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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

‘The girl in the Middleton family. The one who was shot last.’

Christian’s face clouded in confusion. ‘How would anyone speak to her? She’s dead.’

‘Rumour and conjecture. The whole thing was hushed up.’

Elsie bit into her sandwich. It tasted better than it looked. ‘The wardrobe door was locked, so her dad shot right through it before turning the gun on himself.’ She raised a hand to her head. ‘The bullet skimmed her right here,’ she said, pointing to her forehead. ‘Left her with a scar. She covers it up with her fringe but it’s still there, rightly enough. There’s no denying who she is.’

‘No denying who who is?’ Christian scratched his cheek.

‘Aren’t you listening to me at all? Sarah, the police officer who came to see me earlier on. She’s the sole survivor of the Blackhall Manor massacre.’

‘The girl who was shot in the wardrobe lived?’

‘Uh-huh,’ Elsie nodded, taking another sandwich off the pile. ‘She was in a coma for months. Then she was transferred to a private hospital and people forgot about her after that.’

‘Huh,’ Christian said, with a smile. ‘Did she change her surname?’ He looked at Elsie thoughtfully.

‘Yeah, she goes by her mother’s maiden name. Keeps her under the radar, I guess. She came back to Lower Slayton a while ago.’ A smile rose to her face. Two proper conversations in one day. ‘Anyhoo, I was thinking, if she can overcome all that and become a detective, then the least I can do is lose some weight.’

His expression thoughtful, Christian gave a slow nod in response. ‘Sure, Mom, if it’s what you want. But you may as well finish what’s in the fridge first.’ He glanced down at his watch. Elsie could see he was counting the seconds to leave.

‘Go on then, go and play your game.’

As he rose from his stool, Elsie could see the subject of dieting didn’t interest her son. Christian had heard it a million times before. The room fell gloomy and silent as he closed the door behind him. At least she had her books. Taking another bite of her sandwich, Elsie chewed methodically as she picked her next read. Above her, Christian’s bedroom door slammed shut. She rubbed her chest as a slab of bread seemed to get stuck on the way down. ‘Ow! What the—’ She sucked in a wet breath as pain radiated outwards. White foam gathered in the corners of her mouth, her limbs jerking in sudden bouts.