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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

‘I’m not going to apologise for covering all the bases, Elinor. But there’s something a lot more pressing than what kind of guy Dan is. Here’s the thing. I can’t leave Torin home alone. I know he stayed there last night without Bev, but he didn’t really believe she’d be out all night. He doesn’t have any family near at hand. And I don’t want social services taking him into emergency care.’

‘You want him to come and stay at ours?’

Paula couldn’t help smiling. ‘This is why I love you,’ she said. ‘You have such a generous heart.’

‘Obviously. I chose you.’ Elinor tapped Paula’s hand with a finger. ‘How do we do this?’

‘He’s going to text me after school. Can I send him over here? Can you find him a quiet corner where he can do his homework till you’re ready to leave? I don’t want him going to a friend’s house and letting slip that his mum’s disappeared and he’s staying with a couple of big old lezzas he hardly knows.’

Elinor thought for a moment. ‘Sure, I’ll come up with something. And you? What about you? When will you be home?’

Paula sighed and shook her head. ‘I’m not sure. We caught a murder this morning. We’ve barely got started.’

‘Just as well I’m an easy-going soul,’ Elinor said.

‘I know. Sometimes I think I behave like the worst of my male colleagues. I’m sorry.’

‘The difference is, you know you’re doing it. And I get to stake out the moral high ground.’ Elinor grinned. ‘It’s OK, Paula. We both pay the price of caring about what we do. I’d love you less if you took your job less seriously. What’s the new boss like?’

‘Too soon to know. But she’s not Carol Jordan, that’s for sure.’

‘That’s not exactly informative.’

Paula picked up her bag. ‘Later. You have patients, I have my back to cover.’ She stood up, put a hand on Elinor’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head. ‘I’ll send Torin over. See you when I see you.’

15