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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

After fainting in the car park, Michelle had declined to go to hospital, insisting she was fine. ‘It’s been an upsetting day and that note was the final straw.’

‘Why don’t you go and get Michelle a hot drink?’ Sasha said to Lolly. When the DC reluctantly slipped out the door, Sasha waited patiently while Michelle shoved the soggy mess of tissue in a bin.

‘You see, me and Alan had a fling. It was a long time ago, well, over fifteen years, obviously. It’s difficult to believe now, but Alan was almost handsome back then, and really not so boring. He was a good listener and… he was there. I meet many men and they’re all so unreliable, but Alan has always been my constant. I think a little part of him is still in love with me, the poor thing. Anyway, things just happened. It didn’t last very long. Between you and me, he was absolutely useless in bed, but he was kind and tender and just what I needed at that time. And, of course, would you believe it, I became pregnant. I never thought I would have kids, never wanted them.’ She gave Sasha a brittle smile. ‘People don’t like it when you say that.’

Lolly returned and placed a white coffee on the table. It had come from the machine, so there was a swirling lump of foamy scum on the top, and Michelle pushed it away.

‘I don’t drink coffee, caffeine dries the skin. Do you have a chamomile or peppermint tea?’

Lolly picked it up again. ‘I’ll have a look.’

‘Alan and Jessica had been trying for a baby with no success – she has twisted tubes, nobody’s supposed to know that – and when she’d finally calmed down, we all realized there were benefits to the situation. It was agreed that I would give them… the baby. I thought I’d never see her again, my Sammi, I thought I’d never want to, but it was so hard. I found myself wondering what if. And in recent years, yes, I’ve been going there a lot, playing the fairy godmother, taking her shopping and for spa treatments. Jessica hates me taking an interest, but Sammi’s a lovely girl and a lot of fun, unlike her so-called mother.’ She ran a finger along the bottom of a teary eye. ‘What a lovely young person she’s grown into.’

‘Tell me about the blackmail,’ said Sasha. ‘How long has it been going on?’