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Back The Dead Line Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. By the Same Author
  3. Dedication Page
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
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  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
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  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
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  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
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  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
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  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. Acknowledgements
  86. Also Available by Holly Watt
  87. The Hunt and the Kill

‘But I just realised,’ said Casey. ‘I realised that if I never asked you … Never told you … You might not know.’

So no one can say …

‘Know what?’

She looked up. He was smiling at her now, and there was an expression she hadn’t seen in his eyes before.

‘Casey, you’re an idiot.’

‘I know.’ She couldn’t look at him suddenly, stared down at her shoes. ‘I promised I would choose, and walk away. That I wouldn’t ask you … ’

He stepped towards her, almost clumsily.

‘I see who you are, you know,’ he said. ‘I know who you are. For all that you hide it, and fake it, and pretend, I know who you are. You don’t have to choose.’

He kissed her then, pulling her to him. The storm was passing, the sky beginning to lighten.

‘We’ll find a way,’ he whispered. ‘There will be a way.’

‘I know,’ Casey said. ‘And we will.’

Acknowledgements

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As a child, when I was feeling blue, my mother used to say, ‘Why don’t you make a list of your friends? And then ask yourself, “Would that group of people be friends with someone who wasn’t quite nice?” ’

I had forgotten about that until I came to write these acknowledgements, but there is something rather lovely about writing down a list of friends, and thinking how lucky I am to have you all in my life.

Once again, a huge thank you to Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos. I am sorry that I have stayed on your floor so often that you have been reduced to building the Holly Watt Memorial Loft Extension, but I am sure other people will enjoy it too. I can’t wait for Ellery Lloyd to take over the world.

Amelia Hill, David Pegg, Alice Ross – thank you for reading The Dead Line almost before I had finished it. Encouragement and advice at just the right time!

Felicity Fitzgerald, Alex Marrache, Laura Roberts, Rosie Lough, Jasmine Miller, Harry Wardill, Clara Barby, Jessica Sheehan, Toby Darbyshire, Justine Moxham, Robert Winnett and Claire Newell – you’re all just great.

Thank you Richard Fitzgerald for advising me on crashing planes, and Presiley Baxendale for just being wonderful. Thank you Vidiya Khan for having me to stay – and answering every question about Bangladesh. Thank you Sarah Mahmud for being Sarah Mahmud – and also translating bits of Swiss German.

Francesca Hornak and Kate Kingsley – the Authors’ Support Group keeps me going at times! To the VHS – Eve Williams, Linda Zell, Rosie Tomkins, Laura Hamm and Antonia WIlliams – it’s been a journey …

None of this would have happened without my wonderful agent, Andrew Gordon at David Higham. Team Raven at Bloomsbury literally changed my life. Thank you to the Queen of the Ravens, Alison Hennessey – and Lilidh Kendrick, Philippa Cotton, Amy Donegan, Sara Helen Binney and Glen Holmes.