Chapters (87)
- Cover
- Praise
- 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
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- Extract from To Keep You Safe
- About the Author
Around me the wind blows; it lifts her hair to her face but she doesn’t move to control the strands. We stand motionless.
She drops her gaze first and seems to notice my shoeless feet for the first time. Her eyes widen a fraction, then narrow, showing her new thinking. ‘How did you lose your shoes in a car accident? Don’t seem that possible to me.’
I pause just a second too long – shock and pain and head injury and codeine making me slow – and I know that now I’ve blown it, as clearly I’ve run from something terrible. Her gaze moves thickly from my feet, to my wrists, to my head. She’s figuring it out.
‘Please.’ I tried for firm, but of course it’s obvious I’m near crying. I know she’s not going to let me in and wait for her father. There’s no help here. My mission has failed. I realise the truth: out here, in the night, no phone, no shoes, no map, it’s an impossible task to save Jack now.
I rethink quickly and accept plan B. I realise I now have no choice, because I’d rather lose custody of Jack, if it means his safety. If I’m prosecuted for snatching him, then so be it. If there isn’t to be any rescue by me, then it’ll have to be the police. ‘Can you please call the police then, if you won’t let me in, please call the police, please.’
She raises an eyebrow and takes a step outside, without letting go of the gun. I can see her clearly now, her clear cheekbones, Ramones T-shirt and nose piercing. A line of disdain sits heavy on her forehead like she’s used to defiance. ‘You’re talking shit.’