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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

The mask slipped and she caught a glimpse of his despair. ‘Carol, I need you to help me. For whatever reason, Fielding sincerely wants to nail me. And I don’t know anyone who has a better chance of getting me out of this mess than you. I know you still blame me for Michael and Lucy, but I didn’t hold the knife. Yes, I made a mistake. I set my focus too narrowly. And believe me, nobody could give me a harder time for that than I give myself. But I don’t think any reasonable person could have figured out what Vance’s agenda was at that point. I don’t believe there’s another profiler around who would have worked it out. I did my best and it turned out crap. Don’t think I don’t know that.’ His eyes were glistening with tears, his voice cracking with emotion. ‘Carol, you’ve been the most important person in my life since I first got to know you. I would take a bullet for you. I’d have taken a bullet for Michael, for your sake.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘Maybe not for Lucy, mind.’

His words twisted in her gut like a knife. The dark gallows humour struck a chord in spite of her determination not to give him an inch. ‘Don’t be a smartarse,’ she said, surprised to find her own voice catching in her throat.

‘We all make mistakes, Carol. Sometimes they’re more expensive than others. But I don’t deserve to lose you,’ he said, spreading his hands in appeal.

Abruptly she slammed the laptop shut and grabbed it. ‘I’ll check it out,’ she said gruffly, stumbling to her feet and heading for the door. She wasn’t willing to let him back into her life. Not now, not ever. No matter what he said. No matter how well he manipulated her emotions. And that was all that was going on here. It wasn’t real. Just Tony playing her for his own benefit. It didn’t change anything. Michael and Lucy were still dead. Well, she’d show him she was a better person than him. She’d do the right thing because it was the right thing. Not for his sake. For its own sake.

Carol had no recollection of leaving the police station. The blur resolved itself as she reached the Land Rover. She climbed inside and leaned her forearms on the steering wheel, staring straight ahead, trying to recover herself. After a couple of minutes, she composed herself enough to take out her phone and send a message to Stacey:

Everything you can give me on Gareth Taylor from Banham village. ASAP.

Now it was simply a question of waiting.