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

Liz gripped the stick tighter. No, she’d no doubt in her mind: she’d left the Family Bible on the desk. And no one in the family – no one – would dare go in the office without her say-so. None of them.

Yet someone had. Who, and why? Frank hadn’t the brains for a move like that. Keira might – not out of any planned treachery, but in order to know what to do, should anything happen to Liz. But that didn’t ring true either: Keira would have asked first, or at least said something to Liz’s face. Dom couldn’t even fucking read, and Paul had no interest in anything he couldn’t fuck. So who did that leave? The dogs?

Liz stepped out onto the landing, drew breath to shout, then stopped.

To her left was Jess’ door.

And the room beyond was so unusually silent. Not even a snore, or a baby’s cry.

The little bitch couldn’t have. She wouldn’t dare. But –

Liz threw the door open.

An empty bed, an empty cradle, an empty room.

Liz stood blinking at the sight. She could hear herself breathing, in and out through her nose: a hoarse, ragged sound. Her heart had begun pounding. Palpitations. She leant on her stick to steady herself. A heart attack would be all she needed now. Calm. Calm. But the sight before her didn’t change.

Liz turned and stamped across the landing, then down the stairs. If she’d dared – the little bitch. The little bitch.

“Frank! Keira! Paul! All of you, on your fucking feet now!” The bitch, the traitorous little bitch. “Jess!” It came out as a scream. “Jess Harper, show your face fucking now!”

But that call, at least, went unanswered.

They searched the farmhouse, but found nothing, and her coat and a rucksack were missing.

“Where could she even fucking go?” Frank demanded.

Keira came back into the kitchen from the backyard. “Where else? Little cunt’s run off to Barsall, that’s where. Ellie fucking Cheetham and that do-gooding bitch Milly Emmanuel.”

“She wouldn’t.” But Frank didn’t sound certain.

“She fucking did,” said Keira. “I looked outside. She went out the back. Saw her footprints – she went over the fields to the hill road.”

Good thinking on Keira’s part. This was the daughter Liz should’ve had.

“What do you wanna do, Liz?” Keira asked. “She’s no fucking loss.”