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Back The Dead Line Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. By the Same Author
  3. Dedication Page
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. Acknowledgements
  86. Also Available by Holly Watt
  87. The Hunt and the Kill

Casey told him as briefly as she could, watching his face harden at Clio’s death.

‘Good,’ he spat.

‘So you see,’ Casey finished, ‘we have to get up to London now. We have to hurry.’

‘Yes,’ he nodded. ‘I do see.’

80

80

There was electricity in the air as Casey and Miranda walked into the office.

‘You’re here at last.’ Dash surged across the room.

Dash’s words blurred as Casey listened.

Rob’s finished the backgrounder. Graphics working on the maps. The lawyers aren’t happy, but then they never bloody are.

‘What happened to Clio Greystone?’ Dash ended, his voice dropping a notch. ‘There’s a story on the wires. Light airplane crashed in the New Forest. The pack are assuming she was trying to get out of the country, away from the media scrum after her husband’s arrest.’

‘We fronted her up, she crashed her plane,’ said Miranda.

‘That it?’

‘Yes. I was driving a tractor. It was a bit complicated.’

Dash’s eyes flickered over Casey’s face.

‘Fine. The police have been in touch, though. They’ll have to interview you.’

‘OK.’

For a second, Casey felt shaky. She sat down on the sofa, forcing the walls to stop spinning. Dash watched her, almost pityingly, and then he stood up, and walked back towards the newsdesk.

Casey and Miranda sat on the sofa for a moment, side by side.

Cressida paused beside them for a second. ‘I’ve seen that video. Think we’re probably losing the Rhapso ad spend.’

‘Sorry,’ Casey sighed.

‘Worth it,’ Cressida flicked her hair, moved on.

‘You did it.’ said Miranda.

‘Only just.’ Casey breathed a sigh. ‘Because of you. Thank you. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t showed up when you did.’

‘Any time,’ Miranda said cheerfully, the bounce irrepressible. ‘And we’ve still got to get Alicia Dalgleish.’

‘We will,’ said Casey. ‘Somehow.’

‘I know.’ Miranda smiled widely. ‘Coffee?’

‘Please.’

Casey watched Miranda stride off across the office, then she walked back towards Dash.

‘The Burton-Smiths are next door, in the hotel. I need to take them to Poppy.’

‘Oh.’ Dash hesitated for only a second. ‘Of course.’

Janice, the editor’s secretary, had booked a second room at the London Grand, a cosy little cocoon for Pippa Lancaster to become Poppy Burton-Smith.

A couple of floors up, the nanny’s mouth pursed as Casey picked up her tiny charge.

Thank you so much for your time, Nina, sorry we needed you longer than we thought, I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience.

Casey left Miss Reynolds packing her clothes in tissue paper. Very carefully, she carried the little baby down the corridors of the London Grand, past the heavy golden mirrors. There was a gurgle and a small hand waving, a sweet baby smell and a memory that wasn’t quite real.