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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

Fiona said, ‘The hair was shaved off, not pulled out.’

‘Someone shaved her hair off? Are we sure it’s her blood and hair?’

‘Should have confirmation soon.’

Jai grimaced. ‘The pigs didn’t finish their breakfast, did they?’

‘We need to know if it’s Violet’s blood in the trough,’ I said. ‘Get that sorted urgently, even if someone has to drive down to the fast-track lab in Oxford.’

‘No problem,’ Fiona said.

Jai was shaking his head and blinking. ‘They shaved her hair off,’ he said.

‘There’s another thing,’ Fiona said. ‘A comment’s appeared on the Animal Vigilantes Facebook page. It says, If you eat pigs, why shouldn’t they eat you?’

15

Bex – August 1999

‘You’ve never seen the drowned village, have you, Bex?’ Kirsty’s voice sang out and bounced down the rocky hillside towards the reservoir. The sky was a dazzling blue, the air thick and warm in the valley.

‘It’s normally underwater,’ Daniel said. ‘It’s rare to see any of it.’

Ahead of them were Gary and Anna, whose parents owned the abattoir in Gritton. Bex had been in the village a fortnight and had seen Anna most days. At least she was ticking one thing off her list, because Anna was starting to feel like a friend. It wasn’t so easy with her dad or Kirsty. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shift the invisible barrier between them. She still felt like an interloper.

They were nearing the path which led onto the flats that were submerged when the reservoir was full. Gary turned and shouted, ‘Hurry up!’ Bex had to admit he was easy on the eye, but she wasn’t sure she’d trust him.

‘I’ve got a blister,’ Bex said. ‘Stupid sandals. You go on ahead. I’ll catch up.’

‘I’ll walk with you.’ Daniel gave a soft smile. ‘There’s no hurry.’

Kirsty laughed. ‘Okay, I’ll leave you two to get to know each other better.’ And she scampered off down the path ahead of them.

Bex felt awkward suddenly, as if something was going on that she didn’t understand. Daniel asked the questions others didn’t. He looked at you like he could see through your skin to the bones of you. Bex wasn’t used to being looked at like that, and she wasn’t sure if she liked it or it scared her.

‘Dad didn’t want us to come down here,’ she said, for want of anything better. ‘I don’t know why.’

‘Does he remember the village being drowned?’ Daniel said.

‘No, he wasn’t even born. But I suppose his parents must have talked about it. About losing their home to the waters. Such a weird thing to happen.’

They were nearing the edge of the reservoir, or at least where the edge usually was. ‘Here are the gateposts for the road to nowhere,’ Daniel said.