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

‘If the cap fits,’ Sasha spat. ‘I could just about accept it if you told me the truth, but you lied, you said this was all Tilly’s fault. And all the while you were sending her nasty messages. I saw them, Angel, and they’re disgusting!’

‘She sent me texts, too! Why are you taking her side in this?’

‘Sending vile texts, calling her names, isolating her from other friends. Chasing her home! This isn’t you!’

‘Nobody likes Tilly, she’s not cool.’

‘She’s not cool?’ Sasha snorted. ‘Who the hell do you think you are? Listen to yourself. You and Tilly were good friends, best friends, you loved her like a sister, and it hurts me to see how you could be so hateful.’

‘How would you know who I am? You’re never here! You’re always working. Some days I don’t even see you, because you’re out of the house before I’m up and come home when I’ve gone to bed!’

Sasha gave herself a moment before she said anything else she would regret. ‘I’m sorry about that, but there are two children missing, kids the same age as you, and their parents are very distraught.’

‘Then maybe I should go missing,’ said Angel, in floods. ‘Maybe then you would finally pay more attention to me!’

Sasha gasped. ‘I can’t believe you’ve said that.’

‘If the cap fits!’ spat her daughter in bitter triumph. ‘If I had normal parents, you know, who wanted to spend actual time with their actual daughter, a mother who actually liked me and a dad who wasn’t going la la, maybe it wouldn’t have happened. You think I’m a bad person, you think I’m as bad as those criminals you love putting in jail so much!’

Sasha tried to take the heat out of the confrontation, but knew it was too late. ‘I don’t think you’re a bad person but I think you’ve been swept along by a bad crowd.’

‘You think I’m a weak bitch! Well, you know what, it takes one to know one!’

‘That’s enough,’ Sasha screamed.

The doorbell rang and Sasha stomped past her daughter and down the hallway, hoping it was Kev. But she recognized the shadow on the other side of the stained-glass immediately and the door swung open to reveal Nelson. She saw with a bitter satisfaction that his nose was red and swollen.

‘You realize the whole street can hear you,’ he told her.

‘Fuck off, Nelson,’ she replied.

But then Angel pushed past her.

‘And where do you think you’re going?’

‘To see friends!’ her daughter said over her shoulder. ‘What do you care, anyway?’

‘Come back here, please!’ Sasha called. ‘Right now!’