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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

Eventually it stopped and she went to pull up Hannah’s number. Before she could press call, the unknown number started to ring again.

Go away!

She was about to hit decline when it crossed her mind that it could be something important. There were few people Rosie truly cared about, but she held them close. If something had happened to one of them and she hadn’t answered the call…

That made up her mind.

‘Hello?’

When she was met with silence, her heart began to thump.

‘Hello?’

She could hear breathing so knew someone was there.

‘Who is this?’ She snapped out the question, the hand holding her phone trembling.

Still nothing.

‘I can hear you, so I know you’re there. I’m going to hang up now. This isn’t funny.’

As she went to end the call, a sound like a clock being wound up chilled her bones. Metal grinding against metal, the cogs winding tighter with each turn. She waited for that familiar click, the last twist of the key, and when it came, in the moment before the music began, a stray tear slid down her cheek.

The jewellery box tune pulled her back in time to that summer when she had just turned thirteen, sucking her into the nightmare from which she had never really escaped.

She threw the phone down, her hand covering her mouth. And in that moment she understood it wasn’t over. The woman who haunted her dreams was coming for her again.

10

‘Rosie, you’re scaring me. What the hell is wrong?’

As she waited for her friend to answer, Hannah was struggling into her jeans, the phone jammed between her right ear and shoulder, and the foot she had bandaged refusing to comply.

‘She’s found me. I knew it wasn’t over.’

Rosie’s voice was barely a whisper, making it even harder to understand her now than when she had been sobbing hysterically.

‘Who has found you?’

‘She has. Mrs W.’

It was no secret Eileen Wickham was out of prison, but Hannah doubted she would be stupid enough to track Rosie down. She would surely know she would be the first person the police would look to.

‘Mrs W was in your flat?’ she asked, trying her best not to sound sceptical.

‘I heard her music box.’

‘Her music box?’ Hannah repeated. Was she talking about the one that Mrs W had owned?

‘Yes! She called me. I heard it playing.’

Had she imagined it? It was possible. Rosie still struggled with the past.

‘Where are you now?’

‘In the bathroom. I locked the door.’

‘What? Why have you locked the door?’ When her question was met with silence, her panic rose. ‘Rosie? Answer me. Is she there now?’