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

She shut the door behind her and propped the weapon beside the writing bureau in the corner of the room, fetched her laptop downstairs and resisted the temptation to pour a large Scotch; no doubt the sun was over the yardarm somewhere, but God knew what else the day might hold.

Instead she made another hot, sweet coffee for herself, powered up the laptop and began filling out another incident report. A couple of times she got the shakes again, but remembered her breathing and worked on it till the tremors passed.

She’d better brace herself and toughen up. You’ll all see. They’ll come for you tonight. All of you. Much as she wanted to dismiss that as Liz Harper having finally lost whatever plot she’d ever had, Ellie knew she couldn’t; knew, with bone-deep certainty, there was more to come.

She slogged her way through the report and saved it; there was, of course, still no online access. Perfect.

She stood up, stretching, and her foot caught something. She remembered the shotgun just as she saw it toppling, and lunged to catch it in the nick of time. Jesus Christ. The safety wasn’t even on. If it had fallen, it could have fired. Probably blown her own foot off, with her luck. She pumped the slide, ejecting the cartridges, picked them up and put them on her desk.

Madness. Criminally irresponsible. She should have put the safety on. She should have unloaded the shotgun. She should have locked both it and the ammunition back in its cabinet. She should be doing that now, but instead, after a moment’s hesitation, she laid the gun across the top of the bureau, prodding it gently to make sure it wouldn’t fall off. She wanted it close to hand. Beyond that, she had no idea, right now, what to do.

Been a long time since she’d had to deal with anything serious. Well, not that long – the Harpers had always prevented Barsall being too sleepily bucolic a beat – but in the past they’d gone quietly whenever they’d needed taking in. Not like today.

The rules of engagement have changed. The phrase began to circle round her head, along with Liz’s words. They’ll come for you tonight. All of you. Police didn’t worry the Harpers, but something else did. Enough to make Tony Harper freeze to death in the snow in sight of his own front door.

Ellie yawned. She felt exhausted, and would have liked nothing more than to crawl into bed and pull the covers over her head. But that wasn’t an option, especially not now. Instead she went into the kitchen and made another coffee with ridiculous amounts of sugar. Some days you just needed to treat yourself and sod the consequences.