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

Sasha watched her. ‘When will the blackmailer be expecting the payment?’

‘This afternoon,’ said Michelle, replacing the vodka in the bag. ‘There’s a usual place I leave it. But I suppose you’ll probably want me to refuse to pay this time.’

‘Oh no,’ said Sasha. ‘You’re going to pay the money as usual. And we’ll be there when you do.’

14

Sitting at her desk, Sasha spied Vaughn’s giant figure striding through the room. He gave her the briefest of glances and disappeared into his office.

‘Wish me luck,’ she said under her breath. Lolly gave her a look, meant to be sympathetic, which only fuelled Sasha’s anxiety. She picked up a slim folder from her desk and knocked on his door.

‘Come in.’ Vaughn nodded to the chair in front of his desk. He picked up a remote and pointed it at a television in the corner. The screen flared into life and there, on a rolling news channel, was the press conference in all its hideous glory. Sasha saw the reporters pressing around Michelle, pointing their recording equipment in her face as she announced, ‘You know me, and you know what happened to me.’

Michelle spoke about the reward money and the cameras swung greedily back and forth between her and the Mannings, who looked shocked and upset.

‘Do we have to watch it?’ said Sasha. ‘I don’t need to see it again.’

But Vaughn didn’t make any attempt to turn it off.

‘Here comes the best part.’

The cameras whipped back again just in time to see Jessica scream at Michelle and scramble along the table to get out of the room, followed by Alan and Sasha. Cringing, Sasha reached down to massage one ankle so she didn’t have to look at the screen, and realized she was barefooted.

‘You want to tell me what the hell happened there?’ Freezing the image of Michelle with her mouth open, Vaughn threw down the remote. ‘It’s all over the television and radio. It’s trending on Twitter and other social media sites.’

‘I suppose you could say that where a missing girl is concerned, all publicity is good—’

‘I’m talking.’ He climbed out from behind his desk and began to pace. ‘We’re a laughing stock. The Super is almost deranged with anger. The Baden Place connection is making everyone upstairs nervous. It wasn’t exactly the force’s finest moment, a girl was murdered in cold blood because of police bungling. And you gave that Dormand woman a platform to remind the whole world.’

‘I made an error of judgement, Vaughn. She should never have been allowed to attend the press conference. I’ve let you down.’ She stood. ‘And if you have no confidence in me, the best thing is that I step aside and allow someone else to run the investigation.’