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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

‘And you’ll be Becky,’ he said softly. The girl’s eyes bulged with terror, please help me, as Swann’s trembling hand held the long, glinting blade to her white neck. ‘Don’t you worry, dear, we’re all going to walk out of here soon enough.’

‘Stay back!’ yelled Jerry Swann. ‘You keep away!’

‘It doesn’t have to be like this, Jerry. Let the girl go so we can discuss everything, man to man.’

Carrington heard a flutter of fear in his own voice. His vision was blurred, sweat was pouring into his eyes despite the cold of the basement, and he wiped it away with his sleeve.

‘You-don-unerstan.’ Agitated, Swann moved from foot to foot, pulling the girl with him. But his words were almost unrecognizable because of the tears and snot now pouring into his mouth. ‘I-do-i-fo-er!’

‘Sorry, Jerry, I didn’t catch that.’ Carrington was desperately playing for time. He wished he knew the right thing to say; that his mind was clear, and he hadn’t stayed in the pub for so long. ‘Slow down, son, take all the time you need, tell me again.’

But Swann kept crying. The girl’s petrified gaze never left Carrington’s face. Knife pressed to her throat, her body juddered, and her mouth was open wide in a silent scream.

Carrington wanted to make her feel better, convince her she was going to be safe, but all he could do was gently wave his fingers as if to say, everything’s going to work out.

‘Jerry, please, put the knife down and then we can have a proper chat. You can tell me anything you like, but let’s not do it like this.’

‘I-doin-fo-her!’

‘Say again, Jerry!’

Swann roared. ‘I’m… doing it… for… her!’

When Carrington looked into the man’s small eyes, swivelling crazily in their sockets, he saw fear and desperation.

‘The girl doesn’t deserve this.’ Seeing Jerry Swann hesitate, Carrington stepped forward. ‘Put it down.’

Swann looked in shock at the blade, as if he had realized for the first time it was in his hand, and began to lower it.

Carrington dared to breathe. ‘That’s right, Jerry, just put it on the floor.’

But then the armed officer stepped into the room with his weapon raised and Swann cried out in alarm. The knife flashed back in front of the girl’s face.

And in that instant Peter Carrington felt the situation slip out of his control. ‘No, no – no!’

He stumbled forward in a panic.

Swann clamped a hand around Becky’s forehead and yanked it back, exposing her soft neck. He shouted across the room. ‘This is for you, my love!’

Carrington flung out an arm—

‘Jerry, no!’

—as the glinting blade jerked across the girl’s throat.

2

Twenty-Six Years Later

‘Perhaps we should eat soon, before it gets too late.’