Publisher's Synopsis
1944. At 14 Gerald Haxton is a lonely boy who regards his still-born twin, Jack, as his only friend. His mother guards Jack's memory fiercely, and Gerald, disturbed and unpopular, has no hope of competing. Playing in the woods, he discovers the body of his elder sister. She has been beaten to death and her boyfriend, a young G.I., is hanged for the crime... 1995. As the country prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of VE Day, Gerald is nearing retirement. Obsessed by routine, he still talks to his dead brother. He takes to following Mel, the twelve-year-old daughter of a colleague. A few days later she disappears...
