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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

She brought out the evidence bag with the sterile container. ‘In here is scalp residue which I retrieved from a tree trunk. It needs to be kept cool and sent as quickly as possible to my forensic assistant. She’ll organize a DNA profile. The soil samples too. I’ll email Chrissy and tell her they’re on their way.’

‘I checked Portree and Broadford hospitals, then Inverness,’ Lee said. ‘No emergency admissions from Skye, except for a climber with a broken leg picked up last night.’

‘What about Glasgow or Edinburgh?’ Rhona offered. ‘It’s further than Inverness, but if it was a holidaymaker, perhaps they headed home.’

‘I’ll contact them too. What do you want to do about the site?’

‘I sectioned it off with tape and the tarpaulin’s back in place. I’ve taken photos and soil samples from the exit route path. I also located and photographed tyre tracks where we met the B885 and some blood traces.’ Rhona showed Lee where on the map. ‘The ground’s churned up, I couldn’t be sure of the direction taken when they left.’

She glanced at the window, still rattling under an onslaught of hailstones. ‘Any evidence not covered by the tarpaulin will likely be washed away by tomorrow.’

‘Any idea if a weapon was used?’

‘The head hit the tree with substantial force, that’s all I can say at the moment. And there was no sign of a weapon in the immediate vicinity. A proper search would be needed for that.’

‘Are we looking for a body?’ Lee said, his face serious.

‘I wouldn’t rule it out.’

14

As she crossed the car park, Rhona realized her mood had lifted.

If it felt that good to work a possible crime scene again, did that mean she was ready to return home to Glasgow?

Her mind immediately revisited her flat, walking her through it, replaying terrifying images she’d thought she’d managed to subdue. Yet here they were again, in all their original intensity.

Even the sight and sound of the gushing water in the nearby gutter recalled the stream she’d encountered during the sin-eater case. A stream, she tried to remind herself, that had helped save her life.

She halted by the jeep, registering the light from the windows of the Isles bar. It looked and sounded as though they were back in business. She thought of going inside, having something to eat, maybe talking to Alvis. Running it over in her mind, it didn’t seem too bad a proposition. Alvis and she had been through a lot together. He deserved more than her evasive brush-off of yesterday.

Decided now, Rhona walked quickly across to the entrance.

On opening the door, music and warmth quickly enveloped her. Rhona had been here before with Jamie, who’d introduced her to the bar staff. She now knew that Donald worked here part-time too behind the scenes.