Историческая библиотека. Том 8. Отсутствует

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СКАЧАТЬ Chapter Sixty-Three: Veronica

       Chapter Sixty-Four

       Chapter Sixty-Five

       Chapter Sixty-Six

       Chapter Sixty-Seven

       Chapter Sixty-Eight

       Chapter Sixty-Nine

       Chapter Seventy

       Chapter Seventy-One

       Chapter Seventy-Two

       Chapter Seventy-Three

       Chapter Seventy-Four

       Chapter Seventy-Five

       Chapter Seventy-Six

       Chapter Seventy-Seven

       Chapter Seventy-Eight

       Chapter Seventy-Nine

       Chapter Eighty

       Chapter Eighty-One

       Chapter Eighty-Two: Francine

       Chapter Eighty-Three

       Chapter Eighty-Four

       Chapter Eighty-Five

       Chapter Eighty-Six

       Chapter Eighty-Seven

       Chapter Eighty-Eight

       Chapter Eighty-Nine

       Chapter Ninety

       Chapter Ninety-One

       Chapter Ninety-Two: One Week Later

       Chapter Ninety-Three

       Chapter Ninety-Four

       Acknowledgements

       A Note from Noelle

       About the Author

       Also by Noelle Holten

       About the Publisher

       CHAPTER ONE

       Lorraine

      ‘So – are you dangerous?’ Lorraine danced around the hall playfully. He frowned; to her he looked unsure whether she was serious or flirting. The party had been epic, and she was still buzzing from all the cocaine in her system.

      ‘Nice place you have here.’ She ran a finger along the hall mirror and smiled at her reflection. The house had an old-fashioned feel to it – wooden floors covered with well-worn rugs, cream-coloured walls and a strange-looking bookshelf that seemed out of place in a hall.

      Tilting his head, he stared directly into her eyes. ‘Do I look dangerous?’ He caressed her arm; the goose bumps rose on her skin and she wondered whether he was toying with her. Her body shivered with excitement.

      ‘You seem OK to me. Can’t be too safe these days though.’

      ‘’Course not, sweetheart. But I’m a pussy cat. Can’t you tell?’ He placed his hand on her elbow and began directing her towards the stairs. He smelled of one of those nice deodorant sprays, not as pungent as cologne.

      A knock on the front door made them stop.

      ‘Are you expecting company?’ She pouted her lips, hoping that he would get rid of whoever it was quickly.

      ‘Only you, love. Have a seat through there,’ he pointed to the living room, ‘and make yourself comfortable. I’ll take care of this.’

      She watched him as he made his way to the front door.

      He looked through the peep hole, his hands clenching into fists, his body stiffening. ‘What the fuck?’ He muttered and stepped outside. Although she heard raised voices, she couldn’t make out what was being said or whether the mystery visitor was a man or a woman.

      Wonder what that’s about? She didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping, and when she entered the living room and saw the bag of white powder on the table, she knew what she would prefer to do. Lorraine walked over to the couch, sat down and made herself comfortable.

      Within ten minutes, he returned to the room.

      ‘Everything OK?’ She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

      ‘Yeah, fine. Shall we get this party started?’ He sat down beside her and caressed her leg.

      She reached across him, picked up the plastic bag of white powder and shook it. ‘Can we have a bit of this first?’

      ‘Oh babe, I have something better in mind for you. A little something special …’ He bent over, opened the small drawer at the front of the coffee table and took out a needle filled with what she assumed was heroin.

      ‘Hmmm. Not so sure about that, hun. I prefer a bit of sniff these days if I’m honest. Gear doesn’t sit well with me anymore.’ She rubbed her forearms.

      ‘C’mon babe, don’t be like that. I thought you trusted me. I promise, this stuff is out of this world – it’ll make you feel sooooo good.’

      She thought for a moment, imagined the needle piercing her arm and a warm glow consuming her. ‘Fuck it, you only live once!’

      He smiled as he wrapped the tourniquet around her arm, choosing a vein, tapping the needle twice before inserting it into her arm. ‘That’s right, babe. You only live once …’

      The world shut down around her. She lay back on the couch and let the gear take over.

      Closing her eyes, she smiled and whispered to herself. ‘Sooooo good.’

      When she finally came around she was tied to a bed, her eyes and mouth covered with some form of material bag. The stink of urine and sweat filled her nose and the low, gut-wrenching moan she heard echoing off the walls told her she wasn’t alone.

       CHAPTER TWO

      Maggie had thought her nightmares were over when serial killer Bill Raven, ‘The Chopper’, had been convicted just over two years previously. Having returned to her team at Stafford Police Station following a secondment in the Domestic Abuse and Homicide team, she believed she had left СКАЧАТЬ