The Family Next Door: A BRAND NEW nail-biting psychological thriller by Charlotte Stevenson

Author:Charlotte Stevenson [Stevenson, Charlotte]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloodhound Books - crime, thrillers & mysteries
Published: 2025-01-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Viola wastes no time leaving the property and, thankfully, there is a bus waiting for her to get straight on.

Now, back home and feeling relatively safe, she considers what she has learned from her brief and unpleasant visit. Unfortunately, not a lot, and she has most likely gotten herself into more trouble with Duke and Rhys. She is fully expecting a knock on the door at any minute. Another warning, or perhaps something more severe this time. She considers going back upstairs and taking another look through Martin’s papers. There could be something else, more information on that place and what it’s for. Instead, she takes out her phone and does a bit more online sleuthing. The only thing she has looked up so far is the word ‘Querencia’. This time, she types ‘Querencia’, ‘Awbry’, and the postcode of the building into the search bar, hoping it will provide the link to a business website or something that tells her what the place even is. But instead, numerous media articles appear. She clicks on the first one. It’s a piece from a magazine from five years ago titled ‘How I escaped Querencia’.

As Viola reads, her chest tightens and her pulse thumps faster and harder. The picture accompanying the article shows a blacked-out figure of a man. The man the story is about has changed his name, choosing to go by ‘James’, and has since fled the country for his own safety. That in itself is worrying, and Viola knows that by reading further, her mind is not about to be put at ease. What James describes is horrifying, and if she was concerned about her safety before, she is now terrified. Duke and Rhys are undoubtedly dangerous individuals. James explains how he started a relationship with a young woman and was introduced to Querencia through her. He reveals she initially told him that Querencia was a charity organisation that provided support to the local community.

Social events and classes were available, as well as onsite training and support groups. James had found himself struggling to find work, somewhat adrift, and feeling lost with what he wanted to do with his life, so he initially found it a great place to spend time. He explains how Querencia gradually became more controlling and how he started discovering unusual beliefs from the family running the organisation.

Seemingly, the aim of Querencia is to build ‘perfect families’ and for members to live as a community away from the rest of society. James names Duke and describes him as initially very caring and kind, giving him opportunities to better himself and learn new skills, offering support and counsel. As James gained members’ trust, he was allowed outside the training rooms at the front of the main building and shown the other parts of the property. He was astonished that many families, including children of all ages, lived onsite. At least a dozen families were housed in the main building alone. Bathroom and kitchen facilities were shared, but each family had their own living space.

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