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What Falls Between the Cracks

Robert Scragg
Chapters (41)
  1. Cover
  2. WHAT FALLSBETWEEN THE CRACKS
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. CHAPTER ONE
  7. CHAPTER TWO
  8. CHAPTER THREE
  9. CHAPTER FOUR
  10. CHAPTER FIVE
  11. CHAPTER SIX
  12. CHAPTER SEVEN
  13. CHAPTER EIGHT
  14. CHAPTER NINE
  15. CHAPTER TEN
  16. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  17. CHAPTER TWELVE
  18. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  23. NATASHA – APRIL 1983
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. NATHAN – APRIL 1983
  26. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  27. NATASHA – APRIL 1983
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  30. GEORGE – APRIL 1983
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  32. GEORGE – APRIL 1983
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  34. MARY – APRIL 1983
  35. GEORGE – APRIL 1983
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  37. GEORGE – APRIL 1983
  38. EPILOGUE
  39. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  40. BY ROBERT SCRAGG
  41. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cover

cover

WHAT FALLS
BETWEEN THE CRACKS

ROBERT SCRAGG

DEDICATION

For my wife Nicola, my children Lucy and Jacob, brothers David and Gary, and my parents Margaret and Bob. My past, present, and future, wrapped up in one amazing bunch of people

CONTENTS

  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. DEDICATION
  3. PROLOGUE
  4. CHAPTER ONE
  5. CHAPTER TWO
  6. CHAPTER THREE
  7. CHAPTER FOUR
  8. CHAPTER FIVE
  9. CHAPTER SIX
  10. CHAPTER SEVEN
  11. CHAPTER EIGHT
  12. CHAPTER NINE
  13. CHAPTER TEN
  14. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  15. CHAPTER TWELVE
  16. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  21. NATASHA – APRIL 1983
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. NATHAN – APRIL 1983
  24. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  25. NATASHA – APRIL 1983
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. GEORGE – APRIL 1983
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  30. GEORGE – APRIL 1983
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  32. MARY – APRIL 1983
  33. GEORGE – APRIL 1983
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  35. GEORGE – APRIL 1983
  36. EPILOGUE
  37. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  38. BY ROBERT SCRAGG
  39. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  40. COPYRIGHT

PROLOGUE

May God forgive me.

He folds the single sheet of paper, places it carefully inside the envelope. He looks around the room, at everything he has built, crashing down around him.

I tried, Natasha. God knows I tried.

He moves on autopilot, shrugging his jacket off, pinching the collar to fold down the middle, letting it drape down over his arm to quarter it. He lies it by the wall, brushing away imaginary specks of dust from the spot next to it before sitting down, back flat against the cool plaster. He closes his eyes, picturing her again, smiling. Happier times before it all went to shit.

Focus on her. This is for her.

The gun feels surprisingly heavy as he cradles it in his lap. He sits like that for what feels like several lifetimes, listening to the drone of conversation from beyond the door. They will come running in when they hear the shot, but for now he is glad to be alone.

Now. Do it now. Be a man.

He clamps the barrel between his teeth, eyes scrunched shut as if in pain, thumb resting on the trigger. The tip touches the back of his tongue, and he pulls it back out with an involuntary retch. His breathing picks up pace. He has to do this now, or the coward lurking deep in his brain will make a play for life. Her face flashes in his mind again, reminding him why he doesn’t deserve to live.

It’s the only way. For her.

He blinks, tears blurring the edges of his world. He owes her this. Deep breath. On three. Inhale. Exhale.

One.

One swift movement. The end of the barrel kisses his temple this time.

Two.

He closes his eyes. He doesn’t want the last thing he sees to be a storeroom full of boxes. It should be her. He pictures her face again, sees her smile, hears her laugh. No false starts this time. He takes another lungful of air. His last. Holds it. Feels the trigger move.

Three.

There is no blinding light, only darkness, and peace.

CHAPTER ONE