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Back Time for the Dead
Chapters (94)
  1. Cover
  2. Time for the Dead
  3. Dedication page
  4. Map
  5. Epigraph page
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  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. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. Epilogue
  92. Acknowledgements
  93. About the Author
  94. By Lin Anderson

With his eyes fixed on the screen, McNab watched as the seconds ticked by and, one after another, patients exited the lounge. None of them was Harry.

Time moved on, and more patients came out and got into a selection of cars or black cabs. One emerged to climb on the back of a motorbike.

No sign of Harry. Although there were males whose faces were obscured.

The clock now said 9.40.

McNab glanced at Ollie. ‘You’re the super recognizer. Is there a chance Harry is one of those guys whose faces we can’t see properly?’

Ollie shook his head.

‘He signed out at 9.30,’ McNab muttered. ‘At least that’s the time he wrote in the book.’

‘Are you certain he was picked up?’ Ollie said.

‘The nurse said Harry told her his ride was there. Thanked her, signed the book and left,’ McNab said irritably.

‘Maybe he didn’t leave from that particular exit?’ Ollie suggested.

McNab imagined Harry sitting there waiting for him to turn up. Taking fright and making a run for it. If that had been the case, where would he go?

He’d had no mobile on him when McNab had taken him to hospital the night he was stabbed. McNab would have been overjoyed if that had not been the case. A mobile would at least have given them some clues as to Harry’s contacts.

Ollie eventually took pity on him. ‘I’ll get all the exit footage around that time and go through it.’

‘He must be pretty sore still,’ McNab said, remembering his own exit from hospital after the shooting. ‘Even if they gave him a supply of strong painkillers, it won’t be enough.’ McNab halted there, before he could say, for a junkie like Harry.

‘Then you’ll find him in his old haunts,’ Ollie said.

Or dead.

He rose. ‘You’ll contact me as soon as you find out who owns that service number?’ McNab tried to lighten his voice. ‘But first, I suggest you head for the cafe and ask the lovely Maria out.’

By the dreamy look on Ollie’s face, it appeared he might just do that.

After leaving Ollie, and despite the hour, McNab decided he wasn’t ready to go home just yet.

He didn’t want to open the door on an empty flat. Neither did he want to open it to find Ellie there waiting for him, eager for news. Plus what Ollie had said had rung true. If Harry was desperate for a fix, he would have headed for his old haunts. McNab wasn’t sure where exactly these were, except for the places he’d seen Harry himself.

Old habits were hard to break. Old paths rarely abandoned. If Harry was sore and had nowhere to go, wouldn’t he go back to his usual spot?