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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 couldn’t respond to that. ‘And we know Kirsty found out what you’d done, the first time Ivan escaped.’

Tony hesitated. ‘I trusted Nina. But she orchestrated it, I’m sure. I felt very betrayed by that. Luckily, Kirsty found him. Kirsty could see the benefit in our … situation.’

‘But Daniel’s brother, Charlie, saw Ivan in the woods,’ I said. ‘So Kirsty put Charlie down the spillway in the reservoir.’

Tony looked at his hands again, fingers squirming in his lap. ‘I’m sure she didn’t do that.’

‘And then a few years later Ivan escaped again. The night of the barbecue. And things got very nasty.’

‘I feel bad about that. After that I introduced much better security. I couldn’t risk anything like that happening again.’

‘Ivan raped Bex? And then Lucas killed him?’

‘I didn’t know Bex had the child. I told her not to, again and again. Beseeched her not to. But she didn’t listen. Kirsty and I did everything to stop her having that baby.’

‘So she had the child of an incestuous rape.’

‘But Violet’s fine, isn’t she? Very beautiful, in fact. When in-breeding works well, it can work very well. Ask anyone who deals with animal stock.’

‘Right.’ I sat back, repulsed by him. ‘You’re admitting to imprisoning your wife and children for thirty years, kidnapping and imprisoning Violet Armstrong, and conspiring to murder Gary Finchley and Daniel Twigg?’

‘I’m not fighting. I know I’m going to prison for a long time. I suppose I deserve it.’

57

I sat on the hospital chair and focused on my breath. The unique smell still made my heart beat faster and my muscles tense. Sent me spiralling back to the day they’d diagnosed Carrie. I closed my eyes and let myself remember. The undercurrent of my parents’ hushed conversations that felt like it could throw me across the room. The numbness in my head that spun into disbelief and then horror, getting stronger and stronger until I knew in my bones that nothing would ever be the same again. I let the feeling sweep through me and then fade.

‘Well, if it isn’t Dr Dolittle.’

I flipped open my eyes. Kirsty was attached to drips and monitors – stable, but I’d been instructed by a stern-faced nurse not to upset her. The white sheet was flat where her legs should have been. Sepsis had taken hold and they’d had no option but to amputate. We probably didn’t need the cops who were guarding her room.

‘I’ve been catching up on the news,’ she said. ‘You’re quite the hero. But my father did an impressive job on your face.’