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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

‘Sammi was abducted near your home and Lucas is your pupil. This has something to do with you, Karin. Has anybody tried to make contact with you, have you had any unusual interactions recently?’

A look passed across Karin’s face that Sasha couldn’t read, and her eyes flicked restlessly across the crowd of onlookers behind the tape, as if there was someone she was looking for, someone she wanted to see.

‘Nobody.’

‘Messages, calls, texts, letters. Something to do with the Bad Place.’

‘Nothing.’

Karin’s fingers touched the pocket where she kept her phone. There’s something you’re not telling me, thought Sasha with irritation, you’re hiding something.

You’ll know the truth about her.

‘You’ve never spoken about the time you spent alone with Jerry Swann.’

‘You make it sound like I chose to spend time with that monster,’ Karin said with sudden anger. ‘He chose me to sit with him every night. Not any of the others, not Simon or Paul or Lydia or Michelle, not Becky… me. It wasn’t my choice. Nobody will ever understand how it felt being alone with him hour after hour, as close as you’re standing to me now, believing I would be killed at any moment. Forced to listen to his… sick memories. I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but whatever it is, you’re wrong. I was his captive. I wasn’t his friend, I wasn’t his muse, I wasn’t his accomplice.’ Her voice cracked with emotion. ‘Nobody can comprehend how terrifying it was for me. Lydia didn’t, or any of the others, they had no idea. The only one who has ever understood is Becky, she’s the only one.’

Sasha looked at her carefully. ‘Becky died, Karin.’

‘Yes.’ Karin swallowed. ‘Look, I want to help, but I don’t know who’s taken Sammi and Lucas and I don’t know why all these bad things are happening. I wish they weren’t, how I wish they weren’t.’ She pulled her bag tightly over her shoulder. ‘I’ve got to get to work.’

‘I’ve got to go to the school myself, do you want a lift?’

‘No, I’ll go my own way.’ Karin turned away. ‘As I always have.’

39

The Inspire Drug Support Centre was situated in an office above two shops off the High Street in Basildon.

The downstairs door was unlocked when Craig and Lolly stepped over the small pile of post on the mat to climb the steep, narrow stairs. Lydia had met her mysterious boyfriend at the centre, Sasha had told Craig, and his details could be on file there.

‘Hello?’ called Lolly, and a bulky middle-aged man in a denim jacket and jeans appeared at the top of the stairs holding a cloth and a bottle of furniture cleaner.

‘Can I help you?’ he asked, looking surprised.