Skin and Bones (37 page)

For their help with research into police procedures, telecommunications
and medical matters, I'd like to thank Supt Steve Voice, Tony
Deakin, Simon Cude, Dawn Hayes, Natasha Butt and Mr S Waquar
Yusuf. I must stress that certain liberties were taken for the sake of
the story, so responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies lies firmly
with the author.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone at Janklow & Nesbit
UK, particularly my agent, Tif Loehnis, as well as Rebecca Folland,
Kirsty Gordon and Jenny McVeigh. At Preface/Random House I'd like
to thank Trevor Dolby, Stephen Dumughn, Holly Roberts, Mari
Roberts, Ben Wright and most of all my editor, the incomparable
Rosie de Courcy: her faith, guidance and support played a crucial
part in seeing this project to fruition.

Thanks to all my friends and family, especially my parents and
parents-in-law, whose help over the past few years has been invaluable.
Thanks also to Claire Burrell, Tracy Brown, Adrian Magson,
Sheila Quigley, Nick Stone, Mike Paterson, Hugh Dickens and the
late Bob Medland.

Special love and thanks to James and Emily for their patience and
inspiration. And to my wife, Niki, who endured all the years of rejection
alongside me, without ever losing faith that one day this would
happen.