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

‘Your car is in our car park,’ DI Hicks said, standing up and folding his arms across his chest. ‘We found your keys in the wheel arch. You should be more careful where you leave them. They’ll be given back to you, but I’ve asked someone to come and pick you up and take you back to Liverpool. They’re going to check you over down there.’

Mark continued to sit, brushing his hands through his hair. ‘Right, good.’

‘You can wait downstairs if you want, or up here with us.’

‘I think I’d rather wait out of sight, if that’s okay. Feel a bit embarrassed, now my head’s started coming back into focus.’

Mark waited, the shared glance between the two detectives, the quiet nod. He followed them out of the room, leaving the solicitor in there, probably still trying to work out what had happened in the past twelve or so hours. He couldn’t be bothered trying to explain anything to him.

Once he was downstairs, he knew it was just a matter of time.

The keys were in his pocket. Digging into his thigh. DS Lee stayed with him, any attempts at small talk with her being quickly dismissed.

He knew he had an hour to do something. In the end, it was twenty minutes before the opening came.

DS Lee got a phone call, excused herself and walked away a little. Mark didn’t hesitate – approached the guy on the front desk and smiled. ‘You don’t smoke, do you?’

‘Afraid to say I do,’ the guy said, overhead light shining off his bald head. He could carry small children in the bags under his eyes. ‘Been trying to quit, but I’m guessing you know how it is.’

‘Can I nick one off you?’

Less than a minute later, he was outside. Finding the car park, then his car.

As easy as that.

Fifty-Three

It didn’t take long before he realised he didn’t have a plan. Not one that was further than getting away from the police station in his own car. Rather than waiting for some no-mark to turn up from Liverpool. Judging him silently all the way back.

He didn’t want to know what could have been in store for him. Instant assessments, mental health checks.

Mark didn’t need any of that.

Didn’t want any of that. He needed to do something first. So they would realise he’d been right. So they would welcome him back.

So his life wouldn’t be over.