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

He felt the familiar nervousness in his stomach build, wiped a hand across his brow and moved away. Tried to ignore the feeling that he didn’t belong in the suit he was wearing and reminded himself that he wanted this.

Five

When Mark had read the family’s address, he’d winced. Searching for a friendly face in this vicinity would be difficult. A residential area that turned more industrial-looking towards the top.

He took his time making his way over to the front door. He scanned the surroundings as he did so, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary, but it couldn’t have looked more normal if it had tried. White double-glazed bay windows at the bottom, a double-pane above them. Dirty brown bricks and a patch of grass that needed mowing, but wasn’t exactly overgrown. It was difficult to discern any difference from any of the houses on its row, apart from the decorative numbering on the pane of frosted glass at the top of the entrance. What cars were parked up on the road were all in various states of disrepair, with only a smattering of newer vehicles further down the road. The houses behind them looked even worse. The money being spent in the city centre rarely made its way further out towards the estates.

He tried to prepare himself for what was to come; the questions he’d be forced to answer, the information he couldn’t yet give them. He turned the file over in his hand, the sparseness of the details provided to him even more annoying than usual.

A uniformed officer was loitering outside the house, which at least gave him respite before entering.

Mark pulled his coat tighter around him as he crossed the road and pushed open the gate.

‘PC Olsen, right?’ Mark said, recognising the officer blowing into her hands as she stood outside the front door. ‘How’s it going?’

‘Can’t complain, sir,’ Olsen replied.

‘What’s the score then?’

‘I was asked to come and keep an eye on the family until you arrived,’ Olsen replied, her hands now resting at her sides. ‘They’re still in a bit of a state. Came out here for a break. The mum is pretty messed up.’

‘Who else is in there?’

‘The mum’s brother, and two kids. Well, I say kids. Both teenagers.’

Mark took another look behind him at the street, wondering what type of family he was about to encounter. His days in uniform hadn’t been exactly fun when dealing with anyone who lived within a mile or so of this address.

‘Well, I’d best go in and speak to them,’ Mark said, taking a deep breath and raising his eyebrows at Olsen. She gave him a tight smile and stepped to one side.