BooksBarbecue
Back Cross and Burn Save as PDF
Chapters (74)
  1. About the Author
  2. Also by Val McDermid
  3. COPYRIGHT
  4. CROSS AND BURN
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. Epigraph
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67

‘Yeah, but it’s been over and done for months.’ She looked up and cottoned on to Paula’s interest. ‘It’s not what you’re thinking. She was going out with this Polish bloke, Pawel. She started seeing him soon after she moved over here. When it was all done and dusted, she said she thought she’d fallen for him because she was feeling homesick and he made her feel safe. She was going out with him when I first met her. He was a nice bloke, he was working as a hotel receptionist. Anyway, one night they were out in Leeds and they ran into this other Polish woman who totally freaked out. She called Nad a slapper. Well, she said it in Polish, but that was the gist of it. She said Pawel had a wife and two kids in Gdansk and Nad was a dirty whore. All at top volume in the middle of a bar. Well, Pawel tried to make out it was a case of mistaken identity, but the woman wasn’t having it. She whipped out her phone and took a photo of the two of them and said if he didn’t get his sleazy arse home to Gdansk, she would send it to his wife so she’d know what a bastard she’d married. And that was that, pretty much.’

‘She dumped him?’

Ashley shrugged. ‘One of those things where you’re not sure who got the shaft in first. She dumped him or he dumped her on his way to the airport. He went back to Poland and she said she was taking a break from men.’

‘And did she? Take a break?’

Ashley looked mildly shifty. ‘Pretty much. She had a one-night stand with one of the doctors at Bradfield Moor after a Christmas party, but they were both off their chops. No hard feelings the next morning, but neither of them was interested in taking it further.’

‘There’s a set of keys on Nadia’s keyring that don’t fit her flat. Do you know whose keys they are, Ashley?’

She nodded, her face bleak. ‘They’re Anya’s house keys. She’s, like, totally dozy, always locking herself out. So she gave a set to Nad because Nad’s dead organised and that way Anya wouldn’t be screwed the next time she left her keys sitting on the breakfast bar.’

It made sense. Paula pulled the photo of the three women towards her. ‘Looks like you three like to party. Did you ever get anybody bothering you? Taking an unhealthy interest in Nad?’