BooksBarbecue
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

Other neighbours came to see what was happening as Karin crouched at the letter box. She could just about make out a leg, and saw one of Lydia’s filthy trainers, a skinny ankle, sticking out from behind the sofa.

‘We need to get in there!’

‘Stand back,’ said the man and he put his foot to the door and kicked. It shuddered, but didn’t move. ‘I need help here!’

Another man joined him, more neighbours gathering to watch now, and the two men synchronized their kicks. The door flew open and smashed against the wall.

It was hot when Karin rushed inside, as she knew it would be – Lydia always kept the windows shut even in the summer, and the flat smelled of rotting food and body odour. The neighbours who came in after Karin did little to disguise their disgust.

‘Open a window,’ said the old neighbour. ‘Let some clean air in.’

But someone else said, ‘Don’t touch anything, leave everything as it is.’

Karin went straight to Lydia on the floor. She was wearing an old sleeveless T-shirt and there was a syringe sticking out of one bony shoulder. When Karin felt for a pulse, she couldn’t find one. Lydia’s face was dry and waxy, her mouth slightly open.

‘No, no, no,’ said Karin, feeling how cold her hand was, and how stiff her wrist, and she pulled Lydia into her arms. ‘Call an ambulance!’

‘It’s too late for that, if you ask me,’ said the old woman. ‘But I suppose we’d better go through the motions.’

‘I don’t think you’re meant to touch the body,’ suggested another neighbour.

But Karin didn’t listen. She cradled Lydia in her arms and whispered again and again into her ear. ‘I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.’

37

The Fifth Day…

Jerry pushed Karin along the dark, narrow corridor that ran along the spine of the farmhouse. In the gloom, she glimpsed ugly black-and-white photos hanging on the peeling wallpaper. She nearly lost her footing on the moth-eaten carpet as he shoved her into a kitchen.