ABOUT THE BOOK

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Brittany Nash, a 15-year-old pupil at Oaklands School, Hounslow, believes that somebody is always following her. Most of her schoolfriends make fun of her and think that she is some kind of a freak, as she has to see a psychiatrist every week.

 

Her younger brother, Joey, plays football for an under-10’s Hounslow United football team, and one day dreams of becoming a professional footballer, just like some of his Chelsea idols.

 

Chief Inspector Mike Brown and Sergeant Dan Collins head up an investigation as to how a 35-year-old ex-schoolteacher, Edward Lee, could have managed to escape from the Lakeside Mental Health Unit.

 

On Saturday 16th June, Prom Night at Seymour Hall, what was supposed to be one of the happiest evenings Brittany should remember for a number of years. Would something or someone ruin her ‘special night’?

 

What was Edward’s fascination with Brittany? Would Joey become a professional footballer?

 

How long would Edward Lee manage to avoid getting caught by the police?

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EXTRACT

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The bedroom door burst open, and the arguing spilt out onto the landing, she could hear her mother’s voice, she was crying and sounded petrified. The male voice most definitely was not her father’s, so instead of confronting them, Brittany hid underneath Joey’s bed. As she led completely motionless, the door opened and in stepped her mother, she stood against the door, desperately trying to stop the other person from entering the room. The voice on the opposite side of the door shouted, “Where is she?”. Brittany’s mother shakily replied, “She’s not here, she’s babysitting”. The intruder pushed heavily at the door, which sent Brittany’s mother flying across the room. She fell to her knees and the intruder grabbed hold of her, quickly plunging a knife into her stomach several times, killing her instantly. The room then fell silent for a few seconds, so Brittany took the opportunity to make her escape. As she raced back down the stairs, she heard a couple of sirens close by, she ran out into the front garden and yelled, “Help, please stop. Help me”. The two police cars sped past the house and disappeared off into the distance, on their way to another emergency. Brittany stood in the garden weeping, she then felt the blade of a very sharp knife sinking into her. At that precise moment, Brittany woke up to find herself sitting in a large green chair, explaining all about her recurring nightmare dream to her psychiatrist, Dr Eloise Crowe.