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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

I learned everything I could about the players I chose. Where they lived, what they ate, their deepest fears and dreams. But it was Libby who piqued my interest the most. Freckled-face Libby who had stayed, despite her friends pressing her to leave. Libby who thought she was strong enough to ward off the Midnight Man.

A vision of Angelica’s face returned in a vivid memory. Dots of blood in her pupils. Her lips parting as her jaw grew slack. Cupping her mouth with my hand as I caught her last breath. There would be no knee-jerk reaction the next time. I would be regimented, organised. In control. Freckle Face would never graduate high school. She would never fulfil her dream of becoming a veterinary nurse. She would never marry and have children. I would rob her of that and more.

I didn’t feel pity for the fourteen-year-old.

Nobody felt sorry for me.

13

Sarah checked her watch. Five o’clock on the dot. She had been told not to return a minute before, and that in itself pissed her off. Her day had been relatively productive but she needed to reintegrate with the team. The sooner they accepted her, the easier it would be to get on with her work. The team worked a mixture of eight- to ten-hour shifts, with three days on and three days off, covered by the opposite shift. But it was all hands on deck when anything serious came in, and it seemed the overtime budget was a generous one. She passed her DI’s office and noticed his empty chair. Bernard may have gone home early but he would still be available should anything come up. Inspectors didn’t get paid overtime, and Gabby would call him should any new leads arise. The man was nearing retirement and it seemed his heart wasn’t in the job.

As she entered the battleground of the CID office, she was immediately hit by the smell of greasy chips. Someone had done a kebab round but they’d failed to include her. Deliveroo it is then, she thought, striding past her colleagues’ desks. With telephones ringing and printers spitting out paperwork, it looked like they were in for a long night. Her sergeant was plucking chips from an orange polystyrene box while clicking her mouse.

Sarah rolled her trolley up to her desk. From the corner of her eye, she saw Gabby push up her shirt sleeve to check her watch. ‘You can shoot off now, Noble.’

‘I’m OK to stay.’ Sarah forced a bright smile while pulling out her chair. ‘I thought I could follow up on enquiries with Angelica’s friends. I’m pretty sure one of them is covering something up.’

‘It’s all under control, and you’re on restricted duties. Off you go.’

‘But …’ Sarah stared at her sergeant.