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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

‘I want you to say you’re doing something, not just lying here listening to your stupid music.’ She gestured to the headphones still plugged into his ears.

He removed the ear buds. ‘I’m not the police, Claire. And I’m actually in hospital with a head injury.’

‘Oh, man up. You’re fine.’

Jameson knew better than to take on Claire when she was angry. He’d lost many fruitless battles over the years. So he waited, saying nothing and letting her pace the room.

‘We have to find her. We can’t sit around waiting. We have to do something. I have to do something.’ Deep lines of anxiety creased her forehead. ‘I’ve been calling the police every hour and they just say the same thing every time. No news, no news, no news. They think I’m crazy. And they keep pointing out that they don’t need to update me because I’m not a relative. You can imagine what I said to that, the cheeky bastards.’

Jameson smiled. He wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of his sister. Was anger her most psychopathic trait?

‘What are you smiling at? What the fuck is there to smile about?’

‘Keep your voice down, potty mouth. There are kids around.’ Claire frowned. ‘The room next door has a young son who comes in every day.’

‘Who gives a—’

Jameson threw the socks at her. He rubbed his aching head. ‘Augusta says they’re planning a TV appeal for Jane. There’s stuff on social media already and posters are up at King’s Cross and St Pancras, as well as around the school. But until someone comes forward with a sighting, it’s a needle in a haystack.’

‘I’ll never forgive you if something happens to her.’

‘Me? What did I do?’

‘She came to you for help. I told her you’d sort it.’

‘Well, that’s on you then.’

Claire teared up and he immediately regretted saying it.

‘Look,’ he added, ‘Lana may have been a crappy mother, but she never hurt Jane or put her in harm’s way, did she? So let’s just hope that’s still the case and that they’re together somewhere.’

Claire sat down in the seat beside him, her fight gone, and put her head in her hands and cried.

37

In the south-west corner of Surrey, not far from Haslemere, Bloom and DC Logan were driving up a private road that belonged to the Llewellyn family.

Freya Llewellyn had contacted DC Logan’s online alter ego, Craig Hogan, to say that her father, Clive, had disappeared eight months ago after receiving the birthday card, only to return six weeks later. She was more than happy for Craig to pop by for a chat with Clive. She said she hoped it would put his mind at rest; she was confident his sister would be home soon.

And so, here they were.