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

Ellie shifted gears, into formal mode: “Are Charlotte Famuyiwa or David Chapple on the premises here?”

“Here we go.”

“Simple question, Liz –”

“Here we go. Coming here accusing us of all sorts –”

“Simple question, Liz. Yes or no?”

“This is harassment. Pure and simple. I’ll be making a complaint about –”

“Yes or fucking no, Liz?” Shit. Her control had slipped, and she saw Liz’s eyes gleam at being given an advantage.

“Don’t you talk to me like that. My own house. Who d’you think you are, eh? Who the hell d’you think you are?”

“Are Charlotte and Dave –”

“Not being insulted on me own doorstep. Do one!” And Liz slammed the door.

Or tried, at least. Ellie was wearing a good heavy boot, and she shoved it into the gap between door and jamb.

“Shift your foot,” said Liz. Was that a gleam of sweat on her forehead?

“If they’re not there, you won’t mind us coming in and taking a look, will you? Prove to everyone you’re on the level.”

“You got a warrant?”

“I’ve got two missing persons.” More than two. Try six. “Thought you’d want to help.”

“You got a warrant?”

“Sooner we eliminate you from our enquiries, sooner we can –”

“Warrant.”

“– find out where they really are –”

“War. Rant.”

“– before something happens to them.”

“Warrant,” said Liz again, shifting position as she said it, and that was when Ellie saw the gleam of the shotgun she was holding against her leg.

“Fine,” she said, turning as if to go. “I’ll be back with one –”

She hadn’t taken her foot out of the door, but she glimpsed Liz in her peripheral vision and saw some of the tension go out of her, the glint of the shotgun sink about half an inch as she relaxed, and that was when Ellie swung back round, gripped her own gun in both hands and shoved the barrel between door and jamb into Liz’s stomach. “Don’t fucking move,” she said.

Liz blinked; the stonelike eyes widened in disbelief, then narrowed again in fury. Her mouth writhed and tightened.

“Keep still,” said Ellie slowly. “I’ll blow you in fucking half, Liz. I mean it.” The shotgun’s safety catch was still on, but Liz didn’t need to know that.

“Mum?” shouted a voice – Frank, Ellie thought. “Mum, what’s she doing?”

“Quiet, Frank,” said Liz. Her voice was hoarse and her grey face might have gone a shade or two paler.

Ellie took her left hand from the shotgun, pushing the barrel harder into Liz’s belly with her right, and reached down to her utility belt and the extra item she’d hung from it. She unhooked the bolt-cutters, brought them up and snipped the security chain. It dropped and clinked lightly; Liz breathed out through her teeth.