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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
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  30. 25
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  32. 27
  33. 28
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  114. 109
  115. 110
  116. Teaser chapter
  117. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

If Lovell had been telling the truth, Joby Clifton vanished in the summer of 1985, when he was ten.

Adam would have been ten then, too.

Another distant ringing in her brain.

She pulled out her mobile, called up the phone number of the school and asked to speak to the head teacher.

96

96

Wednesday 1st August 2018, 6:17 A.M.

27 The Avenue

“I’ve been here ages. My dad will be wondering where I am.,” Evan said desperately, getting up from the chair where the old man had ordered him to sit while he carefully placed the box under the table, then stood by the window watching the sun come up as though he had all the time in the world. All the while Evan had been screwing up his courage to speak.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Cooper wagged his finger. “I saw him get into the car and follow the ambulance with your mother inside. A lie will be always be found out, young man.”

Evan bit his lip.

“I really did think things had gone far enough.” Cooper’s sigh was full of regret. Then he walked over to the door and called upstairs. “Audrina? Please come down here.”

He turned back to the boy, full of bonhomie. “I don’t think it’s too early for breakfast, do you? Sit down.”

Evan hesitated, his gaze straying toward the back door.

“Sit down,” said Cooper again, grin slipping, iron in his voice.

Evan sat again.

“Right,” said Cooper. “Orange juice.”

He poured the child a glass.

“Now,” he said. “Breakfast.”

Evan had his back to the kitchen door and when Audrina entered she gave a little scream at the sight of his dark hair and pajamas, her hand to her mouth.

“What’s going on? What’s he doing here?”

“This lad needs something to eat.”

Something unspoken passed between Cooper and Audrina. She bent over the boy who reminded her so much of her son.

“A muffin?” she said, a warm smile spreading across her face. “Or cereal with lots of lovely dried fruit?”

97

97

Wednesday 1st July 2018, 6:18 A.M.

32 The Avenue

Morning had officially broken on The Avenue, the sun drying the earlier rain.

The postman drove his van down the road and parked outside number thirty-two. Mr. Lovell’s house. The police car was still there, but there was less activity than yesterday. He wondered what had happened to the old man, but knew he would find out soon enough. He trusted his instincts, though. Lovell was harmless.

He swigged some water from a bottle. He had a horrible taste in his mouth, but he had left his toothbrush at home and didn’t have time to go back now. Something was worrying him. Nothing more than a niggle, but he had learned over time to trust himself. He had never been wrong.

Except about her.

He shut down the voice in his head. He was not going to fuck this up.