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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

The barman came over. ‘Can I get you guys something?’

‘We’re just waiting for some colleagues,’ said Bloom.

‘Can I get you something while you wait? We do coffee as well as cold drinks.’

‘We’ll tell you when we want a drink,’ said Jameson.

The barman shrank at Jameson’s tone, but continued to smile. Here was a man used to dealing with dismissive comments from people who thought they were more important.

‘Thank you,’ said Bloom. The barman walked back down the bar as her phone vibrated again.

Blocked

Choose and you’ll find out.

1:36pm

‘You can’t choose,’ Jameson said.

Bloom thought about that. Could she do nothing? Let them choose? She could see Jameson fighting to keep a lid on his temper. ‘What if they keep them both?’ she asked.

‘They can’t make you choose. You can’t choose. You wouldn’t be able to live with it.’

He was right. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something happened to either Jane or Sarah. Which was the point of the challenge.

‘Wait,’ she said. She scanned back through the WhatsApp messages, reading each one carefully, then typed a quick response.

Bloom

How long do I have to decide?

1:39pm

‘That’s him!’ Jameson pointed towards a man walking past outside and then sprinted to the door and out into the street without glancing back.

Bloom’s phone beeped and she checked the response.

Blocked

Until 3pm.

1:40pm

53

Lunchtime pedestrians filled the pavement outside Browns. Jameson craned his neck as he rushed along, trying to find Stuart Rose-Butler. He was half a block away, strolling casually. Jameson reached him in a matter of seconds and slammed him into the wall. Rose-Butler barely reacted.

‘Where is she? Where’s Sarah?’ His hand was around Rose-Butler’s throat. Most pedestrians sped up to avoid the drama, but a few slowed to watch.

‘I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.’ Rose-Butler’s crisp accent bore the clear marks of a public-school education.

‘Don’t fuck with me, Stuart. I know who you are. I saw you in the hotel.’

A smug smile crossed Rose-Butler’s face. He moved his head from side to side against the pressure of Jameson’s hand. ‘I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m not Stuart,’ he lied. ‘And I have no idea who Sarah is.’

Jameson tightened his grip around the creep’s throat. ‘Are you denying you were in the lobby of the Malmaison this morning? Because I saw you. You were watching us.’

‘Let me breathe.’

Jameson released his hold slightly, then continued: ‘Were you in the Malmaison this morning? Were you watching us?’

Rose-Butler held his hands up and spoke calmly. ‘Yes. I was in the Malmaison this morning. I had a meeting there. But I wasn’t watching you. I don’t even know you.’

‘Liar!’