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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

‘Maybe Jamie could be persuaded to help me with that,’ Janice said with a dreamy smile. ‘If he can only drag himself away from Dr MacLeod.’

Fuck’s sake, McNab thought as he headed for the main entrance. Have all my female colleagues lost the plot on Jamie McColl?

Just as he was about to exit, a male voice called out his name. Turning, McNab was met by, he suspected, the man of the moment. McNab gave him the once over, immediately deciding he didn’t like what he saw.

‘Rhona said you wanted a word regarding where we found the climber?’

Nor did he like his voice.

‘I’m on my way to the hotel to drop off my luggage,’ McNab said curtly.

‘May I walk across with you?’

McNab figured he couldn’t prevent that, so didn’t try.

The rain had eased and it was definitely getting colder. As they crossed the square, McNab felt the crunch of ice underfoot.

‘The forecast’s for a big drop in temperature later,’ Jamie told him. ‘Down to minus five.’

McNab didn’t respond, but secretly wondered if he had in fact packed enough warm clothes.

‘Rhona spoke of you often,’ McColl was saying. ‘You’ve worked together a lot, I understand? In particular on the case prior to her coming to Skye?’

McNab cut him off. ‘I don’t discuss work with people outside the job.’

McColl, obviously taken aback by McNab’s sharp response, said, ‘Rhona has never spoken of any of the cases she’s worked on. I only know a little about the sin-eater case because of what I read in the newspapers.’

‘The newspapers are full of shite,’ McNab said. ‘I have to dump my bags, then I’d like to see the images taken at the locus.’

‘Of course.’

They were at the hotel now. McNab pushed open the door and was assailed by the warm fugginess of a bar, complete with laughter and chatter.

Jamie indicated that Rhona was already there, over by the fire. ‘That’s Donald she’s with, and Blaze of course.’

McNab wasn’t a dog lover, but this one, he had to admit, was a magnificent specimen, the intelligent eyes appraising him from afar even as he studied it.

Climbing the narrow stairs to the first floor, key in hand, McNab decided that it wasn’t so much the countryside he disliked, but the familiarity of its inhabitants with one another. Sanday had been the same, he recalled. Since, by the nature of his calling, he believed everyone guilty until proved innocent, this friendly intermingling between the police and the public was not something he approved of.

Unlocking his room door, he registered that he didn’t have a four-poster, but he did have a double. This thought brought Ellie to mind and he checked his mobile in the hope that there was some further correspondence from her.

There wasn’t.