BooksBarbecue
Back The Game
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. NOW
  4. One
  5. BEFORE
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. NOW
  26. Twenty-One
  27. BEFORE
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Twenty-Six
  33. Twenty-Seven
  34. Twenty-Eight
  35. Twenty-Nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-One
  38. Thirty-Two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. Thirty-Eight
  45. NOW
  46. Thirty-Nine
  47. BEFORE
  48. Forty
  49. Forty-One
  50. Forty-Two
  51. Forty-three
  52. Forty-Four
  53. Forty-Five
  54. Forty-Six
  55. Forty-Seven
  56. Forty-Eight
  57. Forty-Nine
  58. Fifty
  59. Fifty-One
  60. NOW
  61. Fifty-Two
  62. Fifty-Three
  63. Fifty-Four
  64. Fifty-Five
  65. AFTER
  66. Fifty-Six
  67. Acknowledgements
  68. About the Author

It hadn’t taken him long to find the place, a short drive along the city’s waterfront, down The Strand and past the old buildings which made the skyline iconic. He barely registered them now, even though when he’d been a kid, he’d stood in awe of the giant structures. The Liver Birds had been his favourite part of the whole lot.

Now, they were just normal. Nothing special. Just part of everyday life.

A couple of uniformed officers had obviously been awaiting his arrival – elbowing each other as he stepped closer to the scene. Mark slowed as they approached from the other side of the yard, taking everything in. There were a few people in the distance, stopping for a quick look at what was happening and then moving on when they didn’t see anything of interest. He didn’t think it would be long before the Liverpool Echo had rolling news coverage on their website.

It was quieter here, far away from the bustling to and fro of the more touristy parts of the Albert Dock and town. Only a few minutes further from there, towards the south, there was less foot traffic. Only the main A road which ran along to Otterspool and up to Aigburth and beyond. Here it was still technically the city centre, he supposed, but it was stuck in the beginnings of transformation. The area, once forgotten, was now seeing new developments daily. The yard he was standing in was one of the last to be looked at, he thought. Surrounded by giant warehouses, now housing trampoline parks and go-kart circuits. More places for tired parents to entertain bored children. Behind him, further down the waterfront, new houses and a tall building overlooked him – new student accommodation, which seemed to be what every new tower block was for now.

‘Sir?’ one of the uniforms said, bringing his attention back to the scene. ‘You our DC?’

‘Yes, Mark Flynn,’ he replied, almost reaching out a hand and then thinking better of it. ‘What’s the situation?’

‘PCs Robertson and Banks,’ the female uniform said. She was young, brown hair tied back in a tight ponytail. Dark lines hung under her eyes, but they still contained a little life. ‘Forensics are just finishing up now.’

‘What are we looking at then?’