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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

The top of the head of the man he was pursuing was just visible in the garden ahead as he lunged at the next fence. But it was old and rotten and crashed to the ground beneath him, sending him tumbling into the next garden.

A yapping dog ran from a back door; Craig glimpsed a brown thing with short legs rocketing towards him, and he picked himself up and went for the next fence. The dog leapt at his leg and tore his jeans, the growling animal hanging at his ankle until he finally managed to shake it off. He twisted over into the next garden, where he trampled through the flower beds. The target was already climbing over a wall ahead.

Adrenaline kept him going. He reached that last brick wall and managed to scramble up it. His fingers straining to get a grip, feet scrabbling to find purchase on the dusty brick.

Exhausted, he fell in a heap on a grass verge, found himself back on a street. The guy was still ahead of him, limping down the middle of the road – he’d done himself some damage. Craig pressed his hands into the grass and staggered to his feet. He heard voices behind him, officers rushing around the corner.

Long legs pumping, letting out short, sharp breaths, sweat pouring down his back, Craig was determined to get to the man first. This was why he’d become a copper, not sitting in a bloody office all day.

He was gaining on the target. And then a car came down the road from the other direction, and it screeched to a halt in front of the man, who fell against the bonnet and rebounded off it, landing lightly on his feet, and ran back towards Craig, who was ready to charge him to the ground.

But the man swerved at the last moment, Craig misjudged his momentum, and they clashed shoulders. He spun in the air and rolled along the road, and by the time he came to a stop, Lolly was grappling with the guy, pressing his face into the tarmac and handcuffing him. Within moments, he was surrounded by other officers.

Craig picked himself up from the floor, smacking gravel off his grazed palms.

‘You were lucky,’ he told Lolly. ‘I did all the hard work.’

‘It’s about being in the right place at the right time, mate.’

Arriving on the scene, Sasha was panting from the exertion. She placed her hands on her knees, getting her breath. ‘Give me… a minute.’

‘You do not have to say anything.’ Lolly pulled the man to his feet. ‘But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’

Finally straightening up, Sasha looked at the man, and her eyes opened wide.

‘It’s you.’ She shook her head in amazement. ‘I know you.’

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