BooksBarbecue
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

‘Most missing teenagers turn up,’ I said, not believing my own propaganda. This was so far from a typical missing teenager.

‘She’s the opposite to me,’ Bex said. ‘I would never have believed she could be mine. Maybe I would have been like that too, if … if my life had been different. I’m glad she has good parents.’ It hollowed me out inside, the way this woman felt about herself. The way she’d assumed Violet couldn’t be hers because Violet was confident and sparkly and full of life.

‘Bex,’ I said. ‘We need to know who the father of your baby was.’

She wiped her palms on her trousers. Took a few juddery breaths. ‘I’m sorry but I don’t know.’

My hope of turning up useful information sank a few notches.

‘Tell us what you do know,’ I said.

She paused. ‘It sounds bad …’

‘It’s fine. Nobody’s judging you.’ I regretted that as soon as it was out of my mouth. Might as well scream, We’re all judging you. I settled back in my chair and hoped I hadn’t put her off.

‘It happened in Gritton.’ She leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, searching for the memory. A tiny wince as she found it. ‘I’d been to stay for a month with my dad, the first time I’d been back there since he sent me to live with my aunt when I was three. Anyway, it was my last night. I got drunk. Very drunk. I wasn’t used to it. And … and stoned. Sorry. The others went off because I thought I saw someone in the trees. And I …’ A twinge of embarrassment crossed her face. ‘I passed out and when they got back it must have already happened. I’m sorry, but that’s all I know.’

I spoke gently: ‘You must have been raped, you mean?’

She nodded. ‘It’s awful, not remembering.’

‘Who was there that night?’

‘My sister, Kirsty, and her boyfriend, Lucas. My friend Anna and her brother, Gary. And Daniel who was a friend of Gary’s.’

Jai tensed beside me. Gary, Anna and Daniel had all been there. I’d known Gary had been shifty at the mention of Bex. Pretending he barely knew her. Could he have raped her? Could he be Violet’s father?

‘So you were raped by Daniel, Gary or Lucas?’ I prompted.

‘It wasn’t Lucas. He stayed with Kirsty and there’s no way … Oh, I don’t know, take it from me – no boyfriend of Kirsty’s would’ve dared have anything to do with another girl, let alone … that.’

‘Did you go to the police?’