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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

She stopped and turned to face us. ‘I liked the dress when I found it in Grandpa’s attic, and he said I could have it and I thought I could pretend to be the Pale Child, so I went and videoed myself. But I didn’t mean for that girl to die. Or that man.’

I tried to speak casually. ‘What do you mean, Frankie?’

‘I went on the moor in this dress, to video myself. Just messing around, but I got a load of likes when I posted it.’

I wondered if that was what Violet had seen, and the video Hannah had found, from before Violet went missing. Frankie pretending to be the Pale Child. ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘It’s okay, Frankie. You’re not in trouble.’

‘But I saw that girl. Violet. I know I scared her. And then I went in the woods and I saw the man who died with the pig on his head. I’m the Pale Child now. But I didn’t mean for him to die.’

‘Was your mum okay about you going into the woods at night?’

‘Yes.’

‘We’re going to see your mum now,’ I said. ‘Shall we give you a lift back?’

‘I don’t know whether I should go with strangers.’

‘We met though, didn’t we, in your kitchen? So we’re not strangers.’

I took her hand to cross the road, and unlocked the car. She lifted her skirts and shuffled into the back. Her white dress was stained at the front where she’d leaned on it as she shuffled into the hole. She could so easily have caught a foot in its folds and fallen.

Jai and I got into the car, and I pulled out and accelerated away from the reservoir towards Kirsty’s farm. Frankie sat quietly.

My phone rang. Fiona. ‘Meg!’ She sounded in a panic. ‘The wildfire has spread to Gritton!’

‘Oh no. Whereabouts?’

‘In the woods. It’s so dry at the moment … I’ve alerted everyone, but I thought I should let you know.’

‘Thanks, Fiona.’

I looked at the rocks beyond Gritton. Smoke was rising through the air, veiling them. The fire looked close.

‘Do your parents know where you are?’ Jai asked Frankie.

‘Mum doesn’t care.’ Frankie didn’t sound petulant – she just stated it as fact. ‘She doesn’t get bothered like other people’s mums do.’

‘What about your dad?’

‘I never had a dad.’

Frankie lifted an arm and pointed at the horizon. ‘Look at the smoke.’

It was now billowing above the trees in the base of the valley.

Frankie’s voice was calm. ‘It’s coming from our farm.’

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