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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 couldn’t believe it, I couldn’t wake her… she was dead. It was just my luck.’ Michelle pulled tissues from a holder on the desk to soak up the tears clinging to her lashes. ‘I had the heroin on me, in a little wrap thing, but I didn’t have the faintest clue what to do with it, so I had to look it up on my phone, one of those idiot guides on how to prepare and inject it. And then I didn’t have a syringe, so I had to search the flat, looking here and there, and I found one at the back of a drawer, because that’s just typical of Lydia’s bad faith to have kept one, just in case. I followed the instructions and injected it, I stuck it in, but I was shaking like a leaf. I suppose I made a terrible mess of it, yes? I bet I did.’ She sipped from the mug. ‘How did you…’

‘Your car was parked nearby and caught on camera,’ said Sasha. ‘And when the dealer was arrested on another matter, he gave us a description.’

‘I’ll be honest with you,’ Michelle sniffed, ‘it’s a weight off my mind that you know. I guess you’ll want me to come to the station. When shall we go?’

‘Let’s go now,’ said Sasha Dawson gently.

‘You had better read me my rights, that’s what happens, isn’t it?’

‘Michelle Dormand,’ intoned DC Craig Power, ‘you do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’

‘I could listen to your lovely voice all day,’ Michelle told him.

‘You may have to,’ said Craig.

‘Funny, too.’ Michelle drained her mug. ‘Jenny!’

Her assistant poked her head in the door. ‘Yes, Ms Dormand?’

‘I’m popping out, and… I may be some time.’

‘Yes, Ms Dormand.’

Michelle plopped bits and pieces back into the drawer of her desk and looked dismally at Sasha.

‘I had hoped that one day Sammi and I would be the best of friends. I had this dream that she would see me and think, there she is, there’s my real mum, and I’m so very, very proud of her. That’s not going to happen now, I suppose.’

63

‘He’s doing my head in! Mum, tell him to stop!’

‘You tell him,’ said Sasha, who’d been staring at the menu for what seemed like minutes.

‘Mum! He’s hitting me under the table.’

‘No, I’m not!’ said Denny in disgust. ‘Because if I did, my foot would rebound off your big, flabby knee and hit me in my own face.’

‘He’s lying,’ said Angel. ‘Ouch, he just did it again!’