BooksBarbecue
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

‘You can’t possibly think I had anything to do with it?’

‘I’ll tell you what I think. I think you and those other freaks from the Bad Place are tainted, cursed, that’s what I think.’ Jessica spoke with a quiet viciousness that made Michelle flinch, and then she and Alan left the room.

There was a terrible silence as Michelle dug in her bag for a hankie. Sasha offered tissues from a box and Michelle pulled out a couple.

‘I’ll wait till the press has gone.’ Michelle dabbed at her eyes, smearing the black rivulets of mascara running down her face. ‘And then I’ll go.’

‘I’ll get you a car.’

‘My BMW is in the car park.’

‘If there’s anything I need to know about your relationship to the Mannings,’ said Sasha, ‘now is the time to tell me.’

‘There’s nothing.’ Michelle waved her away. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

‘We should at least discuss what just happened.’

‘If you want to talk to me, arrest me.’ Michelle lifted her hands in exasperation. ‘Lock me up, interrogate me, otherwise I’m going to leave.’

‘Nobody’s talking about arresting you,’ Sasha said. ‘I just want to clarify a few things.’

‘Not now!’

Michelle Dormand, it seemed to Sasha, wasn’t a person who much liked being asked to do something she didn’t want to. She left the room briskly, reappearing in the doorway a few moments later.

‘I’m lost,’ she said. ‘How do I get out?’

On the way to the exit, Sasha tried again to ask about her relationship with the Mannings, but Michelle ignored her.

Sasha touched her Essex Police ID on her lanyard to the pad beside the exit. It unlocked with a click, and she pressed the push bar to open it. Michelle stomped towards her BMW, heels clipping quickly on the hot concrete, fishing frantically in her bag for her key fob. Sasha was just about to go back inside when she saw Michelle take something off the windscreen – a piece of paper – and read it. She looked around the car park.

And then collapsed to the ground.

Sasha ran towards Michelle, placing her in the recovery position as other people rushed over to help. As they slowly brought her round, she saw the sheet of paper flutter away in the breeze, sliding beneath cars. She chased it across the car park and stamped her foot down to capture it.

When she picked it up, she saw written, in thick black capitals:

5K. THE USUAL PLACE

13

‘She’s my girl,’ said Michelle, placing a tissue to her nose and blowing. ‘Sammi is my baby.’

‘You’re her godmother, of course you’re going to be upset.’

‘You don’t understand,’ Michelle said. ‘She’s my daughter, my flesh and blood.’

Sasha glanced up at Lolly just in time to see her jaw snap shut.