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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

There was, however, a text message from Ollie.

Call me, it’s about Harry.

McNab pulled up Ollie’s number and listened to it ringing out. Eventually Ollie’s breathless voice answered.

‘Detective Sergeant McNab?’

‘Fuck’s sake, Ollie. My name’s on the screen.’

There was a brief silence before Ollie said, ‘I’m about to send a short video from the CCTV footage I retrieved from the Death Star. Can you please take a look?’

‘Okay,’ McNab said cautiously.

He waited impatiently as the video took what seemed like an eternity to download, sensing that what he was about to see wasn’t something he would welcome.

Eventually it was ready to run. McNab pressed the play button and concentrated on the screen, his heart already skipping a beat.

It hadn’t been captured in the area near to the discharge lounge he’d visited. It was somewhere else entirely, but McNab recognized Harry right away from the footage. He emerged from the building and stood, hesitant, looking about him expectantly.

A black cab drew up alongside, but Harry didn’t approach it. Instead a woman appeared in a wheelchair and was helped into the vehicle by the driver. As this scene played out, Harry walked part way out of the picture.

McNab swore, thinking they were about to lose him altogether. But no. As the taxi drew away, it was replaced by the sudden arrival of a motorbike. A Harley-Davidson, the rider’s outfit sporting a blood-red splash. He murmured more expletives into the air, already aware of the significance of this.

He watched as a few words were exchanged, before Harry climbed on behind the figure McNab suspected, by the outfit, to be Ellie’s best mate, Izzy. Above them on the screen the recording gave McNab the time of the pick-up.

The timing was crucial. Replaying that morning’s coupling in his head, he realized it had to have been part of the plan. Ellie had encouraged him to have sex, to delay his arrival at the hospital, having already arranged that Izzy should collect Harry.

The question was how had she been in touch with Harry to arrange it? And why had she done this behind his back?

The first question was easy to answer. Ellie had made another visit to Harry to arrange it. Or they had been in touch another way. Harry hadn’t had a phone when he’d been admitted to hospital, but Ellie could have easily supplied him with a pay-as-you-go model.

The answer to the second question, McNab realized, was equally obvious. Ellie hadn’t trusted him to keep his word to deliver Harry to her flat. So she’d organized that delivery herself, just to be sure.

McNab thought back to his delaying tactics, his staying-out-late routine, the consumption of whisky, all to avoid facing Ellie.