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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

‘Good God, no. I would never, never have done that. But Lana took Jane with her when she left for the women’s refuge. She said I’d beaten her. Obviously they believed her. They helped with a restraining order. I fought it for a year, but Lana was relentless and vicious. She’d be sweet and lovely in front of the social workers or in court, and then when it was just me and her she’d become this sneering monster. She scared me. And as soon as she had the court’s approval for sole custody, she was gone. I never saw them after that day.’ Lake looked at Jameson. ‘But I have never stopped looking.’

‘I know it’s been a long time, Thomas,’ said Bloom, ‘but can you think of anywhere Lana might have taken Jane?’

‘If I could, don’t you think I’d have found them by now?’

They walked back to the car in silence. Jameson knew what was coming. He climbed into the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt. Then he sat, eyes front, not looking at Bloom.

‘What was that?’ She turned in her seat to look at him. ‘Marcus?’ she said when he didn’t respond. She faced the steering wheel again and started the engine. ‘I know Jane is important to you and your family, but you can’t go on the attack like that. That poor man is not responsible for Jane going missing.’

‘No?’ He could hear his own petulance.

‘No.’ Bloom pulled out of the parking space. ‘He’s as much Lana’s victim as Jane is. He said he’d been looking for them all these years.’

‘Well, he didn’t look hard enough then.’

Bloom sighed. ‘Even if he’d found them, Lana had sole custody. What could he have done?’

Jameson stared out of the window. He knew Bloom was right. And he knew it was a good thing that they’d found Jane’s father and discovered such a good, kind, honest man. Would he really rather he’d turned out to be an addict? Only because he was so damn angry and desperate to vent his frustration on someone. God help Lana when he finally got his hands on her.

43

Jameson lay on his side and watched Sarah sleeping. He wanted to trace his finger down her cheek and across her lips. But she looked so peaceful. So he simply watched. Their date had been a huge success – obviously. They had met at the Serpentine Gallery as agreed. Sarah had brought a picnic rug and a bag full of Marks and Spencer goodies, and he’d brought a bottle of chilled Sancerre and freshly baked chocolate brownies. She’d been impressed. He’d explained that it was his grandma’s recipe and usually reserved for his nieces, but that he’d made an exception for her.

‘I’m honoured,’ she’d said, taking a bite. ‘Gorgeous.’