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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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  71. 66
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  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
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  80. 75
  81. 76
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  88. 83
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  90. 85
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  94. 89
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  102. 97
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  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

She froze, keys dangling from the end of her finger, Kindle in hand. She turned around to look behind her but the street appeared empty. A convoy of ants crawled across the back of her neck. She pulled the gate closed, but the latch was stiff and didn’t catch properly.

Olivia wandered over to the patio table and put down her things. She drained the rest of the grapefruit juice, but did not sit, her eyes scanning the night garden. The tiny hairs on her arms stood upright, despite the heat. Something felt off.

She wandered farther down the lawn until she was about halfway between the house and the fence at the bottom of her garden. The fence had its own gate that led into the copse beyond their boundary with public access from an entrance on the northwest side. It was one of the things that had attracted them to 25 The Avenue, but now it felt like a threat.

She stood still and listened.

There was a light wind, a drift of breeze that exhaled softly through the trees. But she could hear twigs breaking, the crackle of dry leaves underfoot. Something—or someone—was in the undergrowth.

She walked decisively toward the gate. The sounds were coming from beyond it. It was probably the badger again, but then she remembered the cough. Olivia hesitated, tempted to run back to the house and wake Garrick. But if she was going to leave him, she would need to learn to be strong on her own terms.

Entering the copse was like plunging into darkness. No glow from the patio, just a sliver of hope from the moon. The noises were louder here, and coming from somewhere to her right. The breeze was picking up and it nudged the gate shut behind her. Through the lines of trees, she saw a pinprick of light that bounced wildly. A flashlight.

She fumbled in her dressing gown pocket for her phone, ignoring the low-battery warning and intending to switch on its flashlight. But it was too dark and she couldn’t see properly, and as Olivia stumbled forward, thorns catching against her dressing gown and scratching her bare legs, her head exploded in pain, and her world tipped and turned off.

42

42

Tuesday 31st July 2018, 4:01 A.M.

The Avenue

The postman walked down The Avenue and back to his van, his flashlight safely in his pocket. The houses were cloaked in silence. He breathed in the warm air. He felt at home in the night.

There was no one about, which was a very good sign. He shouldn’t be here, but he couldn’t keep away. He mustn’t stay much longer, though. What if somebody saw him? And if he didn’t leave now, if didn’t try to grab an hour’s sleep, at least, he’d never get up in the morning, which would bring disaster of a different kind down on his head.