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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 looked into my tea and didn’t comment.

Jai coughed. ‘When are you leaving for El Salvador, Mrs Dalton?’

‘Jesus, Jai,’ I said. ‘Stop calling her Mrs Dalton. You sound like you’re trying to sell her double glazing.’

‘Day after tomorrow. I’m so disorganised.’ That was not true. Everywhere I looked, there was a list on the back of an envelope, or a pile of neatly categorised stuff. ‘But we don’t need to talk about me. I want to talk about Meg.’ She reached and touched my hand. Jai smirked. ‘I mean, goodness me, you saved those poor women. I’m so proud of you.’

I felt like crying. I’d been pretending I was okay, but it had all been so hard. The Violet case, the abuse directed at me, and then the stuff with Dad. I swallowed, unable to talk.

‘I think you’re exhausted,’ Mum said. ‘After this, go home and go to bed. But I hope you’ve given yourself a pat on the back. Has she, Jai?’

‘I hope so too. She had a visit from the chief constable.’

‘Gosh, that’s nice. Good. She works so very hard.’

‘I am here, you know.’ I gripped my tea mug so tight I felt like it might smash into pieces.

Mum put her serious face on. ‘Are you okay though?’

‘I am, Mum. Justice for Violet have self-destructed in a puff of being totally bloody wrong about everything, the Animal Vigilantes have calmed the hell down, Bex and Violet are making sure Nina and Sofia are looked after. And Dad’s sodded off back to Scotland in a cloud of shame. What’s not to like? We’ve even managed to arrest most of the animal killers and the bastard who threatened Hamlet.’

‘Well, that’s excellent. I’m glad. I just need to say one more thing to you.’

‘Oh God.’ I half laughed, so as not to cry. ‘Am I going to be told off?’

‘About your father.’

I looked into my mug. Jai’s presence beside me felt good. Reassuring. I wondered if I’d made the wrong decision.

‘He did try to con me out of money too,’ Mum said, ‘but I was more cynical than you. You managed to cancel that cheque?’

I took a breath and looked up. ‘Yes. It’s all cancelled. Although I’m not sure my neighbours have forgiven me for his wounded-buffalo bellowing when he realised I’d locked him out and chucked his clothes out of the front window. Their Great Dane can be a bit excitable.’ It still made me feel queasy what I’d done to Dad, even though he was a bastard of the highest order.