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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

‘Do you really think snooping about in your friend’s life is a good idea?’

‘Lana’s not my friend. And we’d be helping a vulnerable teenager find her mother.’

‘An irresponsible mother who might well disappear on a whim again.’

Jameson rested his forearms on his lap and studied Bloom for a moment. ‘You were intrigued, though, weren’t you? I saw it on your face. Five people missing after receiving identical dares. It’s not just one flaky mum going rogue. It’s bigger than that.’

He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. And he was right: she was intrigued.

‘Speak to these other families,’ she said. ‘Make sure they’re not just telling Jane what she wants to hear. I’ll speak to Jane.’

‘And you’ll tell her we’ll help?’

‘No.’

‘Augusta—’

‘No, Marcus. Not yet. Not until we know if we can. We are not in the business of making false promises.’

6

Who the hell do they think they are? Pushing her around. Her! They should watch themselves. Idiots. Stupid idiots.

Seraphine paced the cold tiled floor of the police-station toilet. Yes, she had stabbed him in the neck with a pencil. Yes, she had pierced an artery. But the guy was a creepy shit. He deserved it.

But now that bitch of a policewoman wanted to know if Seraphine had aimed her weapon.

‘Do you know where the carotid artery is located?’ Seraphine mimicked PC Watkins’s high-pitched girly squeak. ‘Did you aim for the carotid artery? … Were you trying to kill Mr Shaw?’

‘Yes,’ she rehearsed, her voice a slow sing-song. ‘I know where the carotid artery is. I learned it in Biology.’ They were trying to catch her out. Did they think she was stupid? As if she would tell them the truth. Stupid, stupid idiots.

Seraphine squeezed a few tears out of the corners of her eyes. She stared at her reflection as she practised the words. ‘No, I didn’t intend to kill him … No, of course I didn’t intend to kill him.’ She remembered the break in Claudia’s voice when they had been confronted by Dreary Darren and tried adding it on the word kill. ‘No, I didn’t intend to kill him.’

Nailed it, she thought, heading back to the interview room before she forgot how to do it.

7

‘Hello?’ said Bloom, holding the phone to her cheek. She turned the kitchen radio down.

Jameson launched into the details without any traditional niceties.