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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

They both swung round in their seats to stare at him. ‘I don’t think this is a good idea,’ Scott said.

‘Of course you don’t,’ Tony said. ‘You’re a lawyer. Conflict’s your bread and butter. James, there’s no denying that this has not been BMP’s finest hour. I believe this whole debacle would never have happened if the MIT had still been up and running. When Carol Jordan’s brother was killed, you shouldn’t have let her go. You should have clasped her to your bosom and helped her through it, not cut her loose.’

‘DCI Jordan had handed in her resignation before that happened. Which you very well know, Dr Hill.’ Blake was like a dog with its hackles up.

‘It doesn’t matter. You should have taken care of her. But it’s not too late. It’s obvious from what’s happened here that she’s still got what it takes to make a difference. Here’s the deal. You go to Carol Jordan and you offer her whatever it takes to get her back on board. I’m not saying you have to eat dirt and publicly reinstate the MIT. But you bring Carol back and find a way to put that team back together, and you’ll hear no more about this.’ He smiled at them both. Scott looked ready to thump him.

Blake, however, had the air of a man reprieved. ‘What if she says no?’

Tony gave an apparently guileless smile. ‘You need to make sure she doesn’t.’

67

Day twenty-nine

When she finally got home and read Paula’s message about Marie Mather, Carol’s first instinct had been to pour herself a drink. But instead of knocking back the very large vodka in a oner, she sat staring at the glass for a long time. She took off her jacket and slung it over a hanger, then gave the glass her full attention. Stepping back into the world had given her pause. There was nothing wrong with what she was doing here in the barn. But she’d let that become an end in itself and the past few days had shown her that wasn’t enough.

She’d only been on the periphery of the investigation but that had been enough to remind her that she had a talent for justice. Not to exercise that talent was wrong. Not just because of the end result; the lives that would be changed because she wasn’t there to do what she was best at. But because it was bad for her to ignore the things she was good at, the things she could be proud of.