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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

Thomas Lake lived in a large detached house in Didsbury, Manchester, with his wife Suzanne and their twin boys, Lucas and Jacob. As Jameson and Bloom walked towards the front door, Jameson braced himself for disappointment. This couldn’t be the same Thomas Lake described by Jane.

A tall man with fair hair and a tanned complexion opened the door. He wore jeans with a checked short-sleeved shirt and Dennis the Menace slippers. Bloom explained they were following up on his call about Jane, and he invited them in.

Lake sat on the edge of a turquoise love seat. Bloom and Jameson sat opposite on a deep-blue velvet sofa. ‘Lana? She was my wife. And Jane is my daughter.’

‘Your wife?’ Jameson couldn’t hide his surprise.

‘For eighteen months. What’s happened to Jane? It was on the news and the policewoman I spoke to said someone would be in touch. Can you tell me where she is?’

‘I’m afraid not, Mr Lake,’ said Bloom.

‘Thomas, please.’

‘We think she might be with Lana. Lana went missing a few weeks ago. But other than the sighting of Jane at King’s Cross station on Saturday morning, we have no further information.’

Suzanne Lake came into the lounge carrying a cafetière and a plate of biscuits and placed them on the glass coffee table. She was pretty, with long red hair and kind eyes. She squeezed her husband’s arm before excusing herself.

‘We think Lana might have been recruited by someone,’ said Bloom.

‘Run that by me again?’

‘When was the last time you saw Jane?’ said Jameson.

Thomas Lake looked down. ‘Too long ago.’

‘Why? Why haven’t you made more effort?’ Jameson knew not to look at Bloom; he didn’t want to see the warning on her face.

‘Things between Lana and me were very complicated. She made some pretty horrific accusations.’

‘That you were a violent drug-user who harmed his own child?’ Jameson hadn’t intended to sound quite so judgemental.

‘I beg your pardon?’ Lake looked from Bloom to Jameson. ‘Is that what Jane thinks of me?’

Jameson didn’t respond.

‘I’m afraid so,’ said Bloom. ‘Is that not the case?’

‘I would never hurt Jane – or any child, for that matter – and I have never taken drugs.’

Jameson didn’t buy it. ‘So what did you mean when you said things were complicated between you and Lana?’