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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

The mother sheep joined in the bleating, seeming half scared of us, half outraged that we hadn’t yet done anything constructive. Daniel and I moved away from the edge to perch on a flat rock and the sheep quietened. The village of Gritton was far below us, its areas of woodland like green velvet in contrast to the dry yellow grassland. It looked idyllic from above, the clashing protesters, hordes of journalists, and grieving families a world away.

‘I’ll call someone,’ I said. ‘I don’t have time to faff around trying to save a lamb.’

‘It’s very weak,’ Daniel said. ‘I’m going to climb down and get it. If we wait for help to arrive, it’ll die.’

I wanted to scream at the ridiculousness of this. The Pale Child was getting away, I had one missing presumed dead and one definitely dead, the Animal Vigilantes and Justice for Violet were marauding below us. Was I really going to waste valuable time and terrify myself senseless helping Daniel rescue a runt lamb?

31

‘How far down was the lamb?’ I said.

‘I think I can get to it,’ Daniel said. ‘If you stay at the top, I can pass it to you.’ There was none of the spaced-out quality about him now. And all concern for his own welfare seemed to have dropped away at the sight of a lamb in danger.

I pictured the headline. Animal Activist Detective Bounces on Head and Dies Trying to Rescue Lamb. ‘Okay,’ I said.

‘It’ll be fine. We’ll keep everything really quiet. Keep the mother relaxed.’ Daniel smiled and I couldn’t help smiling back, despite my panic about being near to the edge.

‘I’m not too good with heights,’ I said. ‘But I’ll be okay.’

The lamb let out a weak, heart-rending cry.

We shifted towards the edge, keeping low. The sheep stayed calm and even began to approach us. ‘These moorland sheep get fed in the winter,’ Daniel said. ‘So they’re not terrified of people.’

My heard thudded. We were near to the edge.

I shifted onto my stomach and peered over. The lamb was about six feet below us, on a narrow ledge. Below, the cliff fell steeply down to rocks underneath. If the lamb slipped off, it would be a goner. The same applied to us, of course.

‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ I said. ‘That ledge is so narrow and it looks crumbly.’

Daniel laughed. ‘I’d rather be taken out by a lamb than by the Animal Vigilantes.’ He turned round and shuffled backwards. ‘I just hope it doesn’t suicide off the edge when it sees me coming.’