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Back Under a Dark Cloud Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. Part 1
  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. Part 2
  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. Part 3
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgements
  74. Next in Series
  75. Canelo Crime
  76. About the Author
  77. Also by Louisa Scarr

And now he’s in hospital and nothing will ever be the same again.

She wants to be with Finn. To feel his arms around her, his steady breathing in her hair. And then she thinks, but she can. He’s not dead. He’s still here.

Simon’s loved ones can’t say the same. He’s gone for good. The news reports that his funeral will be held soon. For the people that loved Simon, that’s it.

But Finn’s still alive.

Sophie feels a bitter sting of self-hate. She’s been so selfish. So blinkered. Inside, he’s the same man she fell in love with. They’ll find some way of getting him back – to a new normal. Treatments, therapy, drugs, whatever. The brain is an incredible organ, it can repair. Neurons can form new paths.

It might be hard, but so what? It’s nothing she can’t cope with.

She sits up on her bed, clicking away from the video and opening a new internet browser. She’s used to reading medical research and scientific papers. If help is out there, she’ll find it, and she’ll get it for Finn.

She looks at the engagement ring on her finger. And, determination renewed, she starts to read.

65

Friday

Two weeks later

The day of the funeral is bright, the sky a clear blue, the sun warm on Freya’s face. She stands quietly by the freshly dug grave – Robin by her side, then Mina, then Josh.

Everyone is silent as the coffin is brought out on the shoulders of pall-bearers. In perfect synchronicity, they set the coffin down, then stand back with a formal bow.

The vicar starts talking, and Freya watches the others at the graveside. Thorpe’s sister is here, his only family: a thin, pale woman who’s been estranged from him for years, for reasons she hasn’t talked about. There’s Dave, the volunteer from the homeless shelter, and two men with him who Freya assumes must be people who knew Duncan from there.

And the four of them.

Freya wanted to be there, and the others agreed. Duncan Thorpe had little family. He was alone when he died, but he shouldn’t be alone at his burial.

The last of the exhibits have come back from the lab. The DNA found on the fag butts and the bottles in the bus shelter is a match to all of the boys, Connor Vardy included. But the only fibres found on Thorpe’s body come from Mark Black’s jacket, seen on CCTV and seized from his house. The partial fingerprints on the freezer match Black and Garratt. Lee Cernis gave a full confession; a boy with a better solicitor and more sense than the other two.