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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 now McIntyre was off on a tangent of her own. Some nonsense based on nothing that Fielding could put her finger on. A bagman was supposed to be unquestioningly loyal, but Fielding was beginning to think McIntyre had loyalties that were nothing to do with her. How else had Carol Jordan turned up with Bronwen Scott in the middle of the night when Hill hadn’t even made a phone call? When this was all over, McIntyre was going to be shipped out to another firm and Fielding was going to find a bagman who understood what a privilege it was to be so close to the heart of an investigation.

And then McIntyre herself hustled into the squad room. Fielding opened her office door in time to hear her sergeant say, ‘Hussain, Wood – we’ve got more data in from ANPR. See if we can put Taylor anywhere near the acquisition sites or the body dumps. And one of you check with the local lads and see if they’ve given anyone a tug yet for joyriding Bev McAndrew’s car. I want to know where it was nicked from.’

Fielding took a deep breath. ‘McIntyre? In here.’

Paula closed the door behind her. ‘We found Marie Mather.’

Fielding looked stunned. ‘Why did nobody tell me?’

‘I’ve just come from the hospital,’ Paula said. ‘I imagine the team assumed I would tell you. Which I’m doing now.’ Her tone bordered on the insolent.

‘You should have called me right away.’

‘I was more concerned with getting Marie Mather to hospital. She’s still alive. Barely, but at least she’s in with a chance now. And if she makes it, she makes our case for us.’

‘Which team?’ Fielding clutched at the last available straw. There were search teams going through Tony Hill’s home and office. As well as the one McIntyre had called out to Gareth Taylor’s house.

‘Didn’t I say? We found Marie in a chest freezer in Gareth Taylor’s garage.’

There was a long silence. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The word echoed in Fielding’s head like a bell tolling.

Paula had her hand on the door, getting ready to leave. ‘I think you should release Dr Hill now,’ she said gently.

‘You do it,’ Fielding said brusquely. ‘You’re such good pals. And you’ve worked so hard to get him off the hook.’

Anger finally flared in Paula’s eyes. ‘Just as well someone did, since he’s innocent.’

‘We followed the evidence, McIntyre. I’d have been irresponsible if I’d released him earlier.’

‘We followed it down the wrong road, ma’am. And I’m busy right now. I have to interview the victim of a serious assault who will only talk to me. So I suggest you do it yourself.’

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