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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

Bloom nodded. ‘They can’t control us through a network or an infrastructure as they can with the police. We’re independent and that makes us harder to pressurize. Which is why they’ll attack us personally … and those we care about.’

‘You mean Jane … or Claire?’ Jameson sounded worried.

Bloom nodded slowly. ‘And Sarah.’

‘But they don’t know about that.’

‘How do you know?’

Jameson’s phone beeped. Another message. He read it aloud.

Blocked

What would you gain? I’m disappointed that you haven’t worked this out for yourself, Dr Bloom. Do you really think it’s a coincidence that a family friend of Mr Jameson’s is one of our players? Lana Reid is not exactly the calibre we normally require, but I have persevered with her because she provides something I want.

5:30pm

‘What the hell?’ said Jameson.

Bloom grabbed her phone and typed a reply.

Bloom

Which is?

5.32pm

She had a horrible feeling she knew the answer, and when it came a second later, the knot in her stomach tightened.

Blocked

YOU.

5.33pm

51

Jameson was on the train from Harrogate to Leeds, sitting opposite a teenage boy with earrings that opened vast holes in his lobes. What did it look like when he took the earrings out? How would he secure a decent job with saggy lobes? Jameson felt tired and old. This boy’s generation would be different; their world would be full of saggy earlobes.

In Leeds, he followed the map on his phone past the queuing taxis towards Laynes Espresso on the opposite side of the road. The terracotta-coloured cafe reportedly sold some of the best coffee in Leeds. Jameson entered and scanned the small space. Sarah was sitting at a table for two.

‘I ordered you a latte,’ she said as the waitress delivered two coffees with perfect rosetta designs in the milk.

‘Are you here for work or family?’ said Jameson.

‘Neither.’

‘Oh?’

‘It sounded like my boyfriend needed me, so I came.’

Jameson tossed the word ‘boyfriend’ around his mind for a few seconds and decided he rather liked the sound of it. ‘Really? I assumed you’d be visiting family. Don’t they live nearby?’

Sarah shook her head and a strand of hair fell in front of her face. She pushed it behind her ear. ‘They’re way up in North Yorkshire. It’s the largest county, you know.’

‘I had heard that. You didn’t need to come up here for me, though.’ He absolutely didn’t mean it, but it felt like the right thing to say.

‘Don’t worry. I have a meeting with the Chief Executive of Leeds Hospital Trust later today.’

Jameson did his best to mask his disappointment. She was here, having coffee with him, resting her calf against his leg, and that was all that mattered. After spending a futile fourteen hours knocking on doors in Ilkley yesterday, this was exactly what he needed.