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

‘Bloody hell, Sasha,’ he snapped. ‘I told you to go home and relax – the last thing we needed is for your rowdy party to go viral. Two teenagers are missing! One of them was snatched outside a school in broad daylight – a bloody school! – and now Lydia Tide is dead. I’ve got parents and politicians and journalists calling every two minutes. I keep repeating that I’ve got my top team on the case, but I’m beginning to wonder. Come on, Sasha, get your bloody act together.’

She spoke quickly. ‘One of my daughter’s friends filmed the video on her phone. Yes, it makes for uncomfortable viewing, and yes, I’m deeply embarrassed, but Kev was let off with a caution and it’ll all be forgotten in a day or two. Reprimand me, replace me, do whatever you want, but you’re right about one thing.’ She jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the incident room. ‘That is a top team out there, Vaughn. They’re dedicated professionals and I can assure you they’re all working flat out.’

Vaughn sighed heavily. ‘Replacing you will send off all the wrong signals. But you need to get some traction on this investigation.’

She nodded. ‘Shall I go now?’

‘Yes,’ he told her. ‘Please do.’

But Sasha hesitated at the door, eager to get one thing off her chest. ‘Just so you know, it wasn’t a rowdy party, it was a quiet family barbecue.’

He stared at her and she shut the door quickly. When she got back to Ajay and the others, she said tensely, ‘You have my undivided attention.’

‘The post-mortem revealed contusions on Lydia’s arms and shoulders where someone grabbed her,’ continued Ajay as if nothing had happened. ‘She died from a traumatic brain injury hitting her head against the wall. She was injected after she died.’

‘Time?’

‘The pathologist estimates around midnight.’

‘A neighbour said he was walking his dog past her flat at about a quarter to midnight,’ said Craig. ‘And heard her arguing with someone inside.’

‘A man or a woman?’

‘They didn’t hear, but another neighbour said she saw a woman walking across the estate at around the same time. The neighbour said she recognized her from the television coverage.’

‘Fucksticks,’ said Lolly.

‘Karin!’ Sasha exclaimed. Karin McCarthy’s name kept cropping up again and again. First, in the disappearance of Sammi and Lucas, and now as a person of interest in what was about to become a murder investigation. Her butter-wouldn’t-melt act was wearing very thin. ‘Craig, go and pick her up.’

He was about to leave when she shoved her feet back in her shoes. ‘Wait, I’m coming with you.’

Sasha had cut Karin enough slack, she’d bring her in herself.

45

The message arrived just as Karin was turning the key in the lock.

did u kill Lyds? 😥