Chapters (87)
- Cover
- Praise
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- Extract from To Keep You Safe
- About the Author
I look around for the right-sized rock – I want something with weight – but not too much and something with an edge. It doesn’t take long to find one in a flower bed and I don’t waste more time.
Against the bottom corner, I give a firm tap. I’m not really watching what I’m doing, instead my stare is intent on the hallway door beyond. But then I hear the sound of music starting back up – something punky played at full volume, coming from upstairs. I give a bolder tap, and when the glass doesn’t break, I hit it again, bolder still.
This time I’m rewarded with a crack in the glass.
I follow the crack with my stone, grateful that it’s only single glazing, tap-tapping to chase the crack further out. Within seconds, I – painfully but gamely – pull my sleeves over my hands and then push against the broken glass triangle. The putty is old and broken in places and it’s surprisingly easy to wiggle out a large piece. I place the glass on the flower bed, and then reach in through the gap to unlatch the catch.
Not believing how easy or how quick it is, I’m opening the window and climbing into the house.
I stand on the carpet and don’t move, not believing I am here. I get my bearings. The music is up so loud it floods the house.
The sitting room is large with dated furnishings, but I’m not taking in the details, I’m just looking around to see if I can see the gun. It occurs that she may have locked it away – I’m sure they have protocols for where they keep their gun and my heart sinks at the thought that it’s under lock and key. But then I remember two things – one that Erica is upstairs listening to music, probably messaging her friends so is doubtless not too concerned about doing the right thing, and the other is that, while she’s distracted, I can still look.
I step round the sofa and within seconds make a reasonable search of the room. But with the curtains still open and the light off, I think I can assume that she didn’t come in here.
I’m scared when I step into the hallway, feeling heady and ready to bolt at the slightest movement from above. The light is at least still on. I know there could be more people in the house other than Erica, but apart from the music, the place has an empty stillness to it.
As I look up to the landing, the music seems to be coming from the room directly opposite the top of the stairs – if Erica opens that door, she’ll see me.
I look down the corridor in one direction and can see it opens up to an unlit kitchen. In the other direction is the front door.