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First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018
Copyright © Roland Moore 2018
Cover photograph © Rehka Arcangel/Arcangel Images
Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018
Roland Moore asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
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Source ISBN: 9780008204440
Ebook Edition © July 2018 ISBN: 9780008204419
Version: 2018-06-07
To Rafał with lots of love. Always proud of you and your wonderful imagination.
Table of Contents
A s the young girl with red hair reached the street, she was surprised to see her mother, Margot Dawson, standing outside their house. Of course, she had seen her there hundreds of times before, cleaning the step, chatting to neighbours, but there was something odd about her being there now. Something was wrong. Her mother looked bewildered, in shock, her eyes large and fearful. And when she glanced at the girl, it was almost as if she didn’t really recognise her at first. “Iris?” she said, snapping out of it. She grabbed hold of her daughter, seemingly as much for support as for the need to talk to her. She pulled her towards her. Margot knelt down, her voice deliberate, but brittle.
“I need you to do something. Can you do it for me, darling?” The words were tinged with desperation, making Iris realise that the only answer her mother wanted to hear was yes.