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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

‘They work as surgeons, soldiers, firefighters, entrepreneurs. Many contribute positively to society. Sure, some steal, some murder, but most don’t. I think the problem here is that the game seems to be encouraging antisocial choices.’

‘We need to stop thinking about the game.’

‘Pardon?’

‘You said that “the game” encourages antisocial choices. But it’s not “the game”, is it? It’s the person behind the game.’

‘Right.’

‘Because they’re a psychopath, too. That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?’

Bloom looked at Jameson. She liked that he was quick; it was one of his most attractive qualities. ‘I expect so. To recruit latent psychopaths—’

‘And corrupt them?’

Bloom nodded. ‘You’d need a solid understanding of what motivates them.’

‘So what’s the motive? You think they’re being primed for something?’

‘That’s my fear.’

‘Christ, Bloom.’

‘And sending them all off home to kill their husbands or wives is too … pedestrian. What’s in it for the puppeteer?’

‘Power?’

‘Perhaps,’ said Bloom. ‘But I think it’s more than that. This game is ambitious; it’s outlandish. There’s more than power at play.’

25

‘Dr Bloom is right,’ said DC Craig Logan.

Jameson rolled his eyes. Bloom shrugged. She couldn’t help it.

They were on a conference call with Chief Superintendent Barker, DC Logan, DI Carly Mathers and DC Kaye Willis. DC Logan had trawled the internet for questionnaires that might profile psychopaths and had found a few that might fit. There was one on Psych Central – ‘The Psychopath Test’ – and a few floating around on various social media platforms: ‘What 80s Film Would You Be?’ and ‘Are You a Genius?’

‘And I’m afraid I’ve uncovered another forty people who disappeared after receiving one of the cards,’ DC Logan continued. ‘And the number is rising.’

‘Forty?’ said Barker, his voice tinny. ‘As in four zero?’

‘Yes, Sir. Four zero. I repeated Jane Reid’s online approach, asking if anyone’s loved ones had gone missing after receiving a strange birthday card. I posted the enquiry via multiple accounts across multiple platforms. And I’ve confirmed at least forty further disappearances.’

‘Not as a police officer, I hope?’ Barker asked.

‘No. With a dummy persona. A young man looking for his sister. I didn’t include any specific details – the look of the card, the exact wording or the existence of a sticky patch – so I’ve been able to filter out the frauds.’

‘When did the first person receive a card?’ asked Jameson.

‘That’s the weird thing. The first was over a year ago.’

‘So what’s the next step?’ asked Barker.

‘Craig and I will continue to monitor the responses,’ said DI Mathers. ‘And if Dr Bloom and Mr Jameson could take a look at the questionnaires?’

‘We’ll do that straight away,’ said Bloom. ‘Were any of them completed by our original four players?’