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

Her eyes were unfocused, with none of the alertness they’d had yesterday. Shock or a head injury, maybe both. She was shivering. Ellie took the torch from Bert. “There’s a foil blanket in the back of the Land Rover,” she said.

“I’ll grab it.”

Ellie sheathed her baton and swung her legs into the gap. “Please,” the girl said. “Please.”

“It’s all right, love,” Ellie said again. “You’re safe.”

“Please.”

Ellie lowered herself into the crawlspace. It smelt of damp earth. A sudden fear of attack gripped her and she swept the torch around, but there was only the earth floor and the stone pilings propping up the house. The girl shrank back. “Please.”

“Kate,” said Ellie. “It’s me. Constable Cheetham. You remember me, right? From yesterday?”

If the girl did, it didn’t show. “Please. Please.”

“Ellie?” Bert called from above; he sounded slightly nervous to have entered the pantry and found it empty.

“Down here.”

“Phew.” He handed her the blanket. “Had me worried for a second.”

Ellie wrapped the girl in the blanket as best she could. “Can you stay with her? I need to check upstairs.”

She went up, baton drawn and ready, wishing again she’d brought the twelve-bore from her gun cabinet at home. The second storey told the same tale as the first. Broken windows, a black mark on a wall in every room, but no bodies. She found a coin-sized spot of blood on a pillow in the main bedroom, but that was the only direct evidence of any harm having come to the Becks themselves.

Ellie went back downstairs. Bert had climbed down into the crawlspace beside the girl; his head and shoulders poked out of the trapdoor. “She said anything?” Ellie said.

“Please,” said the girl’s muffled voice.

Bert shrugged. “Just that.”

“All right.” Ellie took out her handset. “Mike Whisky, from Sierra Four Five, urgent call, over.”

The set crackled. “Sierra Four Five, this is Mike Whisky, go ahead, over.”

“Need you out at Wakeman Farm now, over.”

“What?”

“We’ve a break-in, and two –” she remembered the boy “– no, three missing persons. One injured, possible head trauma. So get hold of Milly, and see if you can call in an air ambulance. Over.”

“Received. Break-in at Wakeman, three mispers, one injured. Collect Dr Emmanuel, contact air ambulance.” Tom sounded out of breath, not to mention surprised he’d remembered it all. “Um, over.”

Ellie turned to Bert. “Can you hold the fort till Tom turns up?”

“Can do. What’s up?”

“I want to make sure Joda and Barbara are okay.” Ellie spoke into the handset again. “Mike Whisky from Sierra Four Five, proceeding to the Bell public house to check on occupants. Out.”

“Please,” she heard the girl saying. “Please.”