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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

I picked up the coat and threw it close to Tony’s discarded one. The pig was now totally focused on it. She knew it was the answer to getting food. She touched it, bit it, then pulled at it. She dragged it towards me. I could feel the excitement rising. For the first time, it occurred to me that this might actually work.

I threw the food nearer to Tony’s coat. We were getting there, but it was taking too long. The carbon monoxide was flowing into the room below. I tried to slow my breathing. To stay calm.

The pig reached for her food and in doing so noticed Tony’s coat. She froze. Confusion. Which coat should she focus on? She stood still. Thinking. She was going to panic.

‘I think it’s the blood,’ I said. ‘Your dad’s coat’s soaked in it. She’s just standing there.’

‘What’s happening?’ I could hear the anxiety in Bex’s voice.

Then I heard someone moving outside the barn.

55

‘Bex, are you okay?’ I called. ‘Are you still okay?’

Bex was losing some of her calm composure. ‘We’ll be fine. You have to keep going, Meg. All you can do is keep going.’

The pig twitched one ear towards Tony’s blood-soaked coat. We were back on. My breath was coming fast and my heart pounding. I rewarded every tiny step the pig made. When she swivelled one eye towards the coat. When she twitched her nose at it. When she took a tentative step towards it.

In the background was the gentle hiss of the carbon monoxide being released into the sealed room below me.

The pig made a sharp movement and I clicked too soon. She hadn’t been going for the coat.

The pig froze. Gave me a look as if to say, You’re the worst trainer ever, but I think I’ve got it. Then she very deliberately leaned forward and bit Tony’s coat. I felt like screaming, but I calmly clicked and threw a big handful of food at her.

‘She bit your dad’s coat,’ I said.

There was no reply. The pig munched on the pellets.

I heard another noise outside the barn.

‘Shit,’ I said. ‘I think he’s coming back.’

I tried to control my breathing, keeping calm for the pig. She needed me to watch her every muscle twitch. My timing had to be perfect.

The pig snuffled into the coat, not biting at it but getting her face deep into its folds. I took a chance. Didn’t click. The pig gave me a slightly pissed-off look and pawed at the coat. Oh God, another behaviour I didn’t want. I didn’t click. Couldn’t speak. I tried not to listen to the sounds from outside the barn. To the hissing of the gas.