Josephine Cox - Girl on the Platform

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

Published by HarperCollins Publishers 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

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

EBook Edition © AUGUST 2009 ISBN: 9780007343423

Version: 2017-08-10

This book is for my Ken, as always

Title Page Girl on the Platform JOSEPHINE COX

Copyright Copyright Copyright Dedication Part One Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight About The Author Other Books By About the Publisher Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.harpercollins.co.uk Published by HarperCollins Publishers 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 All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. EBook Edition © AUGUST 2009 ISBN: 9780007343423 Version: 2017-08-10

Dedication Dedication Dedication Part One Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight About The Author Other Books By About the Publisher This book is for my Ken, as always

Part One PART ONE Friday August 2007 Woburn Sands Boys’ Night Out Chapter One

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

About The Author

Other Books By

About the Publisher

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 cropped, and he was wearing a black jacket and a pair of really skinny jeans that made his size ten feet stick out like barges.

‘Come on then!’ Mark was already walking out the door. ‘Let’s see if London night-life is all it’s cracked up to be.’

‘Don’t go wandering down dark alleys!’ Pete’s dad called after them. ‘You never know who’s about.’

‘Aw, Dad! I’m not a kid anymore,’ Pete told him. ‘In case you’ve forgotten, I was twenty five last birthday. I can look after myself.’

Mark squared his shoulders. ‘If anybody tries to pick my wallet, they’ll be sorry!’ Punching the air with a clenched fist he quipped, ‘One look at me and they’ll run a mile.’

Pete told him not to be so cocky. ‘You’ll only be asking for trouble. Just remember, we’re not out to pick a fight. We’re out to enjoy ourselves and to check out the sights and pleasures.’

‘What “ sights and pleasures ”?’

Pete had to think hard about that. ‘Well, I don’t know, do I? All I’m saying is lots of people think London is the place to be, so now’s our chance to find out.’

‘What time is the last train back?’ Mark asked.

‘Why do you want to know that?’ Pete groaned.

‘I don’t want to be stranded in London, that’s all.’

‘We won’t be,’ Pete promised. ‘So stop asking what time we’ll get back, when we haven’t even got there yet.’

At the top of Russell Street, they came onto the High Street, and then it was a five minute walk down to the train station.

Pete checked his watch. ‘We change at Milton Keynes and get the seven-thirty to Euston. Then we can get a taxi to the theatre. After the show, we’ll suss out the area…find a night club. Get a taste of London. Then it’s back in a taxi to the station, and make our way home.’