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

Dom staggered out of the doorway, bellowing. Ellie scrambled into the Land Rover, slammed the door and started the engine, throwing the gear into reverse and accelerating backwards. The dog chased after her, then stopped.

The gate was coming up, but she refused to stop to open it: Ellie wanted a solid metal shell between her and the Harpers until she was clear of Thursdale. She floored the accelerator; the Land Rover hit the gate doing fifty and tore it off its hinges before fishtailing across the dirt-track and tearing halfway through a hedge.

For one appalling moment she was sure it would roll over or stall, but it kept its balance and the engine continued running. Ellie threw the gear into forward and the car lurched free of the hedge back onto all four wheels, rocking slightly. She accelerated up the track: it was nearly dark now and all she could see in the Land Rover’s headlights were swirling mandalas of snow.

She didn’t look at the rearview; couldn’t spare the time or concentration, and the Harpers were unlikely to give chase. Keira, Frank and Paul would be no threat to anyone for now, Jess couldn’t drive and Dom wouldn’t have the gumption unless Liz told him.

As for Liz, Christ alone knew what she was thinking. She wasn’t thick; she knew Ellie would have had to ask the family to account for their movements. She’d just sat there and let things kick off. Why? Didn’t she want Tony’s killers finding?

Might already know. Either way, she’ll want to deal with them herself.

Probably true, but still not the answer. They could have all confirmed their whereabouts without giving Ellie anything concrete. Even by Harper standards, what had just happened was extreme, especially if Paul had had his way. They were the ones with the injuries and they’d all no doubt blame Ellie, but once the roads were clear again there’d be court appearances, fines – maybe even jail time, though not as much as they deserved.

So why?

Ellie reached the other gate. She hesitated, then got out and opened it the normal way, looking back through the snow for approaching headlights. None came.

Liz got what she wanted: you off her property before you could ask too many questions.

She drove through, closed the gate, then set off homeward at the fastest crawl she dared, through a tunnel of whirling snow.

6.

6.

She’d been tempted to stop at Wakeman Farm till the storm passed, but she’d have been stranded for the night and badly wanted the comfort of her own four walls. She felt too raw right now, too many buried things threatening to surface. The anger and violence and loss. No. She needed safety. Shelter. Sanctuary. Home.