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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

‘It’s not a bloody fucking competition.’ Sinead’s voice was cold and hard as stone. ‘You should have been here right from the start.’

Carol swallowed. ‘I know that, Sinead. Nobody could feel more guilty and ashamed than I do.’

‘As you should. Well, you’re not welcome here. You haven’t earned the right to be here. I don’t care how hard it’s been on you, it’s been a hundred times harder on her. Other people have been here for her, you know. Paula and Kevin, they come a lot. Sam stops in, and even Stacey the geek. And you know who comes regular as clockwork? Tony. He’s been coming right from the start. And believe me, he’s a man who wears his guilt on his sleeve. But the one person she wanted to hear from, the woman she respected more than any other officer she ever worked under, the person she ended up sacrificing herself for – you couldn’t be bothered to show your face. Well, fuck you, Carol Jordan. You don’t get to stroll in now Tony’s done the hard stuff for you. So are you going to walk right out of here or am I going to get security on to you?’

Carol wanted to slump to the floor and sob till her throat was raw. Instead, she simply nodded. ‘I’m sorry.’ She turned and walked back the way she’d come, desperate to make it to her car before she fell apart.

Sinead’s last words hit like a handful of hail in her face. ‘And don’t fucking come again.’

18

Tony paused in the cramped hallway that smelled faintly of smoked paprika. ‘Are we going to get in trouble?’

‘Only if you grass me up. I did log the keys out officially. I told Fielding I wanted another look. I’m not mad – I’m not going totally off the reservation.’

‘Fair enough. You said you had a set of the crime-scene photos,’ he reminded Paula. ‘Can I see them before we go in?’

‘This isn’t where she was killed,’ Paula said, opening her bag to get the folder of photos she’d printed off before leaving the CID office. ‘There’s nothing to suggest the killer was ever here.’

‘I realise that. But until we know how and where he acquired Nadia, I don’t want to rule out any possible connections.’

‘I hate that word.’ Paula pulled out the folder.

‘Connections?’ Tony sounded confused.

‘“Acquired” – it’s so cold. So clinical.’