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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

‘She’s my friend too,’ Elliott said, looking at Libby in earnest as he sat in the chair next to her bed. Her eyes looked empty, but her shoulders dropped half an inch.

‘Is it OK if she joins us?’ Maggie continued, placing the grapes and magazines on the table over her bed. Libby responded with a nod. Elliott felt swallowed up by her sadness. Something inside Libby was broken. But she had been able to get away. She had beaten the Midnight Man, and Elliott knew that would make him cross.

Her hands in her trouser pockets, Sarah joined Elliott’s side. ‘I used to live in Blackhall Manor,’ she said. ‘And now I work for the police. The thing is …’ She took a deep breath. ‘The man who took you. He’s not going to stop.’ She rocked slightly on the balls of her feet. ‘I know you’re tired, and probably very scared, but I need you to tell me everything you know. Anything at all. There isn’t a lot of time …’

Libby’s eyes were already swimming with tears. ‘I don’t know who it was,’ she said. ‘I already told the police … I only saw his reflection in my window before he pulled the hood over my head. He was strong … dressed in black.’ A sob hitched in her throat. ‘I banged my head when he put me into the boot, and then I woke up inside the walls.’

‘That’s OK, sweetie, I don’t want to upset you.’ Silence fell as Maggie passed Libby some tissues. ‘Do you want us to go?’ Sarah eventually asked, and Libby responded with a small nod. As Elliott went to leave, Libby’s grip on his hand tightened.

‘I’ll be right outside,’ Sarah said, following Maggie out. ‘Get better soon, Libby. You’re safe here.’

Libby turned to Elliott as soon as the door clicked shut. ‘Don’t go near Blackhall Manor. Promise me.’

‘I won’t,’ Elliott replied. After a beat he remembered something. ‘Did you know that tortoises like being scratched? They can feel it when you touch their shell.’

‘That’s lovely.’ Libby gave him a teary smile. ‘I hope your mum lets you get one someday. You’d be the best tortoise owner in the world.’

Elliott hoped so too. But Maggie said tortoises lived too long. They sat in a happy silence until Libby began to doze.

‘If you tell, you’ll go to hell.’ Libby was talking in her sleep, her eyes closed.