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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

On their return journey to Portree, Rhona showed McNab the images she’d taken in Seven’s tent.

‘What’s the blue cloth?’

‘Chrissy and I thought it might be from a burka,’ Rhona told him.

‘And you think the disc is from a dog collar?’

When Rhona nodded, he said, ‘I’ll send these photos to Ollie. See if he can find out if there is, or was, a sniffer dog called Rex out there. Folk bring back weird mementos from war zones. I have a pal that brought back a bit of the IED that killed his mate in front of his eyes. I swear he would have brought back a piece of his mate if there had been anything left of him.’

Ollie’s email had indicated that Peter Galbraith had been involved in a hostile incident involving an attack on the medical centre, when two of the team he’d been working with had died.

‘That must have been why he was off-duty for a month,’ Rhona said. ‘I wonder why they didn’t just send him home? Was he serving with the same group he came here with?’

‘I have no idea. Getting information out of the MOD is literally like getting blood out of a stone,’ McNab said. ‘And a junkie giving me a service number doesn’t constitute a criminal investigation. Until we have a reason to accuse Private Galbraith of breaking the law in some way, the barriers will stay up and we will learn only what they want us to know.’

‘What about the Sandman enquiry?’ Rhona said. ‘Can’t you use that as a way in?’

‘The MOD don’t want that to come anywhere near them. In fact they’ll fight to keep it away.’

‘So you have to establish a link between Private Galbraith and the Sandman before they’ll release the whole story?’ Rhona said.

‘Or discover a link between him and Paul Watson.’

The weather had stayed reasonably bright for the trip south, but by the time they set off back to Portree, a further front had swept in, bringing heavy rain with gusts of wind that hit the jeep from the west.

‘How can anyone live here with this weather?’ McNab declared as the windscreen wipers fought to keep up with the onslaught.

‘And it never rains in Glasgow?’ Rhona said with a laugh.

‘Yeah, but you can escape it by stepping into a building. Out here, though?’ McNab gestured at the emptiness caught in the headlights.

‘A drop of rain never hurt anyone,’ Rhona said, quoting her mother.

At that, McNab flung her a look that would have curdled milk. Another one of her late mum’s favourite expressions.