BooksBarbecue
Back The Bad Place
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

Jim dug a finger into his mouth to dislodge a piece of fruit pulp from his back teeth. ‘That he lived and she died.’

‘May I ask what you need the money for?’ said Sasha.

‘Things.’

‘Things?’

‘You know, the essentials. Furniture, a car, a summer house, the occasional holiday. I like to take the family somewhere nice.’

Sasha looked around the big room at the PlayStation and Xbox beneath the TV, the Sonos sound system, and the leather sofas, which looked brand new; at the digital photo display, where images revolved of the Haskells on sandy beaches, ski slopes, at an ancient Asian temple and Universal Studios. All wearing nice clothes, designer gear. She thought of Simon, pounding a solitary coastal path with barely a penny to his name.

‘You get away a lot.’

‘Travel is good for the soul,’ Jim said. ‘But, you know, expensive.’

‘Why would Simon give you the money to pay for stuff like that?’ asked Craig, incredulous. ‘Holidays, a new shed.’

‘A summer house,’ corrected Jim. ‘Because Simon is an honourable man who believes he is at fault for how my sister died. She was the best sister a man could ask for, a truly beautiful soul.’

‘You’ll be aware that Simon gave away all his money years ago.’ Sasha smiled sweetly. ‘You’ve been exploiting him.’

‘That’s not right.’ Uncomfortable, Jim cleared his throat. ‘There’s no law against one man giving another man charity out of the goodness of his heart. As I say, I had no idea how Simon got the money. I can’t believe you’ve come here, into the sacred space of a man’s home, into the bosom of his family, to make accusations.’ He drained the dregs of his glass and crunched on the ice. ‘It’s a disgrace, is what it is.’

‘How do you know Simon?’

‘I’ve got to meet most of that Bad Place lot down the years in my attempts to get justice for Becky. I found that Simon in particular was very troubled. He thinks he’s a free spirit, a bird soaring in the sky, all that hippy nonsense, but the truth is, he’s never got over her death.’

Sasha frowned, barely able to hide her disbelief. ‘And you had no idea he was getting that money, thousands of pounds over a number of years, by blackmail?’

‘On my kids’ life,’ he said gravely, refilling his glass from the jug, ‘I presumed it all came from his own pocket. Shocking, really.’

He was lying, Sasha could see that, and behind his jolly facade she sensed his contempt for Simon. She recalled how Karin had said he didn’t like her or the other kids from the Bad Place.

‘Jim.’ A woman poked her head in the room. ‘Would your guests like a cup of tea or coffee, or something stronger?’

‘Nah, luv.’ He winked at Sasha. ‘Not while they’re on duty.’