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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

But Ian moved surprisingly fast, and he was strong too, grabbing the lapels of Craig’s jacket and swinging him. Craig’s feet lifted off the floor and he smashed into the door. All the breath left his chest, and before he could get his wits together, the ground rushed away from him again and he was pushed face first into the door of the cabinet. The glass shattered. He felt a sharp stab of pain just below his eye as a shard pierced his cheek. The photos clattered to the floor as he crashed into them, and then his body was wrenched in a different direction.

Stunned, unable to get his wits together, Craig was pulled towards the open window two storeys above the ground.

51

As soon as Ursula saw Sasha come in the door, she took off the apron and folded it, offering it to her daughter in a kind of formal handing-over ceremony. Sasha threw it on the stairs.

‘It’s all too exciting for me here,’ her mother said.

Her cardigan was folded neatly over the handle of her trolley case by the door and she was wearing shoes, not her slippers.

Sasha didn’t like the idea of her mum just upping and leaving, going goodness knows where – to her useless sister’s or even making herself homeless. ‘You can stay, you know you can. I didn’t mean what I said last night, I was just a bit stressed.’

‘Your mum doesn’t feel welcome here.’ She heard the slap of sandals on the parquet and then saw her father walking from the kitchen with a mug of coffee. He wore his usual cargo shorts and baggy top and his deep tan was mahogany against the white walls and china mug.

‘Dad!’ she said, surprised. ‘You’re here! Is Angel home?’

‘I’m sure she’ll turn up,’ said Ursula. ‘Once she’s stopped sulking.’

‘Do you mind both hanging on till she gets back?’

‘We’d rather not. I’d like to get home as soon as possible. To be honest, my nerves are frazzled. There’s an unhealthy tension in this house.’

‘I’ll bring the car round.’ Her father drained the mug, placed it in Sasha’s hand and patted her on the cheek. ‘Goodbye, sweetheart. She’s coming home with me. Thanks for having the old girl, but be nicer to your mum next time, aye?’