BooksBarbecue
Back Cross and Burn
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

‘You don’t want to see it because you’re scared for your friend, Paula. But they’re both blonde, medium height, medium build. They dress like professional women, not bimbos. They’ve driven themselves to the shops. One’s dead and the other’s missing. I know your precious Chief Constable once accused me of seeing serial killers round every corner, but sometimes I’m right, Paula. Sometimes I’m right.’

‘More often than not, unfortunately. I’ll pass this on to the uniform who’s looking into Bev’s disappearance. And I’ll talk to Fielding, OK?’

‘I think you should. I’ll back you up, if it helps.’

Paula choked on her cigarette smoke. ‘Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten how pissed off Carol got when I fed you confidential case info behind her back? Multiply that by ten and you’ve got DCI Alex Fielding.’ She sighed. ‘I miss Carol.’

‘I’m trying not to.’

And he was gone, the phone a dead lump of plastic in her hand. Across the car park, she saw Pat Cody and another bloke get out of a car and hustle towards the building. ‘Showtime,’ she muttered, tossing her cigarette into a puddle and heading indoors.

‘What have we got, Cody?’ she asked, falling into step beside him.

He tapped the side of his nose. ‘That’s for me to know and you to find out.’

A flash of anger lit her up. If she let this go, it would shape how Cody and his mates treated her. ‘Constable, you need to remember who the sergeant is around here,’ she snapped. ‘I’m in your line of command and when I ask you a question relating to an ongoing case, I expect an answer.’

Cody flushed. It wasn’t an improvement. ‘No disrespect intended, Sarge.’ His heavy eyebrows lowered in a frown.

‘He’s always making daft jokes,’ his mate chipped in, trying to defuse the atmosphere.

‘And you are?’

‘DC Carpenter, Sarge.’

‘I love jokes, me,’ Paula said conversationally. They climbed the stairs in a tight knot. ‘Only thing is, they need to be funny. Bear that in mind, Cody, and we won’t fall out. Now, tell me what we’ve got. Save the full briefing for the boss. Just give me the bullet points.’