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

But it would have been the coward’s way out, and Ellie wouldn’t take it. “Where were you all last night between midnight and two a.m.?”

Even the baby stopped crying, and Dom Harper rose from his crouch beside the dog.

“You. Fucking. What?” said Keira.

“Keira,” rumbled Frank.

“She’s saying we killed him – Liz, the bitch is saying we did our Tony in –”

“I have to ask this question for –” But Keira chuntered on.

“She’s saying one of youse did your own brother in. You gonna let her stand there and say that, Frank? Under your own roof?”

Liz said nothing, not meeting Ellie’s eyes. Had Ellie actually hit a nerve there? People surprised you all the time if you were a copper, and rarely in a good way. Nature of the job, after all; you spent most of your time dealing with the consequences of greed, stupidity or just plain viciousness, and she could believe pretty much anything of the Harpers at the best of times.

But not this. The Harpers’ one positive feature, pretty much, was their sense of family unity, even if it was warped and didn’t draw the line at actual sibling incest. They’d fight among themselves, sometimes viciously; Ellie might have just about believed Tony falling and cracking his skull in a family brawl gone wrong, but not this. Whoever did it had surrounded him and watched as he’d died. You couldn’t get more cold-blooded than that. And that wasn’t the Harper way, least of all with one of their own.

So what didn’t Liz want to say? What was she hiding?

“She needs a lesson,” Paul said again. He moved towards Ellie; Keira came out from behind Frank and went for her too.

Ellie drew the pepper spray and baton together, pushing the baton’s catch so it shot out to its full length. Keira clawed for her face and Ellie sprayed her in the eyes from a foot’s distance. Keira shrieked and fell; Ellie spun towards Paul, but he had his left arm up to shield his eyes and the knife ready in his right.

Was this real? Was this happening? I’m a fucking police officer, you –

She swung low with the baton, catching Paul across the knee. He fell sideways, screaming; Ellie jumped over him and ran for the door.