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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

The shock of it had hit Sarah with the force of a truck and made her question everything. She was twelve when they first met, and he was several years older. As she aged, the distance between them had grown. Perhaps he had always been a predator, but she hadn’t allowed herself to see it. She relived the pain of both loving and hating someone at the same time. Like her father, he’d betrayed her without warning. She had had no idea, but had felt the shame of people’s stares ever since. How could she not have known? He hadn’t even meant to kill himself out of guilt for what he’d become. He’d been playing some kinky game. So why hadn’t she been able to let him go?

When he first spoke, she knew he wasn’t there. The voice that chipped away at her self-confidence may have sounded like her husband, but in reality, it was hers. ‘Don’t forget to buy some kitty litter.’ That was the last real thing she said to him the day he died. It would have been funny if it wasn’t so tragic. The idea of being on her own again had been too much to bear. No wonder she had lost the plot and had to be escorted out of work. Talking to David at home was one thing, but having full-blown conversations at work … her cheeks burned at the thought.

Sarah shook away the last threads of a memory she was ready to leave behind. It was time to reclaim her life. Not just from her husband but from Blackhall Manor too. The Midnight Man was coming, according to the letter before her. Sarah slammed down the lid of her laptop. Too many people had suffered. If it came down to her or Jahmelia, then she would not run away.

42

Thursday 7th November 2019

I pressed my ear against the boot of the car. Nothing. Was she even alive in there? My nose wrinkled as a faint whiff of bodily functions rose from the crack where the seal had gone. I didn’t want to open it. Blood I could manage, but the image of Jahmelia smeared with tears, snot and faeces was enough to make me keep the boot closed. She may be just a kid, but her shit sure didn’t smell of bubblegum. She had enough water to survive, assuming she could open the bottles with her hands tied at the front. She could bang and kick all she wanted against the rusted ice box, but nobody was coming, not out here.