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Back Time for the Dead Save as PDF
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

‘You and I both know the answer to that. As for helping locate a missing person, that would be different.’

‘The favoured way into the Tables is via Orbost, which means she would have got off the bus at the junction of the B884,’ Alvis said.

‘She did,’ Rhona told him. ‘I phoned the bus company again as I was leaving the station and they finally put me in touch with the driver who drove the bus Seven got on. He was off work the first time I called. He remembered Seven, though she didn’t say much, even when he spoke directly to her. Apparently he tried to tell her the times he would be back along the road, but she didn’t seem too interested.’

‘So she wasn’t planning to come back that day?’

‘Doesn’t look like it.’

‘And what about us?’ Alvis said.

Rhona shot him a look. ‘We don’t turn back until we’re sure.’

‘Of what?’

‘That she’s okay,’ was all Rhona could offer.

They passed the car journey in silence, each deep in their thoughts. Rhona’s were partly about McNab and his impending interview with Harry McArthur, of the post-mortem and what it might reveal; but they were mostly about what had happened to Private Galbraith in Afghanistan and what had really brought the group to Skye.

Had it been, like her, to try and forget? To forge new memories together so that whenever they looked at one another they didn’t only remember a shared horror?

PTSD did that to sufferers, replaying past scenes vividly – the sights, the sounds, the smells. Anything could trigger the sudden recall. For her it was confined places and suffocating darkness which brought soil into her mouth to choke her.

And what of Alvis, reliving the sights and sounds of caged children? Something, thankfully, she didn’t have to endure.

They parked the vehicle on the grass verge at the beginning of the designated path. Once across the stream, Rhona produced what she’d taken from the tent. The last time she’d trailed Seven she’d been able to let Blaze smell a few items of Seven’s clothing, plus the trainers, but fearful that wouldn’t be enough, she’d also taken the anklet sock.

Alvis made no comment as she produced this from an evidence bag and offered it to the dog.

65

McNab observed the scarred face of the man across the table from him. ‘I thought you were fucking dead.’

The pale lips assumed the ghost of smile.

‘You could have been, leaving without me,’ McNab went on. ‘If wee Malky was having the hospital watched . . .’

‘Then he would have seen me leave with you. Not a good move. Your bird was wiser, bringing me out the back way. Having her mate pick me up. Nice bike too, by the way.’

‘You stayed at Ellie’s?’ McNab made himself say.