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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

‘I ain’t talking about Jerry bloody Swann,’ he said with a sneer. ‘I want to know the truth about what happened that night. Why she didn’t get out.’

When he scowled, all the tremendous resentment Jim Haskell felt for Karin, Simon and the other kids from the Bad Place was revealed.

‘Where were you the night before last, Mr Haskell?’

Jim laughed bitterly. ‘Oh, so now you’re accusing me of that poor girl’s disappearance? I was here at home. On my own, as it happens, because the wife was visiting her mum with the kids. But I never took that Sammi, why the hell would I? I can’t bear it that another girl is missing, all those bad memories coming back. You should be looking for her rather than pestering an innocent man.’ He snorted. ‘Oh yeah, and I saw that farce of a press conference. You people couldn’t organize a piss-up at a brewery.’

Sasha blushed.

‘Why would I let another girl suffer the way my sister did?’ he continued. ‘Go on, search the place if you like, be my guest.’

‘That won’t be necessary.’

Jim went to refill his glass but remembered the jug was empty. He sighed. ‘This stuff goes down too easily. I’m going to have to make more now, so if you’re finished, maybe I could get back to my family. Sorry I can’t be of greater help.’

Sasha nodded at Craig – there wasn’t anything else to say – and Jim led them to the front door. His twisted grin couldn’t conceal the bitter anger beneath.

‘I’m a bit tipsy now, sure, but you mark my words. That missing girl, that Sammi, I hope to God she’s okay, but something is going on, and it’s got something to do with those so-called survivors. You both have a nice day.’

Jim Haskell slammed the door in their faces.

21

When Sasha got home late again, Denny was lying on the sofa playing a game on his phone.

Only a few months ago he’d have leapt into her arms and bombarded her with excited chatter about the events of his day. But tonight he barely looked up, muttering ‘Alright?’ as his thumbs raced across the device. His attention was completely focused on it, his face so close to the phone that Sasha worried his forehead would somehow become fused with the screen.

‘Where’s your dad?’ she asked.

Music and sound effects filled the room. ‘Denny, where is he?’

‘I don’t know, upstairs – aargh!’ he screamed suddenly.

‘What’s happened?’ she asked in alarm.

‘I got killed! Stop talking to me,’ he shouted, ‘I can’t concentrate!’