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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

Harry laughed. ‘Man, you got that fucking wrong. She was waiting at your place to tell you so. Fucked up there, mate.’

McNab wasn’t going to argue that particular point.

‘Did Ellie get you to come into the station?’

Harry met his eye. ‘She asked me where I wanted to be most in the world.’ He gave a little laugh. ‘I told her back with my mates.’

‘In Afghanistan?’

‘I’d rather die out there with them than in a Glasgow alley alone.’

Registering Harry’s expression as he said that, McNab had a fleeting glimpse of what he might be like if the police force ever threw him out. It wasn’t an image he liked.

‘Why did you leave me that service number in the sign-out book?’ McNab said.

Harry twitched a little at the mention of that, and for a moment McNab imagined him clamming up and this whole interview becoming a waste of time. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had offered a statement only to change their mind.

‘You found Sugarboy then?’ Harry said cautiously.

‘Private Peter Galbraith, a medic who served in Afghanistan?’

Harry nodded. ‘Bastard saved my life.’ He pointed at his face. ‘When this happened.’

McNab had no idea where this conversation was going, but it didn’t seem like the path led to the Sandman. He decided to shake things up a little.

‘Then I’m sorry to have to tell you that Private Galbraith is dead.’

‘What the fuck did you just say?’ Harry sat to attention.

‘The medic Private Peter Galbraith, who you call Sugarboy, is dead.’

A look of abject fear crossed Harry’s face. ‘But I just saw him.’

‘Where?’ McNab demanded.

‘He came looking for me. He always does when he’s home on leave.’

‘When did he do that, Harry?’

‘Before it happened. Before I was in hospital.’ Harry’s face was working through his memories, trying to make sense of them.

‘Did Malky see you with him?’ McNab said.

‘Malky?’ Harry looked at him stupidly. ‘I don’t think so.’ He swayed in his seat as though the shock at what he’d just heard had suddenly hit him.

McNab, thinking for a moment he might meet the floor, jumped up and came round the table to prevent that from happening.

A horrifying thought seemed to strike Harry. ‘Did you lot have something to do with it? Fuck you, you bastard. Ah should never have given you his number.’

That they might lose Harry if he thought the police had anything to do with Galbraith’s death prompted McNab to tell him the truth, or the truth as they currently imagined it to be.

‘Private Galbraith was with a party of his fellow medics on Skye. He fell off a mountain.’ He stopped himself from admitting to the fact that Galbraith had not yet been formally identified.