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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

‘Swann killed her,’ Sasha told him. ‘He’s the only one responsible.’

‘And he died – he never faced justice for what he did. He was never able to tell us how the Haskell girl came to be in that cellar, how she was there but those others managed to escape. Nobody’s ever answered that question. Why was she there?’

‘Swann must have chased after her, caught her…’ Sasha glanced at Karin, who stared down at the floor. ‘And dragged her back there.’

Ian shook his head. ‘I made it my business to find out where the blame lay, I did the job that you people should have done. I ingratiated myself with Paul and Lydia, using different identities, of course.’

‘You encouraged Paul to groom Sammi Manning.’

He shrugged. ‘It didn’t take long to discover what a pathetic man he is, with a certain predilection for young girls, and of no use to me. It was easy enough to set him up. In the same way, I rather enjoyed mowing down Simon when he got in my way.’

‘You gave him the burner phone to keep in contact with Sammi.’ She glanced at the girl. ‘And then used it to lure Sammi on the night you snatched her.’

‘I practically told him on which night to throw the phone away and where. He has a highly suggestible personality.’

‘And you murdered Lydia.’

‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘That’s not true, but her death is of no consequence to me, they all bear responsibility for what happened to Dad. Michelle, Simon, Paul, none of those other survivors knew how the Haskell girl came to be in that cellar, but their ignorance made them culpable. And I got to the truth, eventually, because Lydia knew who was to blame for the girl’s death, and my father’s disgrace.’ His eyes slid to Karin. ‘Isn’t that right?’

‘What do you want?’

Ian snarled. ‘You got Becky killed, you destroyed my father and my family, you have got away with your deception all these years. I’m going to show the world just what you’re capable of.’

Sasha said, ‘Ian, we can get you help—’

‘Shut up!’ He stepped behind Angel and grabbed a fistful of hair, pulling back her head to hold the knife at her throat.

Sasha lifted her hands in terror. ‘No, I’m sorry! Please, you don’t have to do that, Ian, I won’t interrupt again.’

The knife trembled at Angel’s throat for a moment and then Ian rested it on her shoulder.