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

‘You know you’re welcome here, Torin. But your aunt has a point. Your family can give you support we can’t. When you need to talk about your mum, about her past, about what she was like when she was your age, we don’t know the answers to those questions.’ Being so generous was surprisingly hard. To her amazement, Elinor felt an ache inside at the thought of Torin leaving them. She wanted him to stay. It was unfathomable. She’d never wanted children. But this boy had touched her in a way she hadn’t imagined possible.

‘We can phone. I can go there for my holidays. But please, Elinor, let me stay. I want to be here.’ He buried his face in his hands and wept. Elinor waited for Rachel to make a move, but she didn’t. So Elinor got up and perched on the arm of his chair and hugged him close. She’d be damned if she was handing the boy over to a woman who didn’t have the instinct to comfort him in his distress. When he eventually got himself under control, he stood up and said, ‘I’m going up to my room.’

‘I’m sure this isn’t what Bev had in mind,’ Rachel said as he closed the door behind him.

‘I think it will be up to Torin and his father to decide what’s going to happen in the long run,’ Elinor said. ‘Either way, this isn’t the time or the place. You’re both in a very emotional state. I suggest Torin stays here for now. We’ve spoken to Tom and he’s sanctioned Torin living here with us for the time being. You’d be welcome too. There’s a sofa bed in the study.’

‘I don’t think so,’ Rachel said. ‘I’ve got keys for Bev’s. I’d rather feel her all around me than be in a strange place with strangers.’

‘Of course. The police have already searched it – my partner, Paula, did it as soon as we realised Bev was missing. It’s been hard for her, being so closely involved in the case. But if you like, I can call her and check that the police have finished with it?’

Rachel shook her head. ‘I’ll take my chances. If there’s a problem, I’ll go to a hotel. I just want to get things sorted out. I was pretty sure I was coming to bury my sister. All I wanted was to organise a nice funeral and take Torin home with me. It looks like I won’t be doing either of those things.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Elinor said. And she was, because, as Paula regularly pointed out, Elinor was the nice one. But part of her felt a deep satisfaction that Torin wanted to stay.

41