24 Hours

24 Hours
Greg Iles

‘A superbly crafted and clever book’ (The Times) from Greg Iles, the New York Times No.1 bestseller. The perfect family. On the perfect night. About to become trapped in the perfect crime.In 24 hours, one family will learn the meaning of fear…Twenty-four hours is all it takes for John Hickey to pull off the perfect crime. He’s done it before, he’ll do it again, and no one can stop him. But this time, he’s picked the wrong family to terrorize.Will and Karen Jennings have it all. Together, they’ve built the life of their dreams and they share it with their beloved five-year-old daughter, Abby. They will do anything to keep her safe, including confronting a terrifying psychopath.They refuse to become victims. They refuse to let Hickey tear another family apart. And they’re going to fight back even if it kills them…

GREG ILES

24 Hours

Dedication (#ulink_164e6c48-3e36-55ea-9bed-30f3d18e137a)

FOR GEOFF ILES

who has been there for me from the beginning (almost).

He that hath a wife and children

Hath given hostages to fortune

FRANCIS BACON

Table of Contents

Cover (#ue19025d1-e995-58e0-860b-5775302f98fe)

Title Page (#u696cf93f-1adc-5c1a-8698-9746d675b219)

Dedication (#u938eaa2a-5069-59bb-9522-ff5ff754fa85)

Epigraph (#u6664d1ea-ea9c-5444-9f90-62092653f9f4)

Chapter One (#uca8826f6-db76-59cc-95cd-7133573dd5b4)

Chapter Two (#u31e23f9d-b8c8-5164-af39-3bfc308e3665)

Chapter Three (#u886b5ad9-8fa8-555a-9fc5-e678d25d3daf)

Chapter Four (#ua2b1c9e2-7b4f-5945-b358-99d490890b1a)

Chapter Five (#u00c381d1-9036-5ce2-9a8f-132fd43b285a)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Books By Greg Iles (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

ONE (#ulink_2e559170-ac93-561a-a39d-c0cffa21c0d9)

“The kid always makes it. I told you that.”

Margaret McDill had not seen the man in her life until yesterday, but he had dominated every second of her existence since their meeting. He had told her to call him Joe, and he claimed it was his real name, but she assumed it was an alias. He was a dark-haired, pale-skinned man of about fifty, with deep-set eyes and a coarse five-o’clock shadow. Margaret could not look into his eyes for long. They were dark, furious pools that sucked the life out of her, drained her will. And now they carried knowledge about her that she could not bear.

“I don’t believe you,” she said quietly.

Something rippled deep in the dark eyes, like the flick of a fish tail. “Have I lied to you about anything else?”

“No. But you … you let me see your face all night. You won’t let me go after that.”

“I told you, the kid always makes it.”

“You’re going to kill me and let my son go.”

“You think I’m going to shoot you in broad daylight in front of a freakin’ McDonald’s?”

“You have a knife in your pocket.”