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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

By the time I shovelled dirt over her corpse, my thoughts had already moved forward. Now here I was amongst the search team, pretending to look for her. My hood up and my head down, I mixed with the locals who were blind to what was before their eyes. I was surprised to see the police still about. Detailed searches were usually carried out in daylight. Had they received a tip-off? There was purpose in their movements and they were using sniffer dogs.

The wind whipped around me as I reached the centre of the woods, the rain pitter-pattering on my coat. People were still calling Angelica’s name. I thrust my hands into my pockets and waited for her to be found. I was imagining the state of her when I saw Sarah Middleton’s pale face suddenly appear in the thick of the crowd. My heart beat a little faster. Down but not out … at least, not yet. I felt a thrill at what was to come.

She was shoulder to shoulder with a black police officer, deep in conversation as the pair negotiated the leaf-slick path. She was only a female sergeant, nobody of any great importance. The pair of them appeared to be having strong words. I tried to get closer, but I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. She was bound to be on her guard, given she had received my letter. I wish I could have seen her face when she read it. I knew she wouldn’t swallow those tablets. I didn’t want her to. There was only one way for her to die when the time came. My nostrils flared as a rush of anger enveloped me. She would regret ever coming back here. She should have stayed playing dead. I pulled my scarf up over my chin as another bluster of wind skinned my cheeks. Stumbling on a tree root, I regained my footing as I negotiated the dank earth. Bare branches creaked above me in the rising November winds.

A sudden rush of urgency. Sarah picked up speed before me, updating her police airwaves while other officers gestured at us to stay back. A signal went up, deep in the woodlands, exactly where I had buried her. Angelica had been found … but she was not the only player. I was not finished yet.

20

Monday, 4th November 2019

A cool breeze swept down the school corridor, chilling the flesh on Libby’s legs as she sat on her chair. It had been the school’s idea, bringing in a counsellor to help Angelica’s class with their grief, and now she was sitting in the hall, waiting her turn to go in. She only hoped Isobel and Bethany would hold their tongues.