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Back Cut to the Bone Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for Cut to the Bone
  3. About the Author
  4. Also by Roz Watkins
  5. Note to Readers
  6. Dedication
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. Extract
  67. Prologue
  68. Chapter 1
  69. Author’s note
  70. Acknowledgements
  71. About the Publisher

‘I think it was filmed above the reservoir,’ Hannah said. ‘Near Gritton, below the gritstone edge. I had a drive around to look, and I’m pretty sure I’m right.’

‘When was it posted?’

‘Last week. Which is interesting, isn’t it? It was before Violet went missing. I’m sure the thousands of views are more recent, but someone was posting videos about the Pale Child before Violet put it in the public eye.’

‘Okay. We’ll get our tech people to have a look at it. Trace who posted it. Because that’s no ghost, so who the hell is it?’

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I grabbed it and answered.

‘It’s Daniel. Daniel Twigg.’ He sounded as if he’d been running. ‘They’re coming for me next.’

30

I dropped my death-by-cake and pressed the phone to my ear. Hannah looked at me wide-eyed.

‘They’ve … it’s horrible …’ Daniel’s voice was shaking. ‘They’ve put … stuff on my caravan. My friend’s called the police and they’re on the way, but I thought … after what they did to Gary …’

‘I’ll come to you. I’m in Gritton. Get yourself somewhere safe with other people.’

I phoned to check that uniforms were on their way, gulped down a glass of water, grabbed my stuff, and said a hurried goodbye to Hannah.

I pushed through the tea room door, and my phone rang again. Jai. I answered while running to my car.

‘I just finished talking to Violet’s friend, Izzy,’ Jai said. ‘Remember we both had a feeling she wasn’t telling us the whole story? Well, we were right. There was a secret relationship. Violet made Izzy promise on her mother’s life not to tell anyone, but eventually my charm was too much for her.’

‘All right, Jai,’ I gasped. ‘We all know about your charm. Who the hell was it?’

‘To be honest, I’m not sure if it was my charm or the fact she’s totally bloody terrified because he’s now dead with a pig’s head mask on him.’

‘Gary? But we think he’s Violet’s father! She was having an affair with him?’ I tried to imagine Violet’s feelings if she’d discovered that the man she’d been having a relationship with was not only her father but had raped her mother. And what about Gary? How must he have felt if he found out the girl he was sleeping with was his daughter?

‘Not sure you’d call it an affair,’ Jai said, ‘but she hooked up with him, according to Izzy.’

‘God.’

‘There’s more. Gary told Violet a secret. He made her swear never to tell anyone.’

I arrived at the car and clicked it unlocked. ‘A secret? Do we know any more than that?’

‘Violet told Izzy it was a secret about the Pale Child.’