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Back The Midnight Man Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Title Page
  2. Contents
  3. Copyright
  4. Praise for Caroline Mitchell
  5. Also by Caroline Mitchell
  6. Dedication
  7. Epigraph
  8. Prologue
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. 13
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgements
  69. About Caroline Mitchell
  70. About Embla Books

Elsie straightened in her bed. Just a few more minutes of company would make her day. ‘It must have been scary, her jumping out on you like that.’ She was dying to hear the all the gory details, but Christian couldn’t get away quickly enough.

‘I’m gonna be late. I’ll be back at lunchtime to check on you.’

As the door slammed behind him, Elsie was left alone. Her eyes trailed over the care package and she heaved a mournful sigh. She would have preferred cake.

30

When Sarah scurried into the office just after 8 a.m., the edge in the atmosphere was enough to silence the jibes of previous days. She was old news now. Once, she would have been grateful, but not like this. Officers were working every available hour as they scrutinised the case. Sarah rooted in her desk drawer for a spare phone charger. Pens rolled around the space, along with half-used boxes of staples and a curled-up block of Post-it notes. Typical, she thought, finding the tail of the charger lead and pulling it from the drawer. The one night I stay at Maggie’s and all hell breaks loose.

The information she had gleaned about Libby had come too late. While they were at the town meeting, Libby had been abducted, her brother barricaded into his room. It was only thanks to their indoor sprinkler system that the whole house didn’t go up in flames. Now Libby was in hospital recovering from her injuries. At least she’d managed to get away.

Bernard, their DI had attended the hospital with Richie to obtain her account but the information she’d imparted was vague. As with any serious investigation, persons of interest had been flagged but that did not make them suspects. Angelica’s father, Simon Irving, and her brother, Ryan, had been marked on the board for further intelligence checks. Christian Abraham was also there. Given he had access to so many places, that was no surprise. As Sarah approached her desk, she noticed Gabby looked stressed. With the Midnight Man still on the prowl, she had good reason to be. She spoke in low tones as she updated Sarah on Libby’s abduction and recovery.

‘We’ve got intel to say she’s one of four other girls who played this Midnight Game.’

Sarah’s eyebrows rose. ‘Just like the letter said. Who’s the informant?’

‘A source from Angelica’s school. They’ve got an online system where students can report things to the school anonymously.’

‘Can the school narrow their source down?’

‘It came from a school library computer. I’ve been told the only kids in there at the time were twins – Bethany and Isobel Clarke.’ A chill swept through the office. Open windows meant clear minds. Given the hours officers must have been working, they needed all the help they could get.

‘Do you want me to speak to them?’