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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
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  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
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  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
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  84. 79
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  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
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  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

DCI Sampson was watching Lovell intently. Wildeve wiped her palms on her trousers. The time had come to bring up the contents of Adam’s documents, but she didn’t know how Sampson would react to having been kept in the dark.

“According to some statements from old police files I’ve—um—obtained, it appears that a former owner of the shop you now rent—Bridget Sawyer—also disappeared. Around September 1966.” Her cheeks reddened under Sampson’s gaze.

Lovell nodded, eyes downcast.

“Aye, your husband was investigating that.” He met her eyes. “He was getting close. I’m sorry about what happened to him.”

A heat again at the back of her throat. She nodded, an acknowledgment.

“He was asking after Joby, too. About when he had gone missing.”

“Adam knew about him?” Her voice lifted in surprise.

Lovell shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Do you know how?”

He shook his head, and she saw a drift of dandruff settle on his shoulders.

“What about Bridget Sawyer? What do you know about her?”

The smallest of shrugs, almost imperceptible. “More than you, by the sound of things. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

She fought to keep the anger from her voice. “Mr. Lovell, you need to stop playing games and tell us everything you know before someone else is killed.”

So he did.

94

94

Wednesday 1st August 2018, 5:53 A.M.

Major Incident Room, Rayleigh police station

DCI Sampson called an emergency briefing.

He was short and to the point.

New information had come to light in the past half an hour. It gave them grounds to suspect Cooper Clifton of 27 The Avenue of multiple murders, dating back to 1966.

They were going to bring him in.

And they were going to do it now.

95

95

Wednesday 1st August 2018, 6:15 A.M.

Rayleigh police station to The Avenue

DS Wildeve Stanton was a passenger in her own car, with Mac at the wheel.

The older man had come straight from the hospital to the police station. He deserved to be a part of this, even if he had been kicked off the case. “As long as he stays out of the way,” Sampson had growled.

But it was all as clear as mud.

The police had not had time to verify Lovell’s latest revelations, but his story had the ring of truth about it. They would find out soon enough. He was still in custody; they weren’t that stupid. But she believed him. She believed every word he had told her.

But she was still puzzled over how Adam had known about Joby Clifton’s disappearance.

She watched the streets blur and imagined her husband’s last day on earth. Talking to the neighbors on The Avenue, piecing it all together, a gradual dawning of the truth. The old police statements. The newspaper article. The missing school photograph from Adam’s old album.

Croft Lane County Primary School.