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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

‘I’ll take you down.’ He lifted the knife from the sink, but all its terrible power over her was gone. She knew there was no need to be scared of it, or of him. Because Jerry hadn’t murdered anyone, and she believed he never would, he simply wasn’t capable of it. Karin and the others could all walk out of this place right now.

But she wasn’t ready to go yet.

When they left this bad place, their lives would change, the world would return to normal, she didn’t know when she would next get to see Becky, and Karin was desperate to spend just a bit longer with her.

That’s all she wanted, just a bit longer.

Just one more night and then they would all go home.

57

Lolly was running out of the lift when her phone rang and Ajay said in a low, urgent voice, ‘Where are you?’

‘Here now!’ She pulled open the glass doors and rushed into the office to find DCI Vaughn standing in the middle of the room barking orders at the Major Incident Team.

‘What have I missed?’ she whispered to Ajay.

‘Nearly everything.’

‘Who have we got at Ian Carrington’s house?’ Vaughn asked the assembled detectives, analysts and officers.

Lolly put up her hand. ‘Crai… DC Power is on his way there now, sir.’

‘How is he?’ Vaughn asked.

‘Raring to go.’ She cringed inside at not telling Vaughn the full extent of Craig’s injuries, but didn’t fancy being on the end of one of the DCI’s legendary tellings-off. ‘He’s expecting your call.’

Vaughn thrust a piece of paper into her hand with a name and number on it. ‘This is Ian Carrington’s estranged wife, speak to her now, find out as much as you can about the man in the next twenty minutes.’

‘I’ll do it,’ said another detective as Lolly tried to untangle the knotted lead of her phone headset.

‘No, DC Chambers has a talent for people.’ Vaughn clapped his hands. ‘You all know what you’re doing, get on with it.’

‘One more question, sir,’ said one of the civilian researchers. ‘Where’s DI Dawson?’

A cloud passed across his face. ‘That’s a good question. Unfortunately, right at this moment, your guess is as good as mine.’ He gave Lolly an intense look as she struggled with the headset. ‘As soon as you can, DC Chambers. DS de Vaz, with me.’

Ajay followed Vaughn into the meeting room – despite the sweltering heat inside, they closed the door to keep out the noise of the fierce activity coming from the incident room – and punched a number into the call conferencing device that squatted like a crab at the centre of the table.

‘I’m here,’ said Craig, immediately picking up at the other end.