A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #3
As Good As Dead
by Holly Jackson
Contents
Seventeen
Overview
Pip, sleepless and spiraling, decides Billy Karras’s confession was coerced and refocuses on Green Scene’s link to the DT killings. She confronts Jason Bell about a 2012 alarm that could implicate the real killer, but he shuts her out. A threatening no‑ID call culminates in a near hit‑and‑run, confirming she’s actively being targeted.
Summary
Running on no sleep and jittery from caffeine, Pip replays Billy Karras’s interview and concludes the “confession” was coerced: DCI Nolan fed Billy key facts, pressured contradictions, and led him to accept false details. This strengthens Pip’s belief that Billy may be innocent, meaning the DT Killer could still be active—and possibly after her.
Determined to trace the source of the duct tape and rope, Pip focuses on Green Scene Ltd. She recalls an EPQ interview note: on 20 April 2012—the night Tara Yates was killed—Jason Bell left a dinner party because Green Scene’s alarm was triggered. Pip hypothesizes DT broke in for supplies and set off the alarm.
Pip visits the Bells’ house and confronts Jason Bell with questions about the alarm, potential CCTV, and whether he saw anyone. Jason grows hostile, accuses Pip of interfering, cites his family’s suffering, and orders her never to contact them again, closing the door while watching her leave.
On the high street, Pip answers a No Caller ID call; the silent caller seems to breathe but says nothing. Moments after the line cuts, a white sports car nearly runs her down before speeding away. Stella Chapman helps Pip up and confirms the car’s speed and color. Shaken but uninjured, Pip recognizes the escalation: the caller—likely DT or a mimic—is actively targeting her.
Who Appears
- Pip (Pippa Fitz-Amobi)Exhausted and anxious; concludes Billy’s confession was coerced; investigates Green Scene; confronts Jason; survives near hit-and-run after a no‑ID call.
- Jason BellOwner of Green Scene; confronted about a 2012 alarm possibly tied to DT; angrily refuses to answer and shuts Pip down.
- Unknown caller (possible DT Killer)Silent No Caller ID presence; calls Pip just before a near hit-and-run, intensifying the threat.
- Stella ChapmanWitness who helps Pip after the near collision; notes the car was a fast-moving white sports car.
- Dawn BellPasses Pip on the street outside the Bell home; weary and distant, underscores family’s strain.