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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

‘If this had gone to plan and you’d given him that ketamine, what then?’ Bloom asked. ‘Would you have labelled him a failed game-player and sent him off to God knows where? You certainly wouldn’t have let him go, so don’t even think about claiming you would have done right by him.’ She thought about Lana and Grayson. Geoff Taylor hadn’t made it to Peterborough police station in time to collect his son, despite DS Green’s best efforts. The officer in charge had released Grayson on bail, and he’d walked out of the station and hadn’t been seen since. As for Lana, Jane had confirmed that the necklace Jameson found was the one she’d given to her mother. But as yet, she remained missing.

‘Gosh, Augusta. So much anger. Where is this coming from?’

‘What. Do. You. Want. Seraphine?’

‘You can’t stop us, you know.’

Bloom sat back in her chair. She knew Seraphine was right. The psychopaths would learn from their mistakes, regroup and re-launch. ‘Seraphine, you messed up. You had all that power, and you lost it all because you wanted to show off to me. Was it worth it? Because I’m not even impressed. I’m actually appalled that you would let your own kind be so callously lured in and manipulated. And you don’t even know what happens to them. You wanted me to see what you had learned, how you’d grown and excelled, but you’re still that naive little girl unable to grasp the consequences of her actions. You have no empathy, Seraphine, and it makes you stupid.’

Seraphine stood. The anger in her eyes disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. ‘I thought you were the one person who understood me.’

‘I am, Seraphine. You’re just not listening, and I don’t think you ever were.’

Seraphine looked out across the square at the ordinary people going about their day: walking their dogs, commuting to work, checking their phones. ‘There are some people in the world that you really shouldn’t mess with.’ She met Bloom’s gaze. ‘And I am one of them.’

For a moment or two they watched each other in silence, and then Seraphine smiled the sweetest of smiles. ‘It has been so lovely to see you after all these years, Augusta. Let’s keep in touch.’

And then she was gone.

Acknowledgements

The journey to publication has been a long process of trial and error during which my lovely family and friends have been called upon to read and comment on numerous stories. I am hugely grateful for their constructive criticism and encouragement. They have taught me plenty, and always cheered me on. Thanks to Liz, Jo and Richard, Barbara and Malcolm Rigby, Catherine Meardon, David Rigby, Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, Dominic Gateley, Kathryn Scott, Nicola Eastwood and, of course, my parents Norman and Jillian. Without you I would never have made it this far.