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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

Ask her that question a few days ago and Hannah would have laughed it off. Now she wasn’t so sure.

20

The idea that Eileen Wickham might have spent the last twenty years plotting revenge chilled Hannah. Mrs W was in her sixties now and Hannah could no longer be easily manipulated. However, she knew how cruel and twisted the woman could be, and stupid as it may seem, Mrs W still scared her.

‘What is she like… now?’

‘Eileen?’

Liam took a moment to consider the question when Hannah nodded. ‘I’ve only met her the one time and I told you she wasn’t exactly receptive to my request for an interview.’ The corner of his mouth twisted and she was reminded of the YouTube video which had accentuated his charmingly crooked smile. He seemed amused rather than upset by how Mrs W had reacted to his request and Hannah suspected there wasn’t much that fazed him. ‘She wasn’t quite what I was expecting, if I’m honest.’

‘She wasn’t?’

‘I’ve read a fair bit about her, so I knew she could be persuasive and manipulative, and I guess that’s what I was expecting. She didn’t appear to be either. She was angry and I sensed she was bitter too. Bitter at what had happened and also that things weren’t any better for her on the outside.’ Liam took a seat again, but this time on the sofa facing Hannah, his blue eyes on hers. ‘Twenty years staring at four walls is going to change you, give you time to think.’

‘I guess.’ Hannah found herself fidgeting a little under the scrutiny of his gaze as she pulled on the ring of her now empty Coke can. There had been something in his tone that made her feel he was judging her. Of course, she was probably imagining it. She was still a little shaken from her encounter outside and reading signals that weren’t there.

Tank picked that moment to whine, getting up and going to the door and scratching at it. He looked at Liam, cocking his head on one side and whining again.

‘Seriously, mate? You had enough pees while we were out.’

She watched while Liam let him out, stepping outside with him and pulling the door to. It wasn’t enough to stop a cool breeze blowing into the room and Hannah shivered; glad she had brought her jumper. Putting the Coke can down on the coffee table, she shoved her cold hands between her knees.

After a minute or so, Liam whistled to the dog and they both came back inside. This time, Tank didn’t go to Hannah, instead settling himself down on the rug.

Liam locked the door again, but remained standing, turning his attention back to her.

‘Why are you here, Hannah?’

A very direct question.