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Chapters (118)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Also by Leona Deakin
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. 84
  90. 85
  91. 86
  92. 87
  93. 88
  94. 89
  95. 90
  96. 91
  97. 92
  98. 93
  99. 94
  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
  104. 99
  105. 100
  106. 101
  107. 102
  108. 103
  109. 104
  110. 105
  111. 106
  112. Acknowledgements
  113. Reading Group Questions
  114. Read More
  115. I
  116. 2
  117. 3
  118. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Maybe it was her sense of calm or the slight hint of humour in her tone, or maybe it was the heat, or the headache, or the fear, but Harry couldn’t contain his rage any longer. ‘I’ve had enough of this,’ he said, his voice rising with each word. ‘Of not knowing. Of being attacked. Of being blamed for things I have absolutely no knowledge of. I have nothing to give this man and he can take everything from me. Everything. Are you just going to stand there and mock me or are you going to help?’

Seraphine examined her perfectly manicured fingernails. ‘Why do you think I brought you here, Harry?’

‘To feed me to the lions?’ Harry paced again. ‘I should have listened to my gut. I should have listened to Jameson.’

‘You did listen to your gut. You chose me because something told you I was the best bet. Now, why do you think I brought you here?’

‘I have no idea. What I want to know is how you’re going to help me.’

‘That depends.’

‘On what?’

Seraphine tilted her head to one side and lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘On what’s in it for me?’

72

Today 08.39

Coldeast Mansion. Coldeast Road.

Marcus needs you.

Go now. Alone.

Today 08.39

I mean it, Augusta, ALONE.

Bloom stared at Seraphine’s text. Jameson had left the house twenty-four minutes earlier. He’d said he’d be back in twenty minutes, that she should call the police if he wasn’t back in thirty, and not to follow him alone.

Caroline Peterson was on the telephone discussing an operation scheduled for later that day, presumably trying to get out of it. Her partner Robin was in Harry’s bedroom on his phone, presumably doing the same.

Bloom watched Caroline with a new-found sense of respect. She had disliked the woman initially, but could see now that she cared for her children above all else. Caroline looked up and Bloom held her phone up and then stepped outside as if to make a call. She pulled the door closed behind her and took a deep breath. She had checked the location of Coldeast Mansion. It seemed to be exactly where Jake’s smartwatch was: a quarter of a mile down the road. She stood and waited, willing Jameson to appear jogging towards her with his headphones on, fit and well and safe.