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Girl on the Platform
JOSEPHINE COX
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2008
FIRST EDITION
Copyright © Josephine Cox 2008
Josephine Cox asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for 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.
Set in Stone Serif by Palimpsest Book Production Limited, Grangemouth, Stirlingshire
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EBook Edition © AUGUST 2009 ISBN: 9780007343423
Version: 2017-08-10
This book is for my Ken, as always
Table of Contents
Friday August 2007
Woburn Sands
Boys’ Night Out Chapter One
‘A night in London?’ Mark had never been to the city. ‘That sounds good to me.’
‘Great!’ Pete slapped him on the shoulder. ‘I promise you, we’ll have a cracking time, but you’d better be ready and waiting, or I’ll go on my own.’
‘You won’t!’
‘Just watch me!’
‘All right, keep your shirt on. I’ll be ready.’
At first, Mark wasn’t sure if he wanted to go to London and see a show. His idea of a good night out was down the pub, enjoying a pint of beer and a game of pool. If he pulled that was a bonus, but Pete had convinced him and now he was really looking forward to it.
Pete explained the plan. ‘Remember, you’ll need to be here by six-thirty or we’ll miss the train.’
Pete was fed up with the same old routine—go to work, come home, have your tea. Then down the pub. And now that Cathy had finished with him again, he was feeling miserable. So when his dad won two tickets to the hit show Joseph, he gave them to Pete. ‘Take Mark with you,’ he said, ‘it’ll make a change for you both.’
Pete thought it was a great idea. This was the last day of his holiday, and he really needed to do something different before he went back to work on Monday.
As agreed, Mark drove up in his old Ford at exactly six-thirty. Pete told him to park it on the street: ‘So Dad can get in and out of the drive.’
Mark looked Pete up and down. ‘Get you!’ He noted Pete’s new jeans and black leather jacket. ‘Hope you didn’t go to all that trouble for me!’
‘Not likely?’ Surprisingly though, Mark had made an effort. His fair hair was newly
