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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

‘Bex was practically passed out, and then she sat up and pointed into the woods and said, “It’s the Pale Child.” We’d all been brought up to be scared of the Pale Child. Don’t go into the woods or onto the moor or down to the reservoir. The Pale Child might see your face and then you’ll die. Daniel’s brother, Charlie, had died after seeing her. So although we didn’t believe in ghosts, we were pretty wary of her. But that night we were too drunk and stoned to be scared. I caught a glimpse of someone in white, and we all ran off, not noticing that Bex wasn’t following us. We scampered around the woods looking for this person in white, and Lucas was sure he actually saw her. We ran for ages, you know the way sometimes when you’re drunk, you get a burst of speed?’

I nodded, although that didn’t happen to me. Bursts of speed weren’t my thing.

‘It sounds terrible now, but it turned into a kind of game. We were dashing around in the woods trying to find this thing, but of course we didn’t find her.’

I was leaning closer to Anna, willing her to tell us what she knew. The Pale Child had been in my mind for so much of the last few days, hovering at the edge of my consciousness, taunting me with questions about her identity, what she wanted. I was sure she was at the heart of this. She could lead us to Violet.

‘It started to rain,’ Anna said. ‘And we realised Bex wasn’t with us. So we walked back to the bonfire. And …’ She took a deep breath. ‘I didn’t believe my eyes at first. Thought I was hallucinating even though I’d hardly smoked. It made no sense … Sorry. I need another drink. Wait a minute.’

Our intense focus had been too much. I cursed myself for not keeping it in check. Anna jumped up and left Jai and me sitting in her bright living room, minds full of the Pale Child.

44

Bex – October 1999

Her dad and Kirsty were gone. Bex was still on the sofa, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t make herself move, as if leaving the scene of the conversation would mean she’d accepted the conclusion.

‘So the rapist gets away with it, my baby gets killed, and my life gets ruined,’ she said.

Aunt Janet reached a hand over and placed it on Bex’s arm. ‘Now, come on, Bex – your life won’t be ruined.’

‘I think Dad and Kirsty know who did it. Why would they let him get away with it?’