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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

She pressed the button. Put the phone to her ear.

‘Yes?’

‘Is that Karin…?’ The woman’s voice was deep – and familiar. Becky would be older now, a grown person, and she’d sound like this…

‘This is DI Sasha Dawson.’

Karin realized she’d been holding her breath and exhaled slowly.

‘Yes.’ She closed her eyes. ‘DI Dawson, of course.’

She’d been utterly deluded to even think that… for one stupid moment she’d let herself believe the impossible.

Of course it wasn’t Becky. It could never be Becky. Because she was dead, she was surely dead.

‘Do you mind coming into the station?’ said the detective.

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Simon Parkin has been arrested, it’ll be easier to explain when you arrive.’

‘Simon?’

‘He’s asked to see you.’

Karin told Sasha Dawson she was on her way and tidied her things. And when she pulled her bag over her shoulder, she looked at the message again.

i miss U ♥ ♥

BeXxx

It seemed impossible. But sometimes, surely, miracles did happen.

Becky was back.

She had returned.

18

Accompanied by Craig, Karin spoke to Simon in the interview room, which gave Sasha the opportunity to catch up on a few things in the office. A string of urgent emails had arrived, including the details of the calls swapped between Sammi and the mysterious burner phone prior to her disappearance, and she clicked it open.

A total of fourteen messages were sent over several weeks, four months ago, but they were all short statements, curt and anonymous, please meet me at such a place, at such a time, as if the mystery correspondent was careful to avoid any personal details; and Sammi, probably under instruction, had replied in terse textspeak, ok, c u.

‘Lols,’ Sasha called across the office, ‘I’m mailing you a list of locations Sammi met her mystery caller, in Westcliff, Leigh and Priory Park. See if you can get any CCTV coverage on those dates and times.’

Then she listened to a phone message from a man who said he was the son of Peter Carrington, the detective who had led the search for the missing teenagers during the Bad Place investigation. Ajay had found a contact number for Ian Carrington, who had phoned Sasha directly. He said his father was living in a nursing home and that she was very welcome to visit him, but that he would have to be in attendance. If Carrington Senior was still the charming individual she remembered from her single encounter with him on the night of Becky’s murder, she would welcome his son being there. He gave her the address and told her tomorrow morning would be a convenient time to visit.

As soon as she heard that Karin had left the interview room, Sasha pulled her jacket from the back of her chair and went downstairs.