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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

The colour drained from Ashley’s cheeks, making her pale freckles distinct as a rash. Her hands flew to the sides of her head and she looked stunned. ‘I don’t believe it. Not Nad. You must have made a mistake. It’s her mum that’s got cancer, not her.’

‘There’s no mistake, Ashley. I’m very sorry. I know this is a terrible time for you, but we really need your help.’

‘Can we get you a cup of tea or a drink of water?’ Fielding leaned forward and for a moment, Paula could see that she’d be the kind of mother you could rely on.

Ashley shook her head. ‘What happened? How can she be dead? She’s in Poland, she texted me only the other day, saying the weather was crap where she was and how she was looking forward to coming home.’ Her hand flew to her mouth. ‘She never texted me on Monday, is that when she died?’ Paula felt Fielding’s quick glance at her. The squatters had returned on Tuesday morning to find Nadia’s body in their living room. It looked as if the killer saw no need to pretend Nadia was alive after he’d murdered her. He simply wanted to prevent anyone raising the alarm while she was still with him.

‘We think someone took Nadia,’ Paula said. ‘He kept her prisoner. And then he killed her.’

‘In Poland?’

‘We think she never left Bradfield,’ Paula said.

‘But she texted me. She said she had to go home at short notice because her mum had cancer and she thought she was going to die. I said to Skype me when she got there but she said she couldn’t because her mum didn’t have internet access. So we texted.’ She pulled her phone out. ‘Look, I’ll show you.’

‘That’s really helpful, Ashley. And we’ll need a copy of those text exchanges between you. Did anything strike you as odd about anything she said in her texts? Or the way she said it?’

Ashley frowned. ‘Everything was just normal. That’s why none of this makes any sense. Are you sure you’ve got the right person?’

Paula’s heart went out to her. ‘I know this is a terrible thing for you to hear, but we’re sure. And we need all the help we can get. The sooner we get it, the more chance there is that we’ll catch whoever did this to your friend. So we’d like to ask you some questions. Do you mind?’ It was heartless, to demand such a thing when the woman was still in shock. But necessary.