BooksBarbecue
Back The Hollows
Chapters (77)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. PART I
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. PART II
  15. 9.
  16. 10.
  17. 11.
  18. 12.
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. 31.
  38. 32.
  39. 33.
  40. 34.
  41. 35.
  42. 36.
  43. PART III
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. 40.
  48. 41.
  49. 42.
  50. 43.
  51. 44.
  52. 45.
  53. 46.
  54. 47.
  55. 48.
  56. 49.
  57. 50.
  58. 51.
  59. 52.
  60. 53.
  61. 54.
  62. 55.
  63. 56.
  64. 57.
  65. 58.
  66. 59.
  67. 60.
  68. 61.
  69. 62.
  70. 63.
  71. 64.
  72. 65.
  73. PART IV
  74. 66.
  75. 67.
  76. 68.
  77. Acknowledgements

“Easy?” Laura Caddick rounded on Milly. “She’s a fucking Harper. They’re the ones who –”

“It’s Jess Harper,” snapped Milly, and as the poor girl staggered closer, face beaded with sweat, she saw how the front of the girl’s coat bulged, saw another woollen cap and a hint of pale skin showing and realised she’d brought her child with her. “What the fuck do you think she’s been through, living in that house? How the fuck do you think she got that baby? Think she wanted it? That she had a choice? Eh? Who do you think the father is?”

“It wasn’t him!” Jess screamed it, and they all stepped back, even Laura. The girl was crying. “It wasn’t Paul. It wasn’t. It wasn’t him.”

The anger on Laura’s face faltered and faded. Jess was shivering with cold and exhaustion. God knew what state the baby must be in; Milly prayed the poor mite was still alive. “It’s all right, love,” she said. “Let’s get you seen to.”

After a moment, Laura Caddick moved to join them. She plucked at the backpack’s strap. “Want me to get that?”

Jess shook her head.

“Okay.” Laura took Jess’ free arm instead. “Come on, kiddo,” she said at last, and the pair of them steered the girl towards the church.

43.

43.

Madeleine’s printouts were extracts from the journals of four former vicars of St Alkmund’s.

Three mentioned disappearances in the area, particularly outlying homes that had been found unpopulated. Some had simply become unworkable, others abandoned by owners fleeing their debts, but several showed signs of foul play. One minister referred to “pagan and devilish symbols” scrawled on one empty building’s wall – Ellie could guess what they’d been – while another had collapsed into a sinkhole that had opened underneath it.

So the things had been active before, if never like this.

The fourth set of extracts, more substantial, dated back to the tenure of the Reverend Dr Bayliss, who’d been Barsall’s vicar in the early to mid-1860s. He’d been well-educated, with a degree from Oxford; maybe he’d annoyed someone influential to have ended up in Barsall, or maybe it had been his choice. Not everyone was ambitious; some found contentment in other, smaller ways.

Bayliss certainly hadn’t lacked energy or drive: he was an enthusiastic preacher who organised practical relief for poorer villagers and patiently taught members of his flock to read or write. He also had a keen interest in folklore and archaeology, especially regarding the roots of Christianity in his parish, and the older religions it had displaced.

A cynic might have wondered if Bayliss’ various good works had merely been intended to win the locals’ confidence, but whatever the truth, he’d improved numerous lives while gaining material for a series of (sadly mostly unpublished) monographs.