BooksBarbecue
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

‘Shove it up your arse for all I care,’ he said, finishing off his steak and pushing the plate away from him. ‘Now, what does a good wife do to please her husband after dinner?’ As he rounded the breakfast bar, she could see his erection tenting the front of his overalls.

Oh Christ. It was going to get a lot worse before there was any chance of it getting better.

20

Paula watched Tony cross the cobbles and climb aboard Steeler. She waited till he was safely below and the hatch was closed. Not because she feared for his safety but because she wanted a few moments to gather herself before she headed home.

When he’d recognised Nadia Wilkowa in the photograph from the corkboard, Paula had assumed that he’d made the same mistake she had. That he’d been tricked by the superficial resemblance to Carol Jordan into thinking that he knew a woman who was in fact a stranger. When she’d said, ‘We know exactly who she is. She’s the victim,’ she’d thought she was kicking a misapprehension into the long grass.

He’d looked confused. ‘That’s Nadia Wilkowa? Then I must have encountered her at some point.’

‘You don’t think it’s your mind playing tricks?’

‘What do you mean, my mind playing tricks?’

‘Tony, she looks like Carol.’

He’d taken a step back, as if she’d poked him in the chest. ‘You think so?’ He looked again. ‘No, you’re wrong. The haircut’s the same, but that’s all. Look.’ He thrust the photo at Paula. ‘Her face is a different shape. Cheekbones, totally different angles.’

‘The jawline’s similar, so are the eyes.’

Tony shook his head stubbornly. ‘She’s… I don’t know, ordinary. You wouldn’t look twice at her in a crowd.’

Paula turned away. ‘For a moment, for a split second when I first saw the body… I thought it was her, Tony. The hair, the legs, the line of the shoulders. Then I realised the body shape was wrong.’

‘But her face was wrecked, Paula. If you’d seen her in life, you wouldn’t have taken her for Carol. You’re overlaying your first impressions on this picture. And she doesn’t look like Carol.’ His voice changed, bitterness creeping in. ‘Believe me, Paula. I am the man who sees Carol Jordan everywhere. And I don’t see her in this woman’s face.’

Paula turned in time to catch the shadow of grief cross his face. She put a hand on his arm. ‘I’m sorry.’