BooksBarbecue
Back Gone
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

‘Did you think about helping him at the time?’

‘He didn’t deserve any help.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because he’s a pervert. A rapist.’ Seraphine couldn’t be sure, but she thought she detected the briefest of smiles on Dr Bloom’s lips.

12

Harry Graham’s Opticians was a stylish double-fronted shop in the Clifton area of Bristol. It looked more like a photographer’s studio – with its dove-grey window frames and thin white lettering – than a clinic.

Bloom and Jameson arrived just after five in the afternoon, as the dark-haired receptionist in red FCUK glasses was clearing up her desk. The inside was as stylish and minimalist as the exterior. Glasses were displayed like jewellery in cases that hung on the walls and fronted the receptionist’s counter. She called for her boss, who emerged from an office at the back of the store.

Harry Graham was a tall, slender man with fair hair and a soft West Country accent. ‘Come through,’ he said, checking his watch. ‘This won’t take long, will it? I have to pick up the children.’ As he led Bloom and Jameson into the spacious office at the back of the building, the phone on the desk rang. He held up his index finger apologetically and answered it. He had a brief, terse conversation about contact lens deliveries and then hung up abruptly. ‘Sorry about that,’ he said. ‘We appear to be having some supplier issues this week. That’s the third cock-up in as many days. I don’t know how these people run a business.’ He shook his head and let out a sigh. ‘Ever had one of those weeks?’

‘Frequently,’ said Bloom with a smile. ‘We’ll try not to take up too much of your time. We were hoping you could supply some more information about your wife, Faye. We’ve discovered a few other individuals who’ve gone missing under similar circumstances and we’re speaking to the families to see if there’s a link that might help us find out what’s happened to them.’

‘You said you were private investigators?’

Jameson answered, ‘Of a sort. We’re helping out because I know one of the families involved.’

‘What do you think’s happened to them?’ asked Harry.

‘Truthfully?’ said Bloom. ‘We don’t know. We don’t think this game that was mentioned in the birthday card is a marketing ploy; there are no gaming or tech companies taking responsibility. So we’re trying to find a link between the missing people. We’re hoping this will shed some light.’

Harry nodded. ‘Look. This is going to sound awful, but I’m going to be totally honest with you. I was relieved when Faye disappeared. We aren’t happy together. We haven’t been for years. We should have called it a day a long time ago, but the children are still so young, so you don’t, do you?’