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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

But she wasn’t going to dwell on that. She was going to hold fast to her hopes. Marco would save her. He wouldn’t rest till she was home. And there would be no need to tell him about what had happened after the beating. He wouldn’t press her for details. She’d never have to relive that horror. The pain, the humiliation, the things Marco had never dreamed of asking her to do – she would make herself forget them. She would be strong, because that’s who she was. She wasn’t whatever this beast wanted to make of her. She was Marie Mather, wife of Marco. Who would save her.

A moan escaped from her bruised lips. She had to be strong. She couldn’t give in. She had to be the woman Marco loved. She had to be worthy of him. Because Marco would save her.

Then the lid was thrown open and her resolve wavered at the sight of him looming over her again. ‘What was it you said earlier? Something about your useless wanker of a husband coming to save you?’

Although she was so scared she thought she might throw up, Marie managed to choke out, ‘He will.’

He leaned forward and laughed viciously in her face. He produced a tablet computer and turned it to face her. At first, she couldn’t make sense of what she was seeing. And then it dawned on her that this was Marco. Sprawled over their garage floor. It made no sense. The beast leaned into the freezer and held it closer so Marie could see it more clearly.

Her mouth dropped open in horror. ‘No,’ she said, disbelief raising the volume.

He dragged his finger across the screen to bring up the next photo. ‘Oh yes. Like I said, you used to have a different husband. But now he’s dead.’ As he spoke, he eased the taser out of his pocket. If he was going to need it, now was probably the time.

‘You killed him? You killed my Marco?’

‘I didn’t have to. His cooking killed him. Your demands killed him. I’m not going to let you do that to me.’

She was oblivious to his words, completely focused on the image on the screen in front of her. ‘No,’ she said, this time more loudly still. ‘No.’ It was a shout now, suddenly deadened as the freezer lid slammed back down and plunged her into darkness.

Marco wasn’t going to save her after all.

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