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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

Sasha studied him. The man she’d chased into the arcade was tall. Jim Haskell was of average height and sliding badly into middle-age, with a bulging beer gut. He didn’t look like he could run more than twelve yards on a good day.

‘Look, what can I say? You got me bang to rights for the assault and the criminal damage – I hold my hands up to that, it was a moment of madness – but can I go now? There are some media interviews I’ve lined up for this afternoon.’

Sasha smiled across the table. ‘There are certain administrative procedures to complete before you can go but I’m afraid our custody officers are rushed off their feet this afternoon. I’m sure they’ll get around to you eventually.’

48

Before Karin’s interview, Sasha stood outside the room texting her mother to find out if Angel had come home, but sensed Craig pacing restlessly behind her.

‘Out with it.’

‘I’m a trained investigative interviewer, I’ve got all my accreditation,’ he said. ‘It sends off the wrong signals if you’re always in there with me.’

She glanced up. ‘Earlier you said I was the best boss in the world.’

‘There’s a problem here,’ he said.

‘Wait, let me just do this.’ She finished the text, considered it, then deleted the whole thing. There was no point in sending it, her mother probably hadn’t even turned on her mobile in five years. ‘And what’s the problem?’

He turned away. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘Come on, Craig.’ She dropped the phone back in her bag. ‘Don’t go coy on me now.’

‘Nobody doubts your dedication or determination.’ He jerked his head towards the room where Karin sat waiting. ‘But in the circumstances, ma’am, I think it’s best if you leave this interview to me.’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh, it’s ma’am now, is it? And you were so lovely earlier.’

‘You and Karin McCarthy, you have a history with her. Maybe you don’t see her clearly enough.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Everyone knows you met her on the night of Becky Haskell’s death. You feel like you let her down.’

‘Oh dear, this is like that time we fell out over Brexit.’ She tried to keep her reply amiable but felt herself bristling at the suggestion. ‘Thank you for your input, Craig, or since we’re being so formal about it, Detective Constable Power, but I’m afraid this will be an argument you’ll lose, what with me outranking you and everything. And, just for the record, I’m not distracted in the slightest.’

Her phone rang and she saw it was her mother.

‘I’m going to have to take this,’ she said quickly and touched the screen. ‘Yes, Mum.’

‘You’ll be glad to know I’m leaving.’