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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

‘What about Violet?’

‘Violet? She’s dead.’

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone running towards the barn. I spun round to look. Frankie, with Jai running after her.

‘No, Frankie!’ Kirsty was shouting but she didn’t sound panicked. She jogged towards the barn, but Jai was already there, stopping a sobbing Frankie from touching the hot doors.

Kirsty grabbed Frankie’s hand and dragged her towards the house. ‘I’m calling the fire brigade again. And getting Frankie inside.’ As she ran away, she shouted over her shoulder, ‘I’m not risking my property and firefighters’ lives having you open that door! Stay away!’

The pigs were squealing in the barn, a terrible noise that broke my heart in two. It was almost human.

Or was that human? I ran closer to the barn, moving to the end furthest away from the door, and the piles of straw and the worst of the fire. ‘Hello!’ I bashed on the barn wall with my palm. Listened for a moment.

‘Jai, I thought I heard a scream. A human scream.’ The words spilled out in a panic.

‘What the fuck—’ Jai said.

‘Hello!’ I shouted. ‘Is someone in there?’

The pigs squealed louder. ‘Is anyone in there?’ I shouted again.

The barn wall was slatted, with tiny air gaps between wooden boards. I thought I saw movement on the other side. A person?

The noise of the pigs died down and I heard it. A human scream.

I could see fingers now, between the slats, desperately tugging at them.

I put my face close to the barn wall. ‘Who is it? Who’s in there?’

‘It’s Bex! Help me!’

Bex? Was I imagining things? It couldn’t be Bex. She refused to come anywhere near Gritton. I put my head to the barn wall, trying to hear over the crackle and roar of the fire. ‘Is that you, Bex?’ I yelled.

‘Yes! Help me! I can’t get to the door. The fire’s taken hold at that end.’

‘Shit,’ Jai said. ‘I think Kirsty’s right. If we open the door at the end of the barn, it’ll make it worse.’

I pressed my face up to the slats and shouted, ‘Can you keep away from the fire? Are you okay?’

Kirsty came running up behind us.

‘Bex is in there!’ I screamed.

Kirsty shook her head. ‘No. Bex isn’t here. She doesn’t come to Gritton.’

Was I going mad? Had I been hearing things? But no, she was in there. ‘She’s in the barn! We have to get her out.’ I shouted through the slats again. ‘Bex! Are you okay?’

Bex’s voice was faint. ‘The fire’s coming closer.’