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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

‘We’re almost done here, Detective Sergeant,’ he said.

‘Apologies for that, had a lead to follow on this guy first.’

‘And that took long enough to avoid some of your favourite parts of this procedure?’

‘Luckily, yes.’

‘So what do you want to know?’ Dr Walker said, coming straight to the point.

‘Was he moved after death and how did his face get in such a state?’ McNab said.

McNab extracted himself from the suit and tossed it in the bin.

Dr Walker, of a different nature to his superior, Dr Sissons, had been happy to discuss their findings. It appeared that the body had indeed been moved after death. The victim had been subjected to blunt-force trauma about the face, which may have come from falling down the scree.

‘But the deep wound in the right eye was made earlier.’

‘The weapon?’ McNab had immediately asked.

‘A blade of some description, maybe that tomahawk Dr MacLeod asked us to look out for. We found fragments of wood in the wound, together with traces of vegetation.’

‘So, he didn’t die from a fall on the mountain?’

‘In our opinion he died from the earlier head injury. Location was woodland rather than hillside. The other facial injuries came later, when he was likely beaten about the face with rocks, giving the impression he’d died on the scree.’

69

Chrissy heard the message come in and, surprised that she suddenly had a signal, quickly opened and read it.

Taking her chance, she called and waited impatiently for McNab to answer. Eventually he did.

‘Chrissy. You got the text?’

‘Any evidence of where he died?’ she immediately asked.

‘The wound contained wood fragments possibly from the handle of the weapon used. Plus—’ He waited a second for impact.

‘Fuck it, McNab. What?’

‘There was vegetation. Doc said he’d been lying in woodland.’

‘Rhona was right,’ Chrissy said.

‘If the DNA’s a match.’

They both fell silent, before McNab came back in. ‘Is Rhona about?’

Chrissy told him about the search party for Seven. ‘And, McNab, a jeep went off the Uig road last night and caught fire. Two fatalities. Rhona said the guy looking for Seven was driving a dark-coloured jeep. Thing is, the bodies I’m looking at don’t belong to fit guys like soldiers. Too much blubber.’

‘Have you run the number plate?’

‘Lee’s tracing it now.’

Chrissy could almost hear McNab’s brain turning over this new information. Eventually she couldn’t wait any longer and demanded he tell her his thoughts.

‘When I told Harry that Galbraith had been found dead on Skye, he said “the fucking war’s started”.’

When McNab rang off, Chrissy tried Rhona again, without success.

During her call with McNab, the team had sectioned off the area around the burnt-out jeep, and she could make out a search team going over the ground between the wreck and the road.