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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

Then the knife appears and is presented to me.

I want to sterilize it first, but how to make them understand?

A fire burns in a stone chimney, cooking utensils close by. I take the knife there and hold it to the flames until it glows red. I point at the water jug and then the cooking pot and indicate I want them to boil water.

If I cut the girl open, I will have to close her, but with what? I motion as though I am sewing something. The faces, so intent, watch my movements and in at least a couple of them a light dawns.

There are patterned cushions in the room, and intricate embroidered garments, including the detailed work round the eye mesh of the blue burkas. It isn’t possible to do that without needle and thread.

Having amassed everything beside me on a white cloth, they now wait for me to do whatever I have decided.

In that moment I am back in the medical tent, helping the boy up onto the bed, examining his wounds, his eyes observing me just as the girl on the bed is doing now.

What if it isn’t just me who will die if I fail? What if the others will face death too?

She will have to bite down on something hard. The same old woman who has been watching me hands me an intricately carved piece of wood to place in the girl’s mouth.

We are ready. I say that because I am not alone in my endeavour. If I fail, the women will not be able to prevent my death; but if I succeed, they will, I think, looking round the faces, try to set me free.

55

During the briefing, McNab had announced to the assembled company that he was here specifically to establish the whereabouts of Peter Galbraith with respect to the ongoing Sandman case in Glasgow.

‘I will therefore be accompanying Dr MacLeod to view the body in the mortuary in Broadford before it is sent on to Glasgow.’

This had been news to Rhona, at least the part about McNab accompanying her. As they hadn’t been alone together since he’d deposited her at the cottage in what seemed a lifetime ago, she feared a probing conversation, or a definite attempt to get her to return to Glasgow, during the trip. Neither of which she wanted to deal with at the moment.

Emerging from the station, Rhona headed for Jamie’s jeep.

‘Why aren’t we using a police vehicle?’ McNab immediately said.

‘They’re all needed, especially with DS Clark and the others here. The jeep’s Jamie’s. I’ve been using it since I got here.’