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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

She placed an arm around Jane’s shoulders. ‘Come on into the kitchen. Let’s get you a warm drink.’

Jane shrugged her away. ‘No. Not until you tell me where she is.’

Jane had lost her temper on Saturday morning and Lana had lashed out and hit her. After that, things changed quickly. Jane knew that her mother could turn her anger on and off, but when she returned to Jane’s attic room that evening, something was different. Jane expected her mum to lose it again when she discovered she’d left her phone behind, but she just put it in her pocket without a word. And then on Sunday, her mum told her the same story three times. Something about a bridge and a motorbike. It didn’t make sense. And then she’d gone on and on about how much she hated Marcus. Jane worried that her mum was having some sort of breakdown.

‘Jane, do you know who I am?’ said the man. ‘My name is Thomas Lake. I was married to Lana … to your mum … sixteen years ago.’

Jane felt the ground shift beneath her feet. That was impossible. Her mother had never been married. And sixteen years ago her mum would have been living in London with Jane’s druggie dad. Jane studied Thomas Lake. He looked athletic and healthy, like some of her friends’ dads: men with jobs in the City who spent their weekends cycling and camping with their families.

‘Mum was never married,’ she said, but her words didn’t sound convincing, not even to her. Her mum’s career had been a lie, so how could she be sure of anything?

‘Come to the kitchen. I’ll explain everything, I promise. I just need to make a very quick call.’ Lake held an arm out to direct her to the back of the house. ‘And Jane, you’re safe here. Suzanne and I will take care of you.’

59

Bloom still sat in her mother’s attic with her papers on Seraphine spread around her. Jameson’s reaction had been as expected. But if she was right and Seraphine really was behind this, she felt sure that the situation was salvageable. This had been a test for Bloom, not a punishment for Jameson.

Her phone rang; it was forever ringing. She didn’t recognize the number.

‘Dr Bloom,’ she said.

‘This is Thomas Lake,’ said the caller. He dropped his volume. ‘I’m Lana’s ex-husband.’

Bloom closed her eyes. He wanted an update on Jane; she couldn’t tell him anything. Not yet. ‘Hello, Mr Lake,’ she replied. ‘I’m afraid I have no news about Jane.’

‘She’s here,’ he said, in the same whispered voice.

‘She’s what?’ This didn’t make sense. She’d been released already? ‘With you? Where?’

‘At my house. She arrived five minutes ago.’

‘And is she OK?’