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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

Ashley chewed the skin at the edge of her pinkie nail. ‘We like a night out,’ she said eventually. ‘We have a few drinks, but we’re not like some of those mad bitches that get so off their faces they don’t know their own names by the end of the night. We’re not silly little girls, Detective. We have a laugh but we don’t take stupid risks. That’s why I can’t believe Nad’s gone.’

‘What about drugs? Did Nad ever do drugs?’

Ashley sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘Everybody over thirty thinks our generation’s permanently off our tits. Look, I did E when I was a teenager. A few times, when I was out clubbing. I did coke half a dozen times when I was twenty. But I don’t do that shit now. I’ve got a good job, my own flat, my own car. I’m not going to flush all that down the toilet. And Nad was the same. She came over here to make enough money to go back to Poland and have a good life. She wasn’t going to risk all that for one daft night. No way.’ She gave a twisted little smile. ‘We’re the good girls, Detective.’ Then the bravado crumbled and tears spilled again. ‘Shit like this, it’s not supposed to happen to girls like us.’

Except that this time it had.

26

Fielding was already on the phone as the door of the health centre swung shut behind them. She talked as she walked, moving surprisingly fast for such a small woman. Paula almost had to break into a trot to keep up.

‘Get a car round here now,’ Fielding said briskly, heading for the car. ‘Yes, Harriestown Road Health Centre. Pick up Ashley Marr and take her to the Trafford Centre. She can identify where Nadia parked her car on arrival that Saturday… Yes, that’s right, three weeks ago. Nadia said she was going to watch some French film at the multiscreen that same evening. I need another team down there, finding out when the film ended and checking out the CCTV for routes from the multiscreen to where the car was parked… I appreciate that… Pull them off the diary contacts, this is the strongest lead right now.’

Fielding ended the call as she got into the passenger seat. ‘What’s Ashley not telling us?’

Paula eased into a space in the steady flow of traffic. ‘You think she’s holding on to something?’