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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

March 27th

Dear Diary,

That bitch Claudia is going to regret messing with me. She won’t know what I’ve done – I’m too smart for that. But she’ll wish she’d stayed in her place.

She thought she could twist this to her advantage. She thought she could take the group. She told them I was a weirdo, a monster or something, even though it was me who saved her from being raped again. Not the sort of thank-you I’d hoped for.

But here’s the thing. She needs to learn to be careful. Dreary Darren Shaw knows it – the pencil in his neck caused a stroke so he’s pretty much a vegetable – and now Claudia will know it too.

It didn’t take much. Just a few calls to the other girls. I told them how hurt I was that Claudia was lying. I told each of them that I’d only phoned them, that they were my bestie, and they bought it because they all love me. Then I told them a few of the things I’d heard Claudia saying to Dreary Darren. Like how much she loved him and how much she wanted him. All lies, of course, but a little doubt was enough … and poor little Claudia became a freak.

And believe me, there’s more to come for that little traitor.

Seraphine sat back and re-read her diary entry. Dr Bloom was right. It was liberating to write simply for yourself. She could stack up all her victories in one little book, then re-live them and enjoy them whenever she fancied.

23

Bloom was sitting with her feet curled beneath her on the large chair in the corner of her bedroom reading Go Set a Watchman when her phone rang. She didn’t mind being interrupted. She wasn’t even sure she liked the book. It was no Mockingbird.

‘Bloom,’ she said, by way of hello.

‘Augusta. This is Steve Barker. I’m sorry to ring so late, but I’ve had a call from our Chief Constable asking why we’re looking into these birthday-card disappearances.’

‘How did they know about it?’

‘When DC Logan started trawling the internet for related clues, a red flag went up.’

‘So they were aware of the case already?’

‘Yes and no. It turns out one of our own is missing too: a DCI from the Merseyside force. He didn’t turn up to work three shifts in a row so his boss sent a couple of PCs to check his home. They found one of these cards.’

‘When?’