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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

‘Bound to happen sooner or later, innit, I’m always getting myself into stupid situations. I’ll call Ajay and tell him you’re okay. But when he sees that face of yours, he ain’t gonna agree.’ One of the staff came over with a first-aid kit, snapping on disposable gloves. ‘I’ll tell them you’ve gone straight to Carrington’s home.’

She was about to walk off when he reached out to touch her. ‘Thanks, Lols, I really thought I was a goner.’

‘Oh, Craigy.’ She smiled up at him, feeling his fingertips brush against hers. ‘You don’t have to fank me. I mean, you did all the hard work.’

55

‘He has my daughter, he’s got Angel.’ The phone was laid on the passenger seat of her Spider as Sasha pulled to the kerb. When she still hadn’t got a response on the speaker, she put it to her ear. ‘Are you still there?’

Parked at the end of the street with the roof up, Sasha could see the front of Karin’s house, with part of the bay window boarded up where Craig had smashed it. A couple of reporters were standing outside now, but thankfully they didn’t see her.

Karin said, ‘I’m very sorry.’

‘He told me that if I want to see her alive, I have to bring you to him.’

‘Who?’

‘His name is Ian Carrington, he’s the son of Peter Carrington, the detective who was in charge of the Bad Place investigation. Do you know him, Karin? Have you ever met him?’

‘The son?’ Karin sounded bewildered. ‘Why would I?’

The way Carrington had spoken had left Sasha in no doubt that he was prepared to kill – and more than capable of doing it. All her training screamed to her that she should call it in, hand it over to Vaughn and her team, let them take charge, but her instinct – her terror for her daughter – had led her here. Talking to Karin now, she felt weirdly calm.

‘He told me to bring you to him, said if I involved any of my colleagues he’ll kill Sammi, Lucas… and Angel.’

‘You said he wants me,’ said Karin. ‘So take me to him.’

Sasha was finding it physically difficult to breathe. It was baking inside the cramped car with the roof up, and she was scared. ‘I can’t ask you to do this, but she’s my baby…’

‘I understand. We’ll bring them home together, I promise.’ The curtains moved in Karin’s bedroom. ‘I can see you. I’m coming out.’

The line went dead. Sasha squirmed in the heat. Her mind whirled with thoughts of Angel held against her will, petrified, vulnerable, bewildered, and she had to force herself to remember Sammi and Lucas too.