All Fall Down: A gripping psychological thriller with a twist that will take your breath away Read Online Free PDF

hadn’t been equal to the task the day before, and while it might have been that the man was simply beyond saving at that point, the thought plagued her that there was something else she should have done.

    S he busied herself in the kitchen, reflecting on the fears that had gripped her in the middle of the night. With the calming effect of daylight, it was easier to believe that life could soon get back to normal.
    There were footsteps along the side of the house, and the young policeman came in to help with the teas and coffees, various preferences for milk and sugar scribbled on an old lottery ticket.
    Once he’d taken the tray outside, Wendy tended to the bacon on the grill and checked her phone again. Rob trudged in, pale and bleary eyed, and immediately guessed what she was fretting over. ‘Anything from the Lost Son?’
    ‘No. I’ll have to get Evan to call him. I don’t want him worrying.’
    ‘ Josh , worry about us ? Not in this universe!’
    His laughter was harsh and, to Wendy’s ears, a little unkind. She turned back to the unit, and was cutting up the soft rolls left over from the barbecue when suddenly Rob was behind her, his arms encircling her waist. Startled, she reared up, almost butting his chin.
    ‘Jesus!’ He let go and stumbled away.
    ‘Sorry. You made me jump.’
    ‘Normal service is resumed, then?’ he muttered.
    That was unfair, but Wendy let it pass. She didn’t want an argument when the garden was full of strangers. Gesturing at the grill, she said, ‘Can you take over while I have a shower?’
    ‘Ought to start a catering business,’ Rob grumbled, but he seemed just as eager to forget the spat. ‘We’ll tell them it’s, what, two quid a bap?’
    ‘Ever the entrepreneur,’ she said with a conciliatory smile. ‘Don’t forget to offer them ketchup.’
    He pretended to look aghast. ‘Brown sauce. It has to be brown sauce with bacon.’

    I n the shower , Wendy tried to calm herself in preparation for the day ahead. She worked for an adult social care charity in Winchester, alongside a small, dedicated band of people, all committed to helping others. That said, she wasn’t yet sure if she wanted to tell any of them about yesterday’s tragedy. Some contrary part of her character recoiled at the thought of being on the receiving end of their sympathy and concern – especially as she felt it was undeserved.
    I didn’t do anything to save him.
    Her reaction to Rob’s touch also troubled her. Last night she had been grateful for the comfort of bodily contact; this morning it was an unwelcome reminder of how vulnerable she felt. From Rob’s point of view it made her behaviour annoyingly inconsistent, and she wouldn’t disagree with that. How could she, when her feelings about him changed from one minute to the next?
    She was on the landing when a faint electronic blurp from Georgia’s room gave Wendy an excuse to knock gently. The girl was barely visible beneath her duvet; just a spray of light brown hair over the pillow. . . and the trailing wire of an iPhone charger.
    ‘Who’s messaging you at this time of the morning?’
    ‘Nth,’ was the only reply. Then the duvet was pushed down and Georgia rolled on to her back, eyes open, phone in hand.
    ‘This isn’t because of yesterday?’ Wendy asked.
    ‘People wanna know we’re okay.’
    ‘But your dad said not to mention it—’
    ‘It wasn’t me!’ A surly glance at her phone, which this time had trilled: Wendy knew this meant an incoming message on a different app. ‘There’s a kid whose dad is mates with one of the police, and he told someone else, who put it on Twitter.’
    ‘Okay. Sorry.’ Wendy leaned over and kissed her forehead. ‘No matter what happens, your dad and I will always keep you safe, you know that?’
    Georgia nodded, still trying to look blasé, but her eyes were shining with tears. Wendy spared her by getting busy, snatching up a wet towel, hooking a discarded bra on the handle of the