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Back Day of the Accident
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. What readers are saying about
  5. Epigraph
  6. Prologue
  7. Part One
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. Part Two
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. Part Three
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. 55
  65. 56
  66. 57
  67. 58
  68. Epilogue
  69. Acknowledgements
  70. THE NEXT THRILLER BY NUALA ELLWOOD
  71. THE BEGINNING

Dear Mummy,

I’m so scared. I don’t know why I have been sent away. Did I do something wrong? If I was naughty then I can make up for it. I promise I won’t be naughty again. This place is very cold and dark. The walls are bare and white and nobody smiles. I miss my old room. I miss the smell of the countryside. All I see when I look out of the window is concrete and glass. It’s like a prison. When can I come home? They have told me that you and Daddy are not coming back but that can’t be true, you love me more than anything in this world, I know you do. I think about you all the time and wonder what you are doing. There are some books here. They’re old and the pages are ripped but I don’t want to read them anyway because stories and books just remind me of you and then I get upset. Mummy you can’t forget about me, even if you’re angry with me I’m still your daughter.

Please don’t leave me here. I need to be with you.

I promise I’ll be a good girl and I won’t make you cross.

I love you Mummy and I just want to come home.

Your lovely daughter xxx

6

Saturday 22 July

It’s Christmas morning. I’m sitting on the sofa, knees tucked underneath me, watching as Elspeth opens her presents. The living room is a sea of brightly coloured wrapping paper and ribbon. It’s her second Christmas, and her little face is beaming with happiness. The toy drum we bought her lies discarded on the floor. She’s more interested in the glittery box which she has placed on her head.

‘Hat,’ she says, looking up at me. ‘Baba got hat.’

‘Yes,’ I say, my heart surging. ‘And it’s a very lovely hat.’

‘Is it too early for one of these?’

I look up. Sean is standing in the doorway holding a box of mince pies. He’s wearing a Santa hat and a bright red Christmas jumper. He looks so silly I can’t help but burst out laughing. When Elspeth sees me she starts laughing too.

‘Daddy silly,’ she says, clapping her hands.

‘What did you say?’ cries Sean, sticking his bottom lip out. ‘Did you say your daddy was silly? Why, I’m going to gobble you up for breakfast.’

He lifts Elspeth up from the paper-strewn floor and blows a raspberry on her tummy. She beams with delight.

‘Again, again,’ she cries.

I watch as the two of them play. My family, my beautiful family, warm and cosy and happy all under one roof. And then something happens. The room seems to fold in on itself. I can still hear Elspeth and Sean laughing but I can’t see them any more.