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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 woman behind the counter was speaking to a young colleague who looked nervous and new. She was concentrating hard on the screen in front of her. The older receptionist caught his eye and smiled, but continued to speak to the new girl. Jameson didn’t have time for this.

‘Sorry to interrupt,’ he said, ‘but I have an urgent matter. Can you tell me which is the tallest of these car parks: Wellington Street, The Light or Sovereign Square?’

‘Well, The Light is underground,’ she said. ‘I’m not familiar with Wellington Street, but Sovereign Square is a high-rise.’

‘I saw someone jump from the car park next to the market once. They were totally dead,’ said the new receptionist. Her colleague glared at the young girl. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked away.

‘Which car park was that? A Q-Park?’ Jameson asked.

Both women looked at him curiously.

‘Is someone jumping?’ said the girl.

‘The market car park isn’t a Q-Park, as far as I’m aware,’ said the older receptionist. ‘Sovereign Square is the closest. It’s just around the corner.’

‘How long to walk?’

‘A couple of minutes, tops. You can see it from the door.’

‘And what about St John’s?’

‘That’s further away. Ten minutes … maybe more?’

Would they choose a place that he couldn’t get to within their time limit? Of course they would. Catch a cab, man, he thought. ‘But Sovereign Square is higher?’

Jameson’s phone rang. Bloom.

‘Good news,’ she said as he answered.

‘Whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it. Did you see the WhatsApp? They’re threatening to throw Sarah off a car park in just over five minutes.’

The two women behind reception looked at each other, one shocked, the other excited.

‘I’ve been on the phone to Jane. Wait.’

‘Jane? Is she OK?’

There was no answer. Bloom was checking her messages. ‘I see,’ she said, when she came back on the line. ‘What’s the plan?’

‘Is Jane OK?’

‘She’s with Thomas Lake. She’s fine.’

How the hell …? Jameson forced the thought aside. He didn’t have time to dwell on that right now. The psychos had been true to their word: Jane had been returned.

But that news only made Sarah’s situation worse.