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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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  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
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  93. 88
  94. 89
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  96. 91
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  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
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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

The boy went back into the kitchen. The smoke alarm had stopped now, but the silence rang. He put the toast on a plate and covered it with a thick layer of chocolate spread. But it didn’t satisfy his hunger—it made him feel sick.

He cast around for a note but the countertops and table were bare.

His mother would never have gone out without telling him.

She would be back in a minute.

47

47

Tuesday 31st July 2018, 9:41 A.M.

26 The Avenue

Fletcher Parnell wasn’t just playing with fire; he was sticking his hand into the flames.

He adjusted the finderscope until he was zoomed in on the female police officer. She was shouting at the man with her, and her face was all twisted up. The anger pulsed off her in waves like an asperitas formation. The air shimmered with heat.

They were walking up the road, in the direction of his house. For a moment, she looked straight up at the window and he panicked, swinging his telescope wildly until it pointed the opposite way. He crouched down beneath the sill, his back to the cold radiator, heart in his mouth.

“What are you doing?” Dessie was standing in the spare room doorway, wearing her running gear and a perplexed expression.

He laughed, patted his palms across the carpet. “Dropped my cuff link.”

She peered closely at him. “You look tired.” Glanced at her watch. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“Shouldn’t you?”

“Job’s been canceled, smart arse.”

He laughed and made another performance of looking for his cuff link before standing up and pulling her into a hug.

Her body stiffened, but then relaxed. “Seen any good clouds?” she murmured, biting the lobe of his ear.

“Clear skies today.” He nudged her away. “I better get going,” he said.

She followed him downstairs, chatting as he tied up the laces of his brogues. The sun poured through the front door’s stained glass, reds and blues and greens pooling on the hallway floorboards. A sweat was rising on his forehead. Another scorcher.

“Did you think any more about our holiday?”

Shit.

“I fancy America. Or Canada. What about Niagara Falls?” She reeled off several other places she would like to visit.

“I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to get away. Work’s crazy at the moment.”

It was her turn to laugh. “Everyone deserves a break, Fletch, even if it’s just for a week.”

“I don’t know where my passport is. I’ve got a horrible feeling it’s expired.”

“Well, get a new one,” she said, impatience creeping in. A sudden thought. “It’s not money, is it? I mean, it’s not as if you pay me much rent, is it?”

“It’s not the money.”

“So you’ll book the time off?”

“We’ll see, okay?”

Dessie pouted. “Sounds like you don’t want to go on holiday with me.”