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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

Jim made a sarcastic face. ‘Even as a teenager that Karin was as needy as hell. Clingy like you wouldn’t believe. Always around our house, turning up out of the blue, hanging around like a bad smell. She’d go into a meltdown if Becky even said hello to someone else. I told my sister, Becky luv, get rid, or you’ll be stuck with her for ever. But she didn’t want to upset the girl, because that was the kind of person she was, she was too nice.’

‘Karin isn’t on trial here,’ Sasha reminded him. ‘We’re here to talk about why you broke into her house and assaulted her.’

‘I’m not pleased with myself, I lost control, but you could say the ends justify the means. I went there with the most honest of intentions. To try to get her to come clean about the disappearance of those kids. But when I got there—’

‘And broke in,’ said Craig.

‘When I walked around her nice little house, full of her nice little things, all the knick-knacks and personal items, it made me angry,’ said Jim. ‘Because those are the kind of things Becky will never enjoy. She’ll never have pretty things, she’ll never have items to love and cherish. And I found a photo of Becky in her bedroom. Her photo – in that woman’s bedroom!’ He grimaced. ‘And it made me feel sick. So, yeah, I got angry, and with good reason, and when she came home I lost it. I’m not proud of it. But maybe I could have found out where those two kids are, if you hadn’t turned up. If I had, you’d be treating me like a hero right now, instead of a criminal.’

‘You’re going to be charged with criminal damage and assault. Was it worth it, Mr Haskell, just to frighten an innocent woman?’

‘Innocent?’ He clucked his tongue in distaste. ‘Do me a favour. She’s guilty of something. Everyone knows it.’

‘Who’s everyone?’ asked Sasha.

‘There are others like me. Journalists, true crime buffs, experts who have spent years studying this stuff. They all agree that something about the Bad Place stinks.’

‘And you’re in contact with these people?’ asked Craig.

‘I get letters and emails from around the world. There are forums, online places you can go where it’s all they talk about. There are some very strange types out there, let me tell you, but also people devoted to uncovering the truth about why my sister died.’

‘And how far would you go to find out the truth, Mr Haskell?’

He smirked. ‘You’re trying to pin that murder on me now? Nice try, luv, but I was tucked up in bed with the wife.’