Authors: Howard Linskey

Behind Dead Eyes (39 page)

BOOK: Behind Dead Eyes

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âThere is one thing I can do,' Tom told them both. âI'm going to write about it. I'm going to put all of this down in a way no one can bloody ignore. I'll tell the story of the man who's rotting away in jail even though it was his wife that really murdered his lover. I'm going to tell the world about the politician who abused his position to prey on young girls nobody would ever believe. I'll write about his murdered daughter, how he was forced to end his political career and who gained because of that, then I'll say how bloody convenient it was for everyone when he was found dead in his cell.'

âYou don't mind who you upset, do you?' said Bradshaw but he was smiling now.

âI've still got contacts who love stories like these. There'll be banner headlines on the front pages of some very big newspapers and some people won't like that,' agreed Tom, âbut by the time I'm done there'll be dozens of other reporters queueing up with some very awkward questions for Alan Camfield, Joe Lynch and Jimmy McCree.'

When Tom was finished, Bradshaw regarded him closely. âI quite like the sound of that.'

âThe power of the press,' said Tom, âand no, I don't expect to change the world, not even a small corner of it, but it's a start.'

âI'd like to help you,' Helen told him, âbut I may need a change of address,' and she handed him the note that had been pinned to her door.

He read it then gave the note to Bradshaw. âYou sure about that?' Tom asked. âThey are already gunning for you.'

âSo I may as well fight back. Are you still looking for that lodger?'

âNot anymore. The room's yours.'

âSo it's print and be damned?' Helen asked him.

âPrint and be damned,' he said emphatically and Helen smiled. She knew this time they both meant it.

The End

Acknowledgements

Thank
you to everyone at Penguin Random House for publishing
Behind Dead Eyes
. In particular, a huge thank you to my editor Emad Akhtar for all of his great ideas and hard work helping me knock this book into shape. Thanks also to Viola Hayden for all of her help.

I would like to thank the legendary âAgent Phil' my literary agent. Phil Patterson at Marjacq has represented me for quite some time now. He is a huge support and an all-round top bloke. Thanks also to Sandra Sawicka at Marjacq for ably handling my foreign rights.

Behind Dead Eyes
enabled me to work with the amazing Keshini Naidoo for the fifth time now. Once again thanks for helping me get to the end of a book, Keshini.

Thanks to Peter Hammans and all at Droemer Knaur, my publisher in Germany, and a very big thank you to the brilliant Ion Mills at No Exit for getting me started.

Mark Birkett made a very generous bid at an auction to support a fine charity, the Alan Shearer Foundation, for which we all thank him. In return he is now immortalised as a fictional character in this book.

Aspiring authors only ever become published authors with a lot of help and support along the way. I am lucky enough to be able to thank the following people for believing in me at key times, which kept me going: Adam Pope, Andy Davis, Nikki Selden, Gareth Chennells, Andrew Local, Stuart Britton, David Shapiro, Peter Day, Tony Frobisher, Eva Dolan, Gemma Sealey and Dave Nellist.

Anyone who has ever lived with a writer will know why I must say a massive thank you to my lovely wife Alison for putting up with me. We are a weird bunch in general and our idiosyncrasies must be quite hard to tolerate at times. I couldn't have done this without you, pet. Thanks for all of your love and support.

Saving the very best till last, my wonderful daughter Erin keeps me going. Thanks for making absolutely everything worthwhile. Your dad loves you more than anything, Erin, and he always will.