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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

‘I’m looking forward to getting back to work myself,’ he said. ‘You’ll keep in touch?’

‘Of course. And let me know the next time you have a forensic science conference in Stavanger.’

‘Better still, you come for a holiday. Climb some Norwegian hills with me. I’ve covered a few with you now in Scotland.’

Chrissy shouted a goodnight as she headed off with Donald. ‘See you for the helicopter ride back tomorrow.’

When Alvis went back inside, Rhona stayed looking down at the little harbour and then over to the darkly edged shore of Raasay. She’d intended, she remembered, to take a trip out to the island, but had never managed to.

Still, there would be a next time, she was sure of that.

‘Dr MacLeod. I thought you’d gone home,’ Jamie said as he appeared, carrying two glasses. ‘But just in case you were still here, I brought a couple of drams out with me.’

He handed her a glass.

‘A dram is the measure of whisky acceptable to both the pourer and the drinker. As you can see, the groom is a generous pourer. It’s Talisker, by the way.’

Rhona accepted the glass and, chinking it against Jamie’s, gave the appropriate toast.

Slange Var.

After a few moments’ silence, Jamie said, ‘I won’t say I’m sorry to see you leave, but I’m glad that you came back and stayed for as long as you did.’

‘So am I,’ Rhona said.

‘And you’ll return, do you think?’

‘That I can promise.’

84

So it was that a day later Rhona stood at the door to her flat, listening, catching the sound of music being played inside. It was a female voice, and after a few moments she realized it was Ella Fitzgerald singing ‘Summertime’.

The song was a favourite of Sean’s. In fact everything Ella sang was a favourite with Sean.

She hesitated, not knowing if, despite getting this far, she was capable of going inside. In that moment, she wished she was back on Skye about to open the blue door to the cottage, even relishing the knowledge that it would be cold on entry and that she would have to light the stove.

On the other hand, if she opened this door, she would be met with warmth and the bounding figure of Tom coming to greet her. If the cat remembered her at all, considering the amount of time she’d been absent.

Rhona counted to three, then slipped the key in the lock and, turning it, pushed the door open before she could change her mind.

She had been right about the warmth. It immediately enveloped her, as did the glorious smell of cooking. She could hear Sean moving about the kitchen, humming along with the music. It was this above everything that almost overwhelmed her.