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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

Paula stood up abruptly and lit a scented candle that immediately filled the air with the festive scent of cinnamon and cranberries. Then she flipped open her cigarette packet and sparked up a cigarette from the candle flame. ‘Bloody hell,’ she said at the top of the in breath. ‘And how does he propose we do that?’

Carol pulled a face. ‘He didn’t get that far.’

‘Surprise, surprise.’

Stacey frowned. ‘That’s an interesting challenge. It’s not like you can google “dead blonde Bradfield” and expect anything useful.’

‘A few tasteless blonde jokes maybe,’ Paula sighed. ‘But that doesn’t help us any.’

‘I thought I might trawl through the Sentinel Times archives. The hard copies, not the online version,’ Carol said. ‘I think they still keep them on file at the central library.’

‘If that hasn’t gone in the local government cuts,’ Paula said gloomily.

‘It’s not exactly exhaustive,’ Stacey pointed out.

‘Maybe not, but funeral directors recommend a death notice as part of the package and the overwhelming majority of people still go for it,’ Carol said. ‘It’s the best we can do.’

‘And I’ll try and persuade Fielding not to charge Tony in the morning.’ Paula cracked a yawn and rolled her shoulders. ‘I’m sorry, girls, but I’m going to have to go to bed.’

Carol stood up. ‘Lucky you. I’ve got the best part of a forty-minute drive before I get to sleep.’

‘There’s a sofa bed here,’ Paula said. ‘We seem to be the unofficial home for waifs and strays.’

Carol smiled and shook her head. ‘Thanks, but I’ve got to get home for the dog. I’m new to this game. I don’t know how long you can leave them alone without them freaking out.’

‘Where did you leave her?’ Paula looked worried.

‘In the main barn. There’s nothing to chew except saw-horses and scrap wood.’

‘Probably just as well.’

‘I’ll bring her with me tomorrow. She can sleep in the Land Rover and I can take her for a walk at lunchtime.’

‘Are you sure that’s legal?’ Stacey asked, looking concerned.

‘I don’t see why not. The weather’s not exactly warm and I’ll obviously leave a window open. And I’ll walk her whenever I can.’

Paula pushed herself to her feet. ‘It’ll be fine. I’m glad you came, Carol. Tony needs you on his side.’

All the relaxed bonhomie drained from Carol’s face and her shoulders tightened. ‘I’m not on his side. I’m on the side of justice being done. That’s all. And when it’s done, I’m going straight back to my own life. I’m done with him, Paula. I’m done with Tony.’

57

Day twenty-seven