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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

‘You don’t believe that, do you, Jay?’ But her friend’s fearful expression relayed that she did. ‘Here.’ Libby reached into her schoolbag and pulled out a Mars bar from the front pocket. ‘Mum packed two in my lunchbox by mistake.’ She hadn’t, but Libby didn’t have the appetite for chocolate today.

‘Thanks,’ Jahmelia said, gratefully taking the snack. All Libby wanted to do was to curl up in bed. She tried to imagine what her parents would say, that there were no such things as supernatural beings, much less some ‘Midnight Man’ out to get her because she had played some stupid game. But someone, or something, had murdered Angelica, and while her school friend may have been a pain, she couldn’t think of one person in Slayton who would set out to hurt her like that. Their invites were personalised. He knew each of them.

‘What do you think he did to her?’ Jahmelia said in a small voice, a fleck of chocolate on the side of her mouth. ‘Mum and Dad won’t tell me anything.’

Libby shrugged. She didn’t want to think about Angelica’s last moments, or how scared she must have been. If her parents found out what she’d been up to that night, they’d never trust her again. But it was nothing compared to what Angelica’s parents must be feeling. Slayton was a small town. The thought of bumping into them was too much to bear. She sniffled.

‘You can’t say anything. Remember the pact.’

‘If you tell, you’ll go to hell.’ Jahmelia swallowed hard, her eyes shiny with tears. ‘I looked it up online, Libs. If the Midnight Man catches you, he kills you and pulls out your insides, piece by piece.’

‘That’s crazy, stop panicking.’ Libby placed a hand on Jahmelia’s arm to quieten her friend as a group of sixth formers walked past. They delivered sympathetic looks before continuing towards the canteen. Each year group were identified by the colour stripe on their school uniform ties. Libby had been getting a lot of sympathy smiles today. But that would all change if they found out that she had carried on playing after Angelica disappeared. The thought brought fresh tears to Libby’s eyes. What happened to sisterhood? Her parents would be so ashamed if they knew. As for Angelica’s mum and dad …