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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

And then he remembered. Suddenly, it was all there, in crystal clear Technicolor detail. He threw his arms in the air. ‘Halle-fucking-lujah!’ The explanation of the thumbprint could wait. The DNA was the killer piece of evidence and now he knew how it had got there.

Tony grinned. Paula would be pleased. Now he just had to think of something that would lead them to the person who was actually killing women who looked like Carol Jordan.

46

While Tony was dredging his memory, another conversation went like this: ‘Bronwen Scott here.’

‘This is Carol Jordan.’

A pause. ‘As in, DCI Carol Jordan?’ Cautious, very cautious.

‘As in ex-DCI Carol Jordan. I’m not a cop any more. But you, I presume, are still the best criminal defence lawyer in Bradfield?’

‘That’s quite an accolade, Ms Jordan. And I always thought you hated me.’

‘I don’t have to like you to appreciate your professional qualities.’

‘So, to what do I owe this call? I’m assuming you didn’t phone me at this time of night just to bolster my self-confidence. Don’t tell me someone’s had the temerity to arrest you?’

‘I have a job for you. A client for you to represent. And a proposition in relation to that.’

‘Sounds fascinating.’ A long-drawn breath. ‘But it’s late. Won’t it wait till morning?’

‘I don’t think so, no. Can you meet me in the car park opposite Skenfrith Street police station in half an hour?’

‘Very Deep Throat. Why should I do this, Ms Jordan? What’s in it for me?’

‘A high-profile case. And the chance to fuck up BMP. I imagine no day is wasted for you if you get to fuck up an SIO.’

A throaty chuckle. ‘You know which buttons to push, Ms Jordan.’

‘I had an excellent teacher. Do we have an appointment?’

‘It had better be good. It had better be very good.’

Carol smiled. ‘I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.’ She ended the call and changed down to third gear to negotiate a series of bends that climbed over the moor top before the descent into Bradfield. It hadn’t been easy to maintain her composure during the phone call to the toughest criminal defence lawyer she’d ever jousted against. To say her feelings about the course of action she’d settled on were mixed was like saying the government had racked up a few debts. Her gut was churning and her hands were clammy on the wheel. Part of her wished she’d managed to ignore Paula altogether.