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Back The Village Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. START READING
  6. PROLOGUE
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

‘There won’t be much,’ the estate agent had warned her. ‘Just some old books, records and clothes. Nothing of value, no plans or suicide notes, if that’s what you’re looking for.’

It was Naomi’s guilty secret: the fact she’d paid thousands of pounds extra so she could keep a load of old junk. Or rather, Ed had. She pursed her lips as she recalled her justifications. The ones that helped her sleep at night. This case had her firmly in its grip and she could not – would not – let it go.

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

THE VILLAGERS

The gathering was small and informal. The lights of Lloyd Thomas’s cottage were dim. There were no children sleeping in this house; no innocent ears to listen in. The ten people in the room spoke for all the villagers, and word would seep back to those who mattered quickly enough. Lloyd stood at the head of the living room, arms folded, surveying the small crowd. The usual thoughts lurked in his mind. Could everyone here be trusted? He’d grown up with these people; they were family. But could they keep the secret that had haunted him for a decade? He cast his eyes to the floor, his gaze falling on Bonnie, the Harpers’ once-loved golden retriever, as she basked before the open fire. Outside the wind gusted, but here, in the sanctuary of Lloyd’s three-bedroom cottage, the old girl was safe and warm. It was the very least she deserved. He’d had his fair share of ghouls offering to rehome her over the years.

His thoughts soured at the memory. As if they could look into her amber eyes and prise the truth out of her. The newspapers had sold many copies off the back of the headlines promising to reveal the only ‘living witness’ to the family’s disappearance. They weren’t informed until they turned the page that it was the family dog. Her once-golden coat was almost white now, and age had taken its toll on her limbs. But her tail still thumped enthusiastically against the wooden floor as he bent to stroke her head.

‘How you doing, girl?’ he asked, dropping his hand so she could give it a lick. Reverend Humphries brought her to every meeting, and she was always welcome in his home. At least she’d see out the rest of her days in relative peace.

It must be nice, he thought, not to feel burdened by such a terrible truth.

Cups of tea clinked against saucers as his guests were suitably refreshed, and soon all eyes turned to him. Lloyd stretched to his six-foot-six height, raising a hand to still the ripple of murmurs in the room.

‘Are we all on the same page?’