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

‘I’m going to call Marcus. He’ll want to know that you’re safe. We’ve all been so worried about you. He or Claire will come and get you soon. But, in the meantime, talk to Thomas. Get to know him.’

‘And my mum?’

‘I’m not sure yet, Jane. When did you last see her?’

‘She left me with a woman called Denise two days ago.’

‘What was Denise like?’

‘Sort of plump, with short dark hair. I think she was mixed race.’

Not Seraphine. She’d been very fair. ‘Anyone else?’

‘There was a man at the house one day. Mum brought him to the attic. I don’t know why. He didn’t speak to me. He just looked around the room, nodded at Mum and then left.’

‘Did you get his name?’

‘No. But he was skinny and sort of creepy. Denise said that if I came here, I’d see Mum again. She’ll be OK now, won’t she?’

Bloom wasn’t surprised by Jane’s concern for Lana. She knew as well as anyone that your mum is always your mum, no matter how flawed she might be. Jane had never known any parent other than Lana – she might have been inadequate and irresponsible, but she’d been the only constant in Jane’s life.

‘She’s with these people voluntarily, so yes, I hope she’ll be OK.’

60

Blocked

Mr Jameson. Your colleague Dr Bloom has played well. But how might you fare, I wonder?

3:30pm

Half an hour had passed and Jameson was still sitting against the wall of the hotel corridor. The phone buzzed again in his hand.

Blocked

As a man of action I expect you’ll prefer a physical challenge to a mental one. In ten minutes the lovely Sarah will be taking a closer than usual look at the view from the top of the Q-Park multi-storey. Can you get there in time, I wonder?

3:31pm

Oh, and for every police officer you approach for help, I shall deduct five.

3:31pm

Jameson stood in one smooth motion, his migraine a fading memory. He so wanted this to be over, but it was only just beginning. He walked past Sarah’s room and away from the police officers. He needed to find Sarah. He called Bloom’s phone, but the line was engaged. He swore under his breath and googled Q-Park Leeds. Five bloody car parks. Of course there were. As the lift descended, he checked the capacity of each. Something told him to find the tallest. Two had a capacity of only 250 cars, so he focused on the other three. Wellington Street and The Light each had a 400-car capacity and Sovereign Square could hold 500 cars. He set the timer on his phone for eight minutes. Then he walked to the reception desk.