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Back Cut to the Bone
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

‘Yes. I wasn’t expecting you to come along. I only expected to show Anna. That was quite fortuitous.’ Her lips curled into a slow, predatory smile. ‘You’ve hit the jackpot here, DI Dalton. I’m only telling you these things because I have no intention of living like this. Being a cripple really isn’t my style.’

I winced inwardly, but I wanted her to carry on. ‘Do you have evidence that anyone in particular in Gritton knew what your father was doing?’

‘Not the kind of evidence you want. But they had a good idea. And they chose to let it happen. They chose to carry on accepting his money, letting him create the perfect village for them. Lovely parks and playgrounds – a library, for goodness’ sake – in a tiny village like that. Even the abattoir was the best in the country. All down to his money. They chose it. What a clever myth my father created. If you see her, turn away! Don’t let her see your face! People in the village already talked about the Pale Child. I’d had some fun telling Bex and Tim stories about her when they were young. Poor Tim was a little scared, I’m afraid. But my father changed the story to suit his needs. Clever. A few lives were sacrificed for the good of the many. Isn’t that what happens in society?’

‘Did you sacrifice Gary Finchley’s life for the good of the many? And how about Daniel Twigg’s?’

‘Are you allowed to do this, Detective?’

‘You don’t have to tell me anything. You can ask me to leave at any time.’ If she was as bored as I suspected, she’d not want me to go.

She paused as if weighing me up. ‘What I can tell you is that Gary Finchley was not a nice man. I didn’t mean to kill him initially, but the stupid man tried to blackmail my father after he saw him at the abattoir. It’s not a good idea to blackmail people like us. No, he was asking for it. And he trusted Daniel, so when he got a text from Daniel saying to meet him in the woods, he wasn’t concerned. And it’s surprisingly easy to kill someone with a heavy rock. I thought the pig’s head mask was a nice touch though, didn’t you?’

I didn’t respond to that.

‘As for Daniel Twigg – he got what he deserved for killing Lucas,’ Kirsty said. ‘I know he didn’t mean to and it was a long time ago, but he’d been living on borrowed time ever since. So yes, I was fine about sacrificing him too.’

I started to speak and then realised there was no point. I’d felt more for Daniel in the few days I’d known him than she’d felt for anyone in her whole life.