A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #2
Good Girl, Bad Blood
by Holly Jackson
Contents
Forty-One
Overview
Charlie Green reveals he is Layla Mead and the brother of Emily Nowell, seeking vengeance on Child Brunswick. Despite Pip’s pleas, Charlie shoots Stanley multiple times and sets the farmhouse on fire. Pip drags Stanley outside and performs CPR, but he dies. Police process Pip as Charlie and Flora flee.
Summary
Charlie Green shatters Pip’s phone, levels a gun at Stanley, and admits he is Layla Mead, with Flora helping voice the ruse. He reveals his true identity as Charlie Nowell, brother of Emily Nowell, a victim of the Monster of Margate and his son, and recounts the devastation her murder wrought on his family.
Charlie explains his years-long hunt for Child Brunswick, using iterations of Layla to test suspects and nearly grooming Jamie to kill for him. In Fairview he narrowed suspects to Luke Eaton and Stanley Forbes, then relied on Pip’s investigation to confirm Stanley. Pip begs him to stop; Stanley, resigned, tells her to keep back.
Charlie lowers the gun briefly, then fires multiple times into Stanley and flees. Pip triages the wounds, fashions a tourniquet, and applies pressure, then drags Stanley through smoke and growing flames as the farmhouse ignites. Outside, she performs CPR relentlessly until police and paramedics arrive.
Soraya and Daniel da Silva reach the scene; firefighters battle the blaze. Paramedics take over and ultimately call time with no response. Pip, in shock, is taken to the station, stripped of bloody clothes for evidence, and tested for GSR and prints. DI Hawkins interviews her; Charlie and Flora have fled their home, apparently prepared.
Pip’s parents and Ravi arrive to take her home. Traumatized, Pip hears the gunshots echoing in her mind as the night ends with Stanley dead, the farmhouse destroyed, and Charlie and Flora at large.
Who Appears
- Pip (Pippa Fitz-Amobi)Protagonist; pleads with Charlie, attempts to save Stanley, rescues him from the fire, performs CPR, then undergoes police processing in shock.
- Charlie Green (Charlie Nowell)Reveals he is Layla Mead and Emily Nowell’s brother; executes Stanley, sets the farmhouse on fire, and escapes with Flora.
- Stanley Forbes (Child Brunswick)Confesses names, accepts blame; is shot multiple times by Charlie, dragged from the burning house by Pip, and dies despite CPR.
- SorayaOfficer who arrives first with Daniel; comforts Pip, restrains her, and coordinates until paramedics take over.
- Daniel da SilvaOfficer at the scene; controls the crowd, communicates on radio, prevents Ravi from entering the crime scene.
- DI HawkinsLeads the investigation; transports Pip, oversees evidence collection and interview, confirms Charlie and Flora have fled.
- Ravi SinghArrives at the scene, tries to reach Pip but is held back; later supports her at the station.
- Julia (Paramedic)Takes over compressions from Pip and later calls time when resuscitation fails.
- ElizaCollects Pip’s blood-soaked clothing as evidence at the station.