face grinning up at her. Bailey. And a couple of shadows behind him. Charlie and Marco, she guessed. They were all dressed in black.

“Come on, sleepyhead,” he said. “Time to go.”

She folded her arms across her chest, her tank top making her feel exposed. She wanted to refuse, to fetch her father and make them go away, but it was harder to speak up for herself now they were here.

“My dad will kill me.” The murmur of her voice sounded too loud in the stillness of the street.

“So don’t get caught,” said Bailey. He grinned at her and her stomach turned inside out. “Get dressed. We’ll wait for you.”

* * *