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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

If Tony had known Bex was pregnant, I wondered why he denied that she’d had a baby when we first came asking about Violet.

Tony took a deep breath. ‘I never meant … I never meant for things to work out the way they did. Please let me make it up to you. Let me take care of you. I always loved you. Everything I did, I thought I was doing it for the best.’

Clearly Tony knew a lot more than he’d let on. And that made me wonder if he knew who Violet’s father was. Did he know the identity of the boy? The boy they called the Pale Child.

My phone rang in my pocket. I fished it out and answered. It was Fiona.

‘They found bones in the woods,’ she said. ‘Where the cross and the RIP were marked on that map. And Daniel Twigg has been found too.’

48

Bex – May 2000

Bex lay on the narrow bed in her cramped room, savouring the moment with her baby. But not holding her. That would make it too hard.

A shadow fell over her. Aunt Janet stood in the doorway, her expression sympathetic yet determined, her bulk blocking all exit-points. ‘It’s time,’ she said. ‘I need to take her now.’

The baby was in a crib by the bed. Bex had a crazy thought that she could grab her and together they could jump out of the window. She could make a run for it over her aunt’s lawn, trampling the borders and crashing through the privet hedge.

But that would be ridiculous.

‘Maybe I could manage,’ she said softly.

‘We’ve talked about this,’ Janet said, ‘and you decided to have her adopted.’

Bex said nothing. There was nothing to say. She looked at the crib. The baby’s eyes were closed and she seemed to give a little smile, even though Bex knew babies weren’t supposed to smile so soon. She reached across and touched the tiny fingers.

‘Come on,’ Aunt Janet said. ‘Don’t be silly.’

‘But maybe my sister could help?’

‘No, Bex.’ Janet was very still. ‘Not your sister. I’ll take her now. It’s for the best.’

Bex looked down at the baby one last time. ‘Wait a minute.’ She fished her brooch out of her pocket. The christening brooch of a pelican digging her beak into her own chest, making herself bleed to feed her young. Bex was doing the same. By giving her baby up, she felt like she was gouging her heart out.

She pinned the brooch to the baby’s clothes, lifted her from the crib and gently passed her to her aunt.

49

Meg – Present day

Friday