Chapters (82)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
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Ian started and tried to sit up but collapsed back, his head throbbing. ‘Where am I?’ he gasped, his throat dry. ‘What are you doing?’
‘You’re safe, you’re on the sofa in my house,’ Anne said. ‘You fell and knocked yourself out.’
‘Shouldn’t I be in hospital?’ he asked, trying to struggle up again. ‘How long have I been here?’
‘Not long. You should be all right. It wasn’t serious. Have a sip of water.’
She held a glass to his lips and Ian drank. Water had never tasted so good.
‘What do you want with me?’ he asked, confused and frightened.
‘Nothing. I brought you back here to recover. You can go as soon as you feel well enough.’
‘Why didn’t you call an ambulance?’
‘There was no need. You’re not badly hurt.’ She hesitated and set the glass of water on the table. ‘What do you remember from before you fell, Ian?’
He frowned, trying to remember. It began coming back. ‘I remember driving, following your van. It was dark. You turned off into Coleshaw Woods and parked. Jesus! You haven’t got dogs. You’re trafficking children!’ He struggled up and stared around. ‘Where are they? What’s going on? Where are those poor kids now?’
‘Calm down, Ian,’ Anne said, touching his arm. ‘They’re upstairs, asleep. I’m not trafficking children, far from it. You have to trust me.’
‘Trust you! You lied about knowing Carstan Moller and then you lock children in the back of a van and take them to the woods at night pretending they’re dogs. You’re evil. Sick. I’m going to call the police.’ He jabbed his hand into his trouser pocket for his phone, but it had gone. ‘Where’s my phone?’
‘In your jacket pocket, over there.’ Anne nodded to where his jacket hung on a chair back. ‘You can have it, Ian, but it’s not in your interests to call the police.’
‘Whatever do you mean?’
She looked at him carefully. ‘Ian, things have gone on that you have no idea about. Things you couldn’t begin to guess at in your wildest imagination, and it’s better for you if it stays that way. As soon as you feel well enough, you need to return to Emma, forget everything you have seen this evening and continue your lives.’