You could write, says a voice in my head.
I ignore it.
The doorbell rings and I pad to the front door. I’m not expecting anyone. It’s probably just the postman. Still, you can’t be too careful. I hook on the chain, open the door and peer through the crack.
A woman stands on the doorstep. She’s black and plump and middle-aged.
I instantly assume she’s a Jehovah’s Witness and brace myself.
‘Are you Geniver Loxley?’ Her voice is soft, with a hint of a Midlands accent.
I stare at her. ‘How do you know my name?’
The woman hesitates. It seems unlikely that a Jehovah’s Witness would have this kind of detail, so I’m now assuming some kind of invasive mailing-list scenario. Still, the woman lacks the bravado of the sales-trained. In fact, now I’m looking closely at her I realize she’s nervous. She’s wearing a cheap suit made of some kind of nylon and sweat stains are creeping out from under the armpits.
‘I . . . I . . .’ she stammers.
I wait, my heart suddenly beating fast. Has Art been in an accident? Or someone else I know? The door is still on its chain. I open it properly. The woman presses her lips together. Her eyes are wide with fear and embarrassment.
‘What is it?’ I say.
‘It’s . . .’ The woman takes a deep breath. ‘It’s your baby.’
I stare at her. ‘What do you mean?’
She hesitates. ‘She’s alive.’ The woman’s dark eyes pierce through me. ‘Your baby, Beth, is alive.’
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’m very grateful to the real Chris Smart for a suggestion that gave me the first seed of an idea for this book.
Thanks also to my agent Sarah Ballard and my editor Jo Dickenson, for all their help and, particularly, their excellent advice on the first draft. Ditto to my fellow writers Lou Kuenzler, Moira Young, Gaby Halberstam, Melanie Edge and Julie Mackenzie for their consistently brilliant feedback.
And, as always, thank you to Eoin, who heard and encouraged me every step of the way.
Sophie McKenzie is the author of best-selling crime novels Close My Eyes, Trust in Me and Here We Lie as well as over twenty books for children and teenagers including the multi-award-winning Girl, Missing and Split Second series. She has twice been longlisted for the prestigious Carnegie Medal. She lives in London.
Find Sophie online at www.sophiemckenziebooks.com, on twitter at @sophiemckenzie_ and on facebook at www.facebook.com/sophiemckenzieauthor.
First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2017
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