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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

‘So what’s this case you’re working on?’ Jameson asked, holding open the door for Sarah and DCI Beardsley.

Beardsley, he thought as the guy passed him. Why was that familiar?

‘I’ll fill you in when we get there, mate.’

Mate. There was a Liverpudlian undertone to his accent.

That was it. DCI Beardsley was the police officer in Liverpool who’d received a birthday card. He was one of them.

‘Sarah?’ Jameson held out his hand to her and she turned, confused by his tone. ‘Come back inside.’ At least there were witnesses in the pub.

Beardsley reacted quickly to Jameson’s tone, reaching inside his jacket for a Taser gun and aiming it at Sarah.

‘You’re a man of the world, Jameson. You know what this is and what it will do to your little girlfriend here if I pull the trigger. Now, you wouldn’t want that, would you?’ Beardsley’s smile failed to touch his eyes. ‘On the other hand, if you’re not bothered, I’m sure I’ll enjoy seeing her pretty body writhing on the floor. Your call.’

Jameson couldn’t disarm the guy. But it would be madness to go anywhere with the psycho.

‘And if you’re considering any heroics, bear in mind that if this lovely lady has a heart condition, this thing will kill her.’

Jameson tried to read Sarah’s eyes, tried to get her permission. They couldn’t comply with these fruitcakes. Fighting back was the only option. But Sarah’s gaze gave nothing away.

And then Beardsley said something that changed everything.

‘We better get a move on. Dr Bloom is waiting for us.’

65

Bloom sat in a wooden chair. Her wrists were bound with a rope that was stretched in a taut line, binding her ankles too. Her feet were pinned together and her hands drawn flat on her lap. There were two other wooden chairs facing her, rope slung over their backs, and, surrounding this trio, six quite different chairs were set in a circle, with wide-cushioned seats upholstered in purple velvet. They were empty. Bloom was alone.