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Back The Bad Place
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

‘He’s a person of interest in a police investigation,’ said Craig, wondering if the old man knew what they were talking about. Peter Carrington’s jaw jerked occasionally, but other than that he was unresponsive.

‘How long will he stay?’

‘An hour, forty-five minutes, perhaps?’

‘I need you to go downstairs and tell me when he’s on his way up.’ Craig took out a card with his number on it. ‘Don’t treat him any differently on the way in, don’t come up with him, and don’t let anyone else up either. For the time being, this floor is off limits.’

‘Shall I tell him you’re here?’

‘Just let me know as soon as he gets into the lift.’

She grabbed the handles of the old man’s wheelchair, intending to move him, but Craig told her, ‘There’s no time for that.’

When she had gone, Craig took out his phone and called Lolly. He left the room, listening to the soft boom of the lift’s mechanics as the nurse headed to reception, and walked along the corridor in the opposite direction. It turned a corner, leading to a stairwell. He stood there, out of sight of the lift, waiting for her to answer the phone. Peeking around the corner, he heard the elevator reach the ground floor, saw the green downwards arrow above the door turn to ‘G’.

Lolly’s voice was brisk. ‘DC Chambers.’

‘I need you to get some units to the Tarpley Care Home.’ His heart raced. ‘I think I may have our man.’

‘Who?’ she asked. ‘The abductor?’

‘Yeah.’ He heard the lift door close downstairs. ‘Ian Carrington is our friend Jon Wilson. Just get here now, he’s coming to see his father, and has no idea I’m here. Whatever you do, don’t come in all sirens wailing. When he goes into the room, I’ll meet you in reception.’

‘Okay, mate,’ said Lolly. ‘Just wait till we get there.’

‘Will do.’

‘On the way!’

He killed the call, looked around the corner, saw the LED display above the lift change from ‘G’ to an upwards-pointing arrow. The lift began to ascend. Craig’s phone flashed silently and the nurse said, ‘He’s on his way.’

‘Thanks. Just to repeat, nobody comes up.’

Craig put the phone away and waited. The lift door opened at the end of the hallway and he heard the soft pad of feet on the carpet. Pressed against the wall, he held his breath, worried that Carrington could somehow sense his presence. There was a long moment when he couldn’t hear a thing, and part of him was tempted to sneak a look, but then the door to Peter Carrington’s room opened. He heard a voice say, ‘Hi, Dad, it’s me!’ The door closed.