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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

‘So our main suspect covered his tracks in front of you both!’ Sasha didn’t want to blow her top in the middle of the office, it wasn’t her style, but she was seething. ‘As you know, Craig, I’m not the kind of person who goes about pointing fingers. But, in the circumstances, it would be nice if, just this one time, you tried to show just a tiny bit of contrition.’

Craig stared at his shoes.

‘Sasha, I’m so sorry,’ said Lolly. ‘I’m mortified.’

Sasha jabbed a finger towards Vaughn’s empty office. ‘Earlier today I was singing your praises to the DCI, telling him what a good bunch you are, how professional and dedicated and bright. What on earth am I meant to say to him about this?’

‘I really am—’

‘Lolly.’ She chopped the air with a hand. ‘I don’t want to hear it, I’m so very annoyed right now. Nobody breathe a word of this to DCI Vaughn. Let me do it. Goodness knows I’m already in the doghouse.’

‘His personal details may also be kept on computer there,’ said Ajay, tactfully filling the tense silence. ‘You know how these local authorities are with data protection, but he’ll have been referred. There’ll be a digital trail.’

‘All his details will probably be false anyway.’

‘Bring me solutions, Craig, not problems,’ snapped Sasha.

‘I’ll get back to them.’

‘No. Lolly’s already spoken to someone there, she can do it. I want you to talk to Ian Carrington about his father’s memories of the Bad Place.’

‘You already did that.’

‘And came away with nothing, which was a mistake. Peter Carrington told Jim Haskell that he didn’t trust Karin McCarthy’s version of what happened when they escaped from the cellar, that Becky escaped and was recaptured by Swann. The likelihood is that he also told his son, Ian, of his suspicions, so let’s leave no stone unturned.’

‘He might not even be there.’

‘Ian Carrington told me he saw his old man most afternoons.’

‘Anyone could go and do that.’

‘It’ll get your shorthand speed up.’

‘You’re sidelining me,’ said Craig. Ajay nudged Lolly’s elbow, let’s leave them to it, and together they sloped off. ‘I’m sorry about what happened at the drug centre, but it wasn’t just my fault.’

‘We’ll discuss that later,’ she said shortly, thinking of Sammi, thinking of Lucas, and how she was letting them down again. ‘Right now I need you to go there and come back with as much information as you can.’

Her face was like thunder and Craig knew better than to push it, so he walked off in a huff, whipping his jacket brusquely off the back of his chair.

Sasha stomped over to Ajay. ‘I went too far.’

‘They fucked up, they deserved it.’

‘I’ll stay.’