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Back The Midnight Man
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

Standing outside Christian’s room, she asked herself if she really wanted to enter uninvited. Judging from the rest of upstairs, it would not be in a good state. But this was about more than housekeeping. What was he doing up here? The door swung open against her weight, and she gripped the frame for support. Slack-jawed, her eyes danced around the mess. The space was dark and stuffy, the blinds shut tight. She stared at the map of Slayton pinned to the wall. At the pictures of Blackhall Manor and the accompanying woodlands. What did he want with those? Her nose wrinkled at the smell of leftover food piled on plates next to his bed. He hadn’t been eating healthy at all. This was worse than downstairs … The stale air made her want to open the window. Her eyes fell on the weights in the corner of the room. To the barbell next to them on the floor. So that was how he’d grown so strong. She flicked on the light and fear bloomed, large and ugly, as she caught sight of a hooded figure standing in front of the wardrobe. Elsie wheezed, her chest tight. She needed to get out. Blinking a second time, she realised that it was just a cloak hung on the door of the wardrobe. ‘Gosh darn it,’ she said, her hand falling to her chest in relief. But why was it there? What was it for? She’d heard of gameplay but … Shuffling over, fuelled by curiosity, she lifted the worn sleeve, yelping in horror as an earwig slid onto her hand. Something about this room was all wrong. She needed to get out. To call Christian this instant and demand he tell her what was going on. She reluctantly turned her gaze back to the hood. He couldn’t be mixed up in any of this Midnight Man silliness, could he?

Sweat prickled her brow. She was feeling none too good. The climb upstairs had taken it out of her. She needed to get back to her bed. Turning off the light she headed towards the stairs, vowing to make Christian clean his room up. Her mind swirling with thoughts, she did not see her cat Toni at her feet until it was too late. As she lifted her foot to avoid her, she missed the first, second and third step. Grasping for the banister, she cried out in pain as she bumped and crashed her way down the stairs. ‘Oww!’ she screamed, before the breath was forced from her lungs. Stars exploded in her vision as she was thrown to the ground. A low moan escaped her lips as she lay on her back, staring at the cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling that she had never got around to cleaning. As her cats gathered near her, Elsie closed her eyes, surrendering to the darkness as it dragged her in.

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