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Back The Midnight Man Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Title Page
  2. Contents
  3. Copyright
  4. Praise for Caroline Mitchell
  5. Also by Caroline Mitchell
  6. Dedication
  7. Epigraph
  8. Prologue
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. 13
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgements
  69. About Caroline Mitchell
  70. About Embla Books

After soothing Elliott back to sleep, Maggie picked up her home phone. It was gone midnight, but Sarah would forgive a late-night call. The phone rang off the hook. Her nerves on edge, Maggie tried her mobile number again. No response. The memory of Elliott’s words chilled her bones. ‘Sarah’s in trouble, Mummy. She’s with the Midnight Man.’ She drove her hands through her hair. This was crazy talk. Would the police listen to her? But her son had described a living person, made of flesh and bone. She picked up her phone. Sarah was in trouble. She had to make the call.

55

‘I got you.’ Richie’s voice broke through the confusion as Sarah blinked at the flash of his iPhone light.

‘Richie? What’s going on?’ she said, on a shaky breath.

‘You’re OK. It’s all going to be OK.’ Richie extended his arm. The strong grip of his hand was the lifeline Sarah needed as Richie helped her to her feet. The acrid stink of discharged gunpowder fouled the air. She didn’t want to let Richie go.

‘You’re bleeding.’ Dazed, she peered in the flickering light at the blood running in rivulets down his arm. A moan rose from the corner of the room. Her legs felt too weak to support her as she turned towards the noise. Lewis was on his back, eyes half-closed, a set of cuffs on his wrists.

‘It’s just a graze,’ Richie looked stunned as he followed her gaze. ‘I managed to wrestle the gun off him but the bullet skimmed my arm.’ In the dim light Lewis seemed uninjured but concussed.

‘Thank God you’re OK.’ Sarah’s eyes danced around the room. ‘The moths.’ But they were gone. She blinked, coming back to the room, the living, the here and now. ‘Elliott! Where’s Elliott?’ Plucking a candle from the window she headed to Robin’s old room. This time there was no hesitancy in opening the door. Shadows danced beneath the light of her flame, but there was nobody there. Nothing but a mouse scurrying into a crack in the wall. She checked each room in turn. ‘He was bluffing … please let him have been bluffing.’ She exhaled a sob-choked breath. ‘Elliott’s not here.’ Her words echoed in the dim landing as she returned to her parents’ old room. Perhaps Lewis hadn’t been able to go through with hurting his own son. He had been a devoted father, from what Maggie had said. She should have known such bonds were not so easily broken. Shaking his head, Richie took in the scene. ‘Our local hero,’ he said, his gaze falling on Lewis. ‘I can’t believe it’s him.’