Blink(86)

‘She recognised Tara Bowen at the hospital. Said she’d seen her in a photograph in your lounge and you’d said it was your friend, Tara. But when Harriet asked, a nurse said the woman was your sister so Harriet told her she thought it was an imposter. The hospital panicked and contacted us.’

I let his words sink in.

‘Unfortunately, in the process of doing so, taking their attention off Harriet Watson. We began making inquiries as to Tara Bowen’s whereabouts and suddenly Evie is left outside a doctor’s surgery.’

The realisation that Tara had been discovered just by chance made me shiver.

‘Please thank her for me,’ I say, realising how crazy things have become that I am actually thanking Harriet Watson.





76





Present Day





Toni





She sits in a cream-painted room on a beanbag. The carpet is azure, like the sea, and her hair is brown. She is big, bigger than before, and her face has changed, though the essence of her shines through. She is assembling some kind of building with Lego bricks.

The bricks aren’t large and brightly coloured anymore. They are small and technical and the building looks like something you might see in an architect’s office.

She looks up as we enter the room and our eyes meet.

I smile and she stares back.

The psychologist, Sarah, pulls out two chairs and we sit down. I remember my conversation with Sarah, about how important it is not to rush things. Not to approach her or touch her. Everything must come from Evie. She must not feel overwhelmed.

‘It’s going to be a very long road for her,’ Sarah said before we came in here. ‘We don’t know how she’ll react or if she’s formed emotional bonds with her abductors.’

After a few minutes of silence, Sarah nods at me.

‘Hello, Evie,’ I say.

‘Hello,’ she replies.

We look at each other.

‘What are you making there? It looks complicated.’

She looks at the building and then back at me. She stands up and walks over to me, but stays a step or two back.

‘I used to dream about you, sometimes,’ she says. ‘Your hair has changed. And your eyes. Your eyes are different now.’

‘You’ve changed too, you’re even more beautiful,’ I say.

She turns without replying and walks back to the beanbag.

We sit in silence a while longer, watching Evie click together the bricks. Then she turns to me again and sighs.

‘When can we go home?’ she asks.





Reader Letter



Thank you so much for reading Blink, my second psychological thriller.

The story was inspired by several different news stories I’ve seen over the years about missing or abducted children. I became fascinated by how the public and press are almost as interested in how parental error may have contributed to events than in debating the actual issue of by whom the child has been taken.

I got to thinking about how easy it might be for someone, if they were so inclined, to take advantage of a parent in a bad place. Perhaps a single, grieving parent, someone who is struggling with everyday life.

At times, we all make decisions that we later regret. But what if those decisions lead to a nightmarish outcome that can’t be reversed? How do you cope with tragedy but also the crippling guilt accompanying it? Blink is the story that grew from there.

The book is set in Nottinghamshire, the place I was born and have lived in all my life. Local readers should be aware I sometimes take the liberty of changing street names or geographical details to suit the story.

I know you hear this a lot, but reviews are so massively important to authors. If you’ve enjoyed Blink and could spare just a few minutes to write a short review to say so, I would so appreciate that.

You can also connect with me via my website, on Facebook or on Twitter.

I am now writing my third psychological thriller. It’s troubling and tense with a creeping sense of dread . . . I think you’re going to like it!!

Best wishes,

Kim x