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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

‘You’re not in any trouble,’ Yvonne said again, crossing one leg over the other. ‘We just want to ask you a few questions.’ Yvonne had already told his mummy that they had rested someone, although Elliott wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. At least they were trying to find Jahmelia, and that meant talking to everyone she knew.

And so the questions came. How did Elliott know about the Midnight Man? How did he know where Angelica had been buried? Who told him? Had someone put him up to it? Did he know where Jahmelia was? Had he heard them talking when they were babysitting? Had anyone told him to keep a secret? On and on, the same questions in different ways. But Yvonne didn’t seem to like his answers, as she kept asking more. ‘So nobody mentioned the Midnight Game to you? Are you sure?’

Elliott sighed. ‘I’m sure.’ His throat was scratchy and he was tired of talking. He just wanted to go home.

‘Yeah, yeah,’ she replied, without really listening. ‘So how did you know about the Midnight Man, Elliott?’

‘I dreamt it,’ he said again. She wouldn’t understand if he told her about the pictures that filled the spaces of his head. He stared at his school shoes. While other kids thought about computer games, he had flashes of feelings and pictures that he could not understand.

He hadn’t realised that he’d been rocking until the detective asked if he was OK. He looked at her with curious eyes. She had darkness in her too. Maybe they were all fighting their own demons.

A rush of blood painted Yvonne’s cheeks as she looked away.

‘We need to get back to school,’ Maggie said. ‘He’s answered all your questions.’ Elliott was glad his mummy was there to stand up for him. He didn’t want to think about Jahmelia. He wasn’t sure that he’d see her alive again. If he did, she would be like Libby, not the same. Like one of his puzzles but without the best pieces. Blackhall Manor took the best from everyone who went there. He looked around the room, past the people and past the walls.

He could feel Jahmelia sleeping now, dreaming of a family she may never see again. Outside, a police siren blared, making him blink thoughts of her away. Yvonne was still asking questions, as if Maggie hadn’t spoken up at all. ‘I don’t know where Jahmelia is,’ he answered when the detective asked about her. ‘Somewhere dark. And small. She’s cold and thirsty and it smells …’ He lifted a finger to his nostrils as the stench became too much. ‘Smells bad. Like poo.’

‘Yeah? Go on …’ Yvonne smiled as she scribbled on her notepad.