This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

      Copyright © 2017 by Jon McGregor

      First published in the United Kingdom in 2017 by 4th Estate

      First published in the United States in 2018 by Catapult (catapult.co)

      All rights reserved

      ISBN: 978-1-936787-91-3

      eISBN: 978-1-936787-92-0

      Catapult titles are distributed to the trade by

      Publishers Group West

      Phone: 866-400-5351

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2017964529

      Printed in the United States of America

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      1: Charlotte

      Could you

      I’d like to hear about that day, before anything happened.

      Just, from the beginning.

      You’d been staying in the village for how long?

      And you’d come back because the previous visit had gone so well, last summer?

      And you knew the Hunter family. You got on with them.

      So it was an easy decision, to come back for a winter break.

      Was it warm enough, in the cottage? I mean, the weather had been wet.

      It’s quite small, isn’t it, the cottage. Lovely. But small.

      Sorry, barn conversion.

      Had you been on any excursions? Had you gone for any walks?

      So you were maybe starting to feel a bit cooped up.

      Tell me about that morning.

      Did you all have breakfast together? Who was up first?

      This might sound trivial, but what would Becky have had, if she was eating breakfast alone?

      I know

      But these details. They help to build a picture.

      If you could

      Okay. And then did you come downstairs before she finished her breakfast?

      And was that when the idea of going for a walk was discussed?

      It would be fair to say that Becky’s response wasn’t positive, would it?

      Is it okay if I call her Becky?

      She wasn’t enthusiastic about the walk. And the weather wasn’t great, at that point.

      So you let the matter rest for the time being. To avoid a conflict.

      And then the two of you had your breakfast together, you and your husband? Something more elaborate, because you were on holiday, because you wanted to treat yourselves?

      But this wasn’t a special occasion. Other than being a holiday morning. You weren’t celebrating anything.

      No.

      You made a start on your breakfast, you made some coffee—maybe you read the paper? You were having the newspapers delivered while you were staying in the cottage, is that right?

      Barn conversion.

      Which newspaper?

      And Becky—she’ll have gone back up to her bedroom? Or put the television on?

      Could you

      could we

      if we could just talk a little bit about Becky. If you could describe her for me. In your own words. What she was like when she was younger. How she’s changed from being a child to being a young teenager. What her—gifts are, if you like. Any challenges there have been. Anything she has found difficult. Anything that comes to mind.

      I know

      I know this is difficult

      this must be very hard for

      of course.

      So, just to pick up again.

      This was the third day of your stay in the village; the idea of a walk had been raised but the weather was looking unsuitable. Becky had got up early, and had breakfast before you. What did she do during the rest of the morning? Had she brought any homework with her?

      She was friendly with the Hunters’ daughter, I understand. Did she spend any time with her that morning?

      Do you know if she was friendly with any of the other young people in the village?

      And you knew about that at the time?

      Had you met any of those young people when you were staying here last summer? Had you seen them when they came up to the Hunters’ property?

      There was one boy in particular who Becky became quite close to, wasn’t there: James?

      I know she’s only thirteen, yes.

      I wasn’t implying

      But he wasn’t someone you were aware of.

      Not at the time.

      So, that morning, Becky went across to the Hunters’ house, and you assumed she was spending some time with their daughter Sophie.

      And she’s someone who makes friends easily, would you say? Back at home, is she sociable, does she have a range of friends?

      Are there any you’ve been uncomfortable about her associating with? Have her friendship groups changed recently?

      Does she spend much time on the Internet?

      Do you monitor that, at all?

      So she was with Sophie, and by late morning she still hadn’t come back. But you had no cause for concern, you had no reason to think they’d gone far. The weather was still wet at that point, wasn’t it?

      And the original idea for the walk had been to get out before lunchtime, but with the weather you’d put that on hold.

      And late in the morning you went across to fetch Becky, from the Hunters’ house. Did you speak to either of Sophie’s parents?

      Both of them? So Sophie and Becky were there by themselves?

      Just Becky, by herself?

      Did you think the Hunters would have minded that?

      Sophie and her parents had been gone all morning, as far as you knew. Becky hadn’t seen them leaving?

      Were you surprised by this, were you concerned? How long have you known the Hunters?

      Would you describe them as friends?

      If we could

      to keep to

      So you had lunch, the three of you, together. And there was some discussion about how Becky had spent the morning, was there?

      How would you characterize her response?

      So there was some tension.

      Of course.

      Well,