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Chapters (69)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. The First Crossing
  6. Chapter One
  7. Chapter Two
  8. Chapter Three
  9. Chapter Four
  10. Chapter Five
  11. Chapter Six
  12. Chapter Seven
  13. Chapter Eight
  14. Chapter Nine
  15. Chapter Ten
  16. Chapter Eleven
  17. Chapter Twelve
  18. Chapter Thirteen
  19. Chapter Fourteen
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-One
  27. Chapter Twenty-Two
  28. Chapter Twenty-Three
  29. Cross Country
  30. Chapter Twenty-Four
  31. Chapter Twenty-Five
  32. Chapter Twenty-Six
  33. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  34. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  35. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-One
  38. Chapter Thirty-Two
  39. Chapter Thirty-Three
  40. Chapter Thirty-Four
  41. Chapter Thirty-Five
  42. Chapter Thirty-Six
  43. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  44. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  45. The Woods
  46. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  47. Chapter Forty
  48. Chapter Forty-One
  49. Chapter Forty-Two
  50. Chapter Forty-Three
  51. Chapter Forty-Four
  52. Chapter Forty-Five
  53. Chapter Forty-Six
  54. Chapter Forty-Seven
  55. Chapter Forty-Eight
  56. Chapter Forty-Nine
  57. Chapter Fifty
  58. Chapter Fifty-One
  59. Chapter Fifty-Two
  60. Chapter Fifty-Three
  61. Chapter Fifty-Four
  62. Chapter Fifty-Five
  63. Chapter Fifty-Six
  64. The Last Crossing
  65. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  66. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  67. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  68. Acknowledgements
  69. Copyright

Across to one side, the flickering light illuminated Karen’s face as she went about the business of burning his clothes, the enterprise soundtracked by the crackling of branches, the hiss of spruce needles. Even at this distance, Tony could feel heat emanating from the flames, could smell the mix of petrol and fibres and sap, thick and acrid in his mouth and nose.

When they had finished, there was still a small mound of spoil left to one side. Duggan and Tony spread it as best they could, dragging the dirt in all directions with the edge of their shovels.

‘Gather handfuls of leaves now and scatter them about,’ Duggan instructed. By now, Karen had returned and the three of them moved in different directions, scooping up armfuls of rotting ground cover which they then scattered across the area where the grave lay.

When they had finished, Tony stood in silence and looked at the area where they had buried Martin. He could hear Karen and Duggan already trudging their way back towards the car. Duggan had claimed he knew the way; this was not his first time having to do this, he said.

Tony stared at the spot before him, struggling to know what to say. An apology was too little, that he knew. But he also felt relief: that he had survived, that Alice had survived and that with Kelly’s death, this was all over.

In the end, he said nothing, simply bowing his head with the weight of his guilt and moving away, following the bobbing light that wove its way through the trees ahead, leaving the grave to its silence.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Four

Silence.

Tony stared at Duggan, then looked down, his hands already searching his trunk, looking for the wound that must surely have been there. But there was nothing. Just silence.

Duggan himself seemed confused, aiming a second time and pulling the trigger again. A click. Then silence once more.

‘What’s wrong, Hugh?’ Mullan asked. ‘I thought you had enough bullets.’

Duggan gripped the gun in fury, opening the barrel, then yelled, an animalistic roar. ‘Fucker!’ he snarled, moving on Mullan, but Barr stepped in, grabbing his arm and shoving him back, twisting his wrist enough to dislodge the gun, which dropped solidly to the earth. The youth bent and picked up the weapon, then stepped back, away from Duggan.

‘Where are they?’ Duggan asked, looking at Mullan, who simply nodded back at his nephew.

Barr put his hands in his pocket and pulled out a handful of bullets. Tony noticed that, at some stage, Barr had put on a pair of clear latex gloves.

‘Let me help you with your bag, Mr Duggan,’ Barr said, smiling. The deferential attitude, the carrying of the bag to the boot of the car, had all been a ruse, the last double-crossing of an old comrade, Tony realized.