BooksBarbecue
Back Gone Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. Acknowledgements
  75. Reading Group Questions
  76. Read More
  77. I

After a few seconds, she cursed under her breath and then said, ‘Caroline, it’s Augusta. I think we have a situation at South Milford station.’ She checked her watch. ‘It’s three thirty-five. Call me as soon as you can.’ She ended the call and handed the phone to Jameson. ‘Go on to the Trainline website. I need to know when the next express train from Leeds to Hull passes through South Milford.’ She put the car in gear and pulled out on to the road again.

Jameson did as instructed. ‘Augusta? What’s going on? Where’s this South Milford?’

Were there tears in Bloom’s eyes? He’d never seen that before.

‘Augusta?’

‘It’s the place where my life fell apart.’

45

Jameson had questions – of course he did – but he knew better than to quiz Bloom now. Her demeanour told him that this was serious. He typed ‘Leeds to Hull’ into the journey planner and then looked through the calling points for each service until he found South Milford. ‘We have a 15.52 train leaving Leeds and calling at South Milford at 16.15.’

Bloom shook her head. ‘Not the trains that stop there. We need the express trains that go straight through.’

Jameson looked up. ‘You mean …?’

Bloom checked her mirrors and pulled out to overtake the transit van in front. ‘I mean a train you can jump in front of.’

‘Shit. What do you …? Who …?’ He didn’t need to finish that question. ‘Lana,’ he said under his breath. ‘Right, there’s a train that left Leeds at 15.38 and gets to Selby at 15.58 with only one stop.’

‘South Milford is just under ten minutes from Selby.’

Jameson looked at his watch: 15.42. ‘That’s six minutes.’

Bloom nodded once. ‘Call 999.’

He did as requested. Bloom stopped in front of a gate to a field and took the phone from him.

‘This is Dr Augusta Bloom. I’m a psychologist and have it on good authority that someone is going to jump in front of a train at South Milford station this afternoon. The next express travels through in five or six minutes.’ Bloom listened. ‘A sixteen-year-old girl called Jane Reid and her mother Lana Reid.’ She listened again. ‘Maybe just one of them, maybe both. I don’t know. And no, I don’t know which train. I simply received a message that leads me to believe that is their intention. I’m twenty minutes away.’ Bloom listened once more, then gave her contact details. ‘If you speak to Inspector Caroline Watkins at Weetwood station, she’s aware of the situation.’ Bloom thanked the operator and hung up. ‘She’s dispatched a car to South Milford.’

‘Will they make it before the train?’

Bloom pulled out on to the road. ‘She seemed to think so.’