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Back The Bad Place Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. THE BAD PLACE
  3. Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. Acknowledgements
  71. About the author
  72. An Invitation from the Publisher

‘Tomorrow, I’ll go next door and apologize to Stuart.’

‘No, stay well away. We’re in enough trouble as it is without you intimidating the victim.’

‘I’m just trying to do the right thing,’ said her mother in frustration. ‘But you stop me at every turn.’

‘Please don’t do the right thing, don’t do anything.’ Sasha’s voice rose in irritation. ‘It was your meddling that got us into this situation in the first place!’

Ursula swallowed, and when she spoke her voice was choked with upset. ‘If that’s the way you feel about it.’

‘I do, I’m sorry, but I do feel that way!’ Ursula sniffed, tears fell down her cheeks, and Sasha instantly felt ashamed. ‘Come here.’

She took her mother in her arms and they held each other. Sasha kissed Ursula on the side of the head. ‘I didn’t mean to shout, I’ve just got a lot going on at the moment.’

‘You care about what you do, any fool can see that. But maybe occasionally you might want to apply those detective skills of yours closer to home. Because things are not right in this house.’ Ursula stepped back to rip a piece of kitchen towel from the holder and dab at her cheeks. ‘They’re not right at all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed.’ She walked to the door. ‘Good night, Sasha.’

36

‘Lydia, it’s me, open up!’ Karin knocked loudly on the door of Lydia’s flat on the estate. ‘I know you’re in there.’

An old woman who lived a couple of doors away stood watching on her doorstep. ‘She’ll be asleep most probably.’

‘The curtains are still closed,’ Karin said.

‘She’s a lazy cow, that one, she never rises from her pit till the afternoon.’ The woman peered around the estate. They were two floors up, with a clear view of the paved walkway below. ‘Mind you, there are a few around here who would happily stay in bed all day if they could, and probably do.’

Ignoring her, Karin cupped her hands against the glass. There was a slight gap in the curtains, but it was so gloomy inside that she couldn’t see a thing.

‘Lydia!’ She banged on the door again. ‘It’s me!’

Looking over the balcony, Karin saw a pair of young men she recognized, the local drug dealer and his mate, sitting at their usual position on the railings at the edge of the estate, and she looked away quickly.

‘I told her it’s useless,’ the neighbour said to a middle- aged man when he came along the balcony with shopping bags. ‘It’s like trying to wake the dead.’

‘I’m really worried about my friend, Lydia,’ Karin told him. ‘She’s not answering.’

The guy kneeled at the door to lift the letter box and peer inside. ‘There’s someone on the floor.’