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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

‘Oh, Jane.’ He hugged her a little tighter. ‘There’s no news on your mum, good or bad, I’m afraid.’

‘So why did you need to speak to Claire alone?’

‘Look, sweetheart, you know Claire and Dan think of you as part of the family, as do I, so whatever happens you have a home.’

‘Answer my question. I want to know what’s happening. She’s my mum.’

Jameson took a deep breath. Jane had a right to know what they’d learned, but he would stick to the facts. ‘We found out that your mum isn’t employed by the Army and never has been.’ He paused to let that sink in.

After a few moments, Jane said, ‘So where’s our money been coming from?’

Jane was a practical girl. He had expected a torrent of denial. ‘We don’t know,’ he said.

Jane frowned. ‘Why would she lie?’

The million-dollar question. ‘We don’t know.’

‘What do you know?’

‘We know …’ Jameson hesitated. He chose his words carefully. ‘We know that Faye Graham is alive three months after her disappearance. So there’s a good chance your mum and the others are too.’

‘Someone killed her husband, though. I saw it on the news. How do you know he didn’t kill Faye too?’

‘We’re pretty sure Faye is still alive.’

‘How can you be? Is she home?’

‘I’m sorry, Jane. We’re working really hard and have a team of police officers helping us now. We’re going to do everything we can to find your mum, and in the meantime I’m trying to locate your father.’

Jane jumped down from the wall. ‘No!’ she said. ‘I don’t want you to! I don’t want him anywhere near me. And you said I’d always have a home here. I don’t want him in my life. I want my mum.’

‘OK, OK.’ Jameson held up his hands. ‘Don’t worry. I need to try and find him; I need to ask some questions about your mum’s past.’

Jane placed her hands over her mouth and her eyes widened. ‘You think it’s him, don’t you? You think he’s got her!’

‘No, Jane. We don’t. We don’t think that at all.’

Jane looked at him. ‘I don’t believe you. You’re lying.’

Jameson was hiding more than he was saying. He pushed himself off the wall and placed his hands on Jane’s shoulders. ‘You asked for our help, Jane, and we’re doing everything we can, but you’re going to have to trust me. Can you do that?’

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