A Gift for Dying
Page 36
A beautiful, tortured soul had departed. Wieslawa mourned her passing, but would lay eyes on her again soon enough. Indeed, she was already looking forward to nightfall, when she would drink in the sight of a new star in the heavens. That would have to wait, however. For now, she had to content herself with the sight of the vast, golden lake and the happy, carefree birds who called to each other, as they circled above. Looking out at the majestic scene in front of her, Wieslawa felt a smile spread across her face.
At long last, her beloved Kassie was free.
Acknowledgements
Many people contribute to the making of a book, but there are a few I would like to single out for heartfelt thanks. Dr Susan Buratto was incredibly generous, giving up her free time to educate me on the intricacies of mental health provision in the US criminal Justice system and beyond. Many of the characters and locations featured in this book sprang to life during our unconventional tour of Chicago. Back in the UK, Dr Lisa Barkley was equally generous and insightful – thanks to her I now have a much greater understanding of child psychology in general and distancing techniques specifically. I would also like to thank all the great people at Michael Joseph, especially Chantal Noel and Rowland White, who has been an outstanding editor and guide on this book and many others before it. Thanks must also go to my amazing agent, Hellie Ogden, for being a brilliant sounding board, inspiration and friend. Finally, my deepest thanks and love to Jennie, Chloe and Alex, for encouraging (and enduring) me as Kassie came to life. Chloe, I’m sorry the heroine isn’t called Ruby, as we’d discussed, but, hey, that’s the editorial process for you.
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MICHAEL JOSEPH
UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia
India | New Zealand | South Africa
Michael Joseph is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com
First published 2019
Copyright © M. J. Arlidge, 2019
The moral right of the author has been asserted
Cover Credit: © Alamy © Arcangel © Trevillion and © Shutterstock
ISBN: 978-1-405-93249-3