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Chapters (62)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Book
  6. Dedication
  7. Your Worst Nightmare
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. The Answer to All Your Prayers
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. Somebody Else’s Child
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. Sunlight on Water
  60. July
  61. September
  62. Acknowledgements

‘We have no reason whatever at this stage to believe Evan is not very much alive and that is how we shall continue to investigate his abduction,’ says Campbell. ‘We fully anticipate that this afternoon’s reconstruction will bring in new information, and I have a team standing by to act on any verifiable leads to ensure he’s reunited with his family in the shortest possible timeframe.’

As Campbell’s speaking, Claire looks over at Vardy, and when she sees he isn’t pleased, the dawning realisation hurts. These people are not Claire’s allies and their interests do not align with hers and Matt’s. For them, it will be a better outcome if Evan’s dead; there is, after all, far more media mileage in a lonely woodland burial than a joyous welcome home. A murdered boy is a drama that can run and run: manhunt, arrest, court case, with countless cash-ins – books, biographies, documentaries – in the years to come.

What matters to these people is the story.

Campbell is summing up.

‘Thank you all for coming. There are handouts by the door. Any further questions, you’ll find contact details on there.’

Campbell and the PR people lead them out. Claire’s legs are unsteady, and she leans on Matt for support.

‘I think that went well,’ says Campbell, smiling at Claire.

As the door closes behind them, the LED lights go out.

For the reconstruction, they’ve brought in a boy from another school. His name is Nick, and from certain angles he looks disturbingly like Evan. Stewie’s finding the whole thing very strange, like a weird instance of déjà vu, but déjà vu’s what it’s all about. Nick’s there to prod people into remembering.

They’re ready to start, but they’re not starting from the beginning, not what Stewie thinks of as the beginning. Stewie thinks they should start with the lost boot, because that’s what made Evan miss the bus. But they say, What’s the point? There’s no one to remember that, except you two. We’ll take it from the moment you left the changing rooms.

So Stewie and Nick start at the changing-room door, and head down the corridor, past the trophy cabinets and the photographs of boys who are old men now. Nick’s talking about Man U, and Stewie decides he quite likes him. Then he feels guilty because it should be Evan he’s with, and he sends a mental apology for being disloyal.