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

It was seemingly the only word Kate Beck still knew, and God knew if she was aware of anything happening around her. But this time it sounded as if it had been meant specifically for Ellie. But please what? Please don’t leave me? Please come back so I can tell you what happened?

Or – Ellie didn’t know where this interpretation came from and tried to dismiss it entirely as she got into the Land Rover – please don’t go to the Bell?

For some reason that was what lingered with Ellie as she drove along Spear Bank, and it wouldn’t go away.

11.

11.

Liz heard them shouting long before she reached the house; even stone walls couldn’t muffle everything. Trouble of some kind.

She should’ve taken a shotgun or a rifle with her. Although the trail across the fields led to Barrowman Farm’s back yard, Liz circled round to the front; the only vehicles in sight were the tractors. Safely home, and no police. That was a good start to the day. But then what was the commotion about?

The row was coming from the kitchen, so Liz returned to the back and let herself in to face the latest drama.

Jess huddled in one corner rocking the baby, Dom in another shaking his head; always a bad sign. Frank and Keira were shouting at Paul, who sat at the table with that silly .22 rifle he liked to pose with in front of him, his tongue pushed into his cheek. He was drumming his fingers on the table-top, uncomfortably close to the gun.

“The fuck were you thinking, you stupid prick?” Keira shouted, and waved at Dom. “You’re as thick as that fucking spastic.”

They hadn’t heard Liz come in, which let her make a dramatic entrance; when she crashed the stick down on the stone-flagged floor its metal ferrule made a crack like a rifle shot. Jess shrieked, Keira yelped “Fuck!” and Frank grabbed for his shotgun on the kitchen counter.

Liz pointed at Keira. “Don’t you fucking dare call my son that. You don’t say that about any child of mine.” Keira had said far worse and Liz hadn’t cared, but it was a good way to lay down the law and shut everyone up. “Now what the hell’s going on?”

“He’s gone and –”

“Keira. Not now. What about Wakeman and the Bell?”

“Yeah, what about the Bell?” Keira muttered, smirking at Paul. Liz gave her a look; she fell silent, moving back behind Frank.

“Place was empty at Wakeman,” Frank said. “Windows’d been put in, door was gone.”

“Any marks?”

“Above the door,” said Keira, trying to get back on Liz’s good side. “Like you said.”

Liz nodded. “Paul?”

He looked sullenly up. “Same at the Bell. No-one there.”

“Well,” said Keira.

“Keira,” said Liz. “Paul, any marks?”

“Yeah.”

“Show us.”

“Didn’t get any pictures.”

“I told you to get pictures.”