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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

Despite his conversation with Chrissy about the sin-eater case, Alvis definitely hadn’t been prepared for the Rhona he’d found here.

She looked thinner. And fragile – a word he could never have imagined using to describe Rhona MacLeod.

Alvis parked up and headed inside to discover he wasn’t the only visitor at this hour. What appeared to be a noisy family gathering was giving the PC on reception a hard time. By the raised voices, he made out that an elderly and confused relative had taken a car and could have gone off the road anywhere between Portree and Osmigarry. They were being very precise about Osmigarry.

At that point Sergeant MacDonald appeared and urged Alvis inside the station proper. Once in the relative quiet of the inner sanctum, they shook hands.

‘If you’re busy . . .’ Alvis motioned towards reception.

‘There’s a patrol car out looking for Jake Ross. He’s eighty and he’s done this before. He’ll likely head for Osmigarry.’ Lee repeated the destination mentioned outside.

When Alvis made a questioning face, he said, ‘That’s where the Flora MacDonald statue is,’ as though that supplied the answer. ‘So,’ Lee went on, ‘how are things in Stavanger?’

‘Cold and snowy, like here,’ Alvis obliged.

‘And you’ve come to climb?’

Alvis nodded. ‘I had been planning Cairngorm but . . .’

‘You heard what happened and wanted to check in on Dr MacLeod?’

Alvis regarded the kind face of one of the men who had searched so long and so hard for Marita in the snowy wastes of Cairngorm.

‘Yes, but I don’t want her to know that.’

‘Probably best. DS McNab also asked us to keep an eye on her.’

‘He’s that thorough?’ Alvis wondered why he’d ever thought otherwise.

‘You bet.’ Lee paused. ‘Rhona’s been in a few times. More to placate McNab than anything else. She seemed okay . . .’

‘If you don’t know her well,’ Alvis said with conviction.

Lee nodded. ‘I wondered. But it takes time. You and I know that.’

‘I also know that cutting yourself off from colleagues and friends doesn’t help. And neither does running away.’

They both fell silent at that.

‘So, what can I do, if anything?’ Lee said.

‘I wondered if anyone other than Jake has been reported missing?’

Lee looked puzzled by Alvis’s question. ‘No. Well, not in the last few days, but it does happen fairly regularly. Climbers, of course, but more often vulnerable folk like Jake. Why are you asking?’

Alvis explained about Rhona and her supposed find in the woods.

‘At Matt’s place?’ Lee said in surprise. ‘We’ve never had a problem at A.C.E Target Sports, even with stag events. Matt’s a good guy. I visit often to check on safety. If someone got hurt there, he would have reported it.’