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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

‘Which is why I’m still sitting here,’ she replied.

‘And you called me by my full name – so I’ve been identified too?’

‘Which is why you are here too, Stuart. It seemed illogical to put the others at risk of exposure.’

‘I’m afraid it gets worse than that,’ said Bloom. ‘You see, as part of our investigation we met a talented young police officer with impressive social media skills. By the time the police arrive, who you really are and the details of your game will be trending across the country, if not the globe.’

Jameson winked at Bloom, then said to Seraphine, ‘Not nice, is it? When someone makes a fool of you.’

Seraphine held on to the seat of her chair as if overtaken by a wave of dizziness, then she blinked a couple of times. ‘I know you think you know better than me, Marcus, but think about it.’ She took an unsteady breath. She was struggling to maintain eye contact. ‘Augusta did exactly what I would have done. She played the game. It just so happens she was a move or two ahead of me this time.’

‘So because she beat you, she must be like you?’

‘To do what she did, she had to know who I was before she came in this room. But she didn’t warn you, did she? She never gave you the chance to get away … and she could have. She could have texted or called you … but she chose not to. Because she needed you here to make this little scene work, to make me think I had the upper hand. So …’ She coughed and took a deep wheezing breath.

‘So you would talk,’ he finished her sentence. He looked at Bloom. Seraphine had a point. His partner could have warned him, could have included him, and her decision not to had almost cost him his life.

‘If that’s not a psychopathic thing to do …’ Seraphine looked at Bloom. Her voice was getting weaker with every word. ‘I could have made your life so much better.’

‘My life is just fine, thank you.’

Seraphine nodded. ‘Go, Stuart.’

The guy turned to leave, but Jameson blocked his exit. ‘Oh, I don’t think so, psycho.’ He wasn’t sure he could overpower Rose-Butler with a broken elbow, but he sure would enjoy trying.

68

Seraphine’s hands held the chair beneath her as she swayed from side to side. The drug in that vial had been intended for a vein but it had landed in her muscle. Bloom knew this would slow its progress.

Stuart tried to sidestep Jameson. Jameson blocked him and delivered a single punch to Stuart’s stomach. He fell to his knees.