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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

Craig followed Simon’s gaze over his shoulder. ‘Maybe you should think about getting a lawyer now. Or the only moon you’re going to be staring up at is Albert the Con’s hairy arse from the bottom bunk.’

Simon’s attention snapped back to Sasha. ‘I want to speak to Karin.’

Sasha smiled gently. ‘I’m afraid that’s not going to be possible.’

‘Get her here and I’ll tell you why I’ve been blackmailing Michelle.’

‘Why?’ Sasha asked. ‘Why is it so important to you that Karin comes here?’

He thought about it and then said quietly, ‘Because she’s my friend, the only one I’ve got.’

17

It was the last lesson of the day at River Hill School, and the final bell couldn’t come quick enough. Karin felt the buzz in the room, heard the whispers.

‘And, of course, the Stasi had many prisons where they locked up their political prisoners, innocent people who were degraded and subjected to intense psychological and physical abuse.’ She turned to the presentation on the whiteboard. ‘These places were little more than dungeons.’

‘Excuse me, miss?’ called one of the kids. ‘Do you have one of those?’

The chatter in the class grew more excited. Ignoring it, Karin picked up a textbook. ‘So if you’ll turn to page—’

‘Have you got one of those, miss?’ repeated the pupil, and she turned to see Charlie, one of the jokers in the class, with his arm raised.

‘Charlie.’ Karin felt queasy. ‘Do you have a question?’

‘Have you got a dungeon at your house, miss? Is that where you’re keeping that girl?’

The class erupted in raucous laughter and Charlie leaned back, satisfied with the hilarity he’d caused.

‘That’s enough.’ Karin waited until everyone had quietened down, but she knew they were waiting to hear what she would say in response.

People in the staff room knew who she was, of course they did, but it had been a long time since anyone had mentioned the Bad Place – to her face, at least. Now, the abduction of Sammi Manning, and Michelle’s connection to the girl, had dredged up the whole thing again. The Bad Place was once again on everyone’s lips. Her pupils hadn’t even been born when it had happened, and were oblivious of Karin’s history, but they knew now. They talked about it behind her back, giggled behind their hands when she passed in the corridor. And the teachers, too. Karin couldn’t help but notice the way her colleagues glanced at her in the staff room, as if she were suddenly a stranger.