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The Hiding Place

Simon Lelic
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. JOIN THE READERS WHO CAN’T PUT SIMON LELIC’S GRIPPING THRILLERS DOWN …
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. TWENTY-TWO YEARS LATER
  7. Friday 18 October, 3.17 p.m.
  8. Ben – January 1997
  9. Monday 21 October, 9.56 a.m.
  10. Monday 21 October, 11.47 a.m.
  11. Ben – January 1997
  12. Tuesday 22 October, 10.49 a.m.
  13. Ben – February 1997
  14. Wednesday 23 October, 10.14 a.m.
  15. Ben – February 1997
  16. Wednesday 23 October, 11.25 a.m.
  17. Ben – February 1997
  18. Wednesday 23 October, 12.02 p.m.
  19. Ben – February 1997
  20. Wednesday 23 October, 1.55 p.m.
  21. Wednesday 23 October, 3.16 p.m.
  22. Ben – March 1997
  23. Wednesday 23 October, 7.17 p.m.
  24. Thursday 24 October, 11.43 a.m.
  25. Thursday 24 October, 3.41 p.m.
  26. Ben – March 1997
  27. Thursday 24 October, 9.45 p.m.
  28. Ben – April 1997
  29. Friday 25 October, 9.28 a.m.
  30. Ben – April 1997
  31. Friday 25 October, 10.55 a.m.
  32. Friday 25 October, 12.37 p.m.
  33. Friday 25 October, 2.47 p.m.
  34. Ben – April 1997
  35. Friday 25 October, 3.36 p.m.
  36. Friday 25 October, 5.27 p.m.
  37. Ben – May 1997
  38. Saturday 26 October, 10.21 a.m.
  39. Saturday 26 October, 9.15 p.m.
  40. Ben – May 1997
  41. Sunday 27 October, 4.39 a.m.
  42. Ben – May 1997
  43. Sunday 27 October, 8.37 a.m.
  44. Ben – May 1997
  45. Sunday 27 October, 10.19 a.m.
  46. Ben – May 1997
  47. Sunday 27 October, 10.41 a.m.
  48. Isaac – May 1997
  49. Sunday 27 October, 10.52 a.m.
  50. Sunday 27 October, 11.01 a.m.
  51. Sunday 27 October, 12.14 p.m.
  52. ONE WEEK LATER
  53. Sunday 3 November, 10.55 a.m.
  54. Acknowledgements
  55. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Cover

The Hiding Place
Penguin Random House

About the Author

Simon Lelic is the author of seven highly acclaimed thrillers: Rupture (winner of a Betty Trask Award and shortlisted for the John Creasey Debut Dagger), The Facility, The Child Who (longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger), The House, The Liar’s Room, The Search Party and The Hiding Place. He has also written The Haven series for younger readers, twice shortlisted for the CrimeFest awards.

JOIN THE READERS WHO CAN’T PUT SIMON LELIC’S GRIPPING THRILLERS DOWN …

‘An intricate and powerful thriller’ TANA FRENCH

‘What a read! It’s proper clever. Loved it’ STUART TURTON

‘Clever and atmospheric’ MARK EDWARDS

‘A bloody good read and the very definition of unpredictable’ JOHN MARRS

‘Skilful and compelling’ OBSERVER, THRILLER OF THE MONTH

‘A brilliantly tense tale’ ARAMINTA HALL

‘A marvel: intricate, complex and utterly gripping’ ALEX LAKE

‘Expect twists aplenty’ WOMAN’S WEEKLY

‘Simon Lelic just gets better and better’ DERVLA McTIERNAN

‘A chillingly complex, well-crafted web’ JANE CORRY

‘A skilfully-woven mystery that oozes with tension’ T M LOGAN

Dedication

For Sarah, Barnaby, Joey and Anja

Prologue

Ben Draper wasn’t ready to die.

He knew he’d done some bad things. Some very bad things. But surely he didn’t deserve this.

It was only supposed to have been a game – a stupid game he hadn’t even wanted to play.

And now he was lying here bleeding, scrunching up his eyes at the pain in his arm.

He wanted to wail, to call for help, but he couldn’t be sure who would reach him first. And there were footsteps close by. He could hear them. Meaning it was crucial he didn’t make a sound. He couldn’t run any more either, not in the state he was in, and not without drawing attention to himself.

His only chance was to squash in tight, and to hope that the monsters passed him by. To trust the shadows, and to pray. Please God, if you’re really out there, keep me hidden. Keep me safe.

Please let me never be found.

Penguin walking logo

TWENTY-TWO YEARS LATER

Friday 18 October, 3.17 p.m.

‘Why do I suddenly feel underdressed?’

Robin Fleet took his eyes momentarily from the road. Nicky was in the passenger seat beside him, her gaze turned to the window as the main building came into view. Fleet had to admit it was impressive. After they’d passed through a set of manned entry gates, the route from the road had taken them up a private drive long enough that it had seemed it would never end. There were thick banks of trees on either side, impossibly green in spite of the fact that it was already mid-October. Eventually the drive had swept left, the wall of trees receding as though someone were pulling back a curtain.