BooksBarbecue
Back Last Place You Look Save as PDF
Chapters (85)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. Part 1
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. Part 2
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. Part 3
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. Epilogue
  82. Acknowledgements
  83. Canelo Crime
  84. About the Author
  85. Also by Louisa Scarr

She could start a new life with her baby. One with security, and space to carve out a new career. Why should Amy have the perfect life? After everything Olivia had been through, why should her sister have everything?

So she stopped. And waited. Her sister half opened her eyes. Amy blinked, trying to focus on Olivia, but her pupils were wide. She opened her mouth, but only a soft groan came out. Liv could see the head wound, a large gash to the left side of her head, still bleeding, staining her blonde hair dark red. And she watched. Until she was dead.

Then she picked up her mobile and called 999.

The coroner ruled accidental death. Case closed.

Liv looks at the memory stick in her hand, then stands up, carrying it across to her locker. She buries the black USB in among her clothing, in her spare jeans, her old costumes, unseen in the feathers and sequins.

And she goes out to do her show. To gyrate around the pole, to take her clothes off for the jeering men. To allow them to see her body, her tits, her arse, all in exchange for a few quid.

She’ll keep the memory stick. Not for now, but for some day.

Because who knows when it might come in useful.

Who knows when she might want to see Detective Sergeant Robin Butler again.

Acknowledgements

The first thank you must always go to Ed Wilson for making all this possible – and for tolerating the endless nagging and impatience that comes with it. Thank you also to Hélène Butler and everyone else at Johnson & Alcock.

I am incredibly grateful to Louise Cullen at Canelo, for providing the perfect home for Butler and West. I have loved discussing Robin and Freya with you, and working on the vision to bring the both of them to life. Thank you also to Siân Heap, and the rest of the team who worked on this book, including Jenny Page for her eagle-eyed copy edits and Becca Allen for the proof read.

I am forever surprised by how much people will tolerate my bizarre questions, and help me write these books. No more so than Dr Matt Evans, who spends an incredible amount of time correcting my dire attempts at medical terminology. One day, Matt, you will actually read one of my books and the spell will be broken, but until then, thank you.

As always, thank you to PC Dan Roberts and Charlie Roberts, who keep me sane on the school runs and answer my every conceivable ridiculous question about police procedure and being a copper. It’s about time I dedicated a book to you both. Thank you to Sergeant Jon Bates for his incredible insights, and Steph Fox, my favourite real-life CSI. To Laura Stevenson, Susan Scarr, AR (you know who you are) – thank you. All mistakes, deliberate or otherwise, are mine.