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Back The Sleepover Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. PROLOGUE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. EPILOGUE
  69. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  70. MORE FROM KERI BEEVIS
  71. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  72. About Boldwood Books

Was it some kind of suicide pact?

Hannah didn’t want to die. She couldn’t let this happen.

Rosie’s grip had weakened now. Was she still conscious? Gathering all her energy, Hannah managed to roll towards the edge of the bed.

She hit the ground with a heavy thud, aware of how thick the smoke was now, the sound of the building flames intense.

Tank was still the other side of the door, barking and scratching and going nuts. Hannah pulled herself across the bedroom floor towards the sound.

She eventually reached the door, managed to pull down on the handle and open it. Tank was with her then and she could feel the dog’s nose nudging at her as he whined.

She couldn’t see through the smoke. How were they going to make it out of the flat?

She was so tired and didn’t think she could move any more.

Tank kept barking and pulling at her, but he would have to wait. She needed to rest. Just for a few seconds.

At first, she wasn’t aware of the arms lifting her, carrying her out of the flat, then, when she realised, she was still so out of it she could barely focus on the firefighter’s face. ‘Rosie… you have to help her. She’s still inside.’

She didn’t hear his response, lost consciousness again, waking when she was outside and cold air hit her face. She was on a stretcher now and being loaded into an ambulance. Liam was with her, had her hand in his.

‘You’re going to be okay.’

‘Tank and Rosie…’

‘Tank’s here. He’s fine.’

‘And Rosie?’

‘They’re trying to get to her.’

Liam squeezed her hand.

‘Please help her,’ she managed again, and then her eyelids fluttered shut.

EPILOGUE

And then there were two.

They had been known as the Hixton Five for so long. Some of them had only witnessed moments of Eileen Wickham’s true nature. Others in the group had suffered unimaginable cruelty at her hands, but all of them had provided evidence that led to her incarceration.

It had started with the death of Miles Goldberg and ended with Rosie Emerson taking her own life. The children in the box. The two youngest victims.

Because, despite what she had done, Rosie was a victim. The families of Jill and Lauren might still be struggling with that, but it was true. Like a ripple effect of a stone dropping into water, the repercussions of Eileen’s actions had continued to spread.