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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

‘Morning, morning!’ Sasha walked into the Major Incident Team’s suite of offices at the police station on Victoria Avenue, regally twirling her fingers. ‘Please don’t get up, not on my account.’

‘Hi, Sash,’ called Lolly Chambers. ‘You’re looking a billion dollars.’

‘Bless you, Lols.’

Sasha mostly wore the same black trouser suit or jacket and skirt combo from Marks and Sparks every day, but this morning the addition of a smart fitted shirt and dark slim tie, and a pair of shiny black-and-white brogues, gave her a two-tone look.

She dumped her bag and shrugged off her jacket, draping it over the back of her chair. While she waited for her computer to wake up, she rearranged a few things on her desk to her satisfaction – her pot of pens, the photo of her kids, a ball of coloured rubber bands – and kicked her feet out of her shoes. From the bottom drawer she took a packet of salt and vinegar crisps and opened it, absently snacking while she typed in her password.

‘You’re going to ruin it.’ Ajay de Vaz picked up the jacket from the floor where it had fallen and hung it on a coat stand. ‘Sorry about last night. The last time I intentionally flirted with a woman I would have been blackout.’

She popped a crisp into her mouth. ‘You were kind of intense.’

‘The occasion got to me. My wheelie bin goes out more than me.’ He shrugged. ‘Tell me about Sammi Manning.’

Sasha gathered her thoughts. ‘The parents are going out of their minds with worry, but Sammi doesn’t appear to be in a vulnerable, high-risk group.’

She checked her phone – it was approaching midday – and hoped that by the time she’d finished the risk assessment, Sammi would already have returned home. Call it magical thinking, but stranger things had happened.

‘I sense a but coming on.’

She picked up a biro and tapped it against her chin. ‘What do you know about the Bad Place?’

‘I saw the film about it on Netflix.’ Lolly Chambers spun in her chair. ‘It’s brill, but a bit disturbing.’

‘I don’t have a television,’ Ajay told her. ‘But everyone knows about the Bad Place.’

‘To think, I wasn’t even born when it happened,’ said Lolly.

‘But of course you weren’t.’ A day didn’t go by when Sasha wasn’t reminded she was years older than most of the youths in the office.

‘And it all happened in Southend!’ Lolly pronounced it Sarfend. ‘Who’d have believed it?’

‘By the way, don’t think I’ve forgotten your promise.’ Ajay stabbed a warning finger at Sasha’s packet of Walkers as if it was strychnine. ‘Those are no good for you.’