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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

The L-shaped bar with its roaring fire held many faces, but no Jamie in his usual spot, nor any sign of Alvis. Despite having come in with the intention of engaging with Alvis, Rhona found herself a little relieved about that. She turned towards the restaurant area and the scent of food made her realize just how hungry she was. She quickly decided that eating here was preferable to heading home in the storm to prepare a meal.

‘Has Jamie been in?’ Rhona ventured as she was shown to a table.

‘Not yet,’ the waitress told her with a smile of recognition. ‘He’ll likely be in later, though.’

With a quick glance at the menu, Rhona gave her order of fish and chips.

Seated now, she was conscious of the various foreign voices surrounding her in the small restaurant. Americans to her right, probably Californian, she thought. Ahead of her was a party of four French people. On her left, Italians.

It seemed tourists came to Skye whatever the time of year. And whatever the weather.

‘Rhona?’ Suddenly Alvis’s tall, smiling figure came striding towards her. ‘Are you about to eat? If so, may I join you?’

‘Of course,’ Rhona said. ‘I was going to text you to let you know I was here.’

Not strictly true, but yet . . .

Alvis smiled as though he might believe her.

‘How did it go today?’ he asked as soon as he’d ordered his own meal.

‘I processed the locus and handed the evidence to Sergeant MacDonald for transfer.’

‘So, do we have a crime on our hands?’

Rhona repeated her explanation of what she’d found, before pointing out that she hadn’t given that amount of detail to Donald or Matt.

Alvis nodded. ‘So someone did get hurt, but you have no idea who?’

‘Matt said the only folk they’d had in the last few days were army personnel and they left unscathed.’

Alvis looked interested by that. ‘Was there a female among them, do you know?’

Rhona had no idea. ‘Why?’ she asked.

‘There was a group in here the night I arrived. Four blokes and a girl. Medics who’d served in Afghanistan together.’

‘That could be them. Are they still around?’

‘They were heading for the hills, survival training, or so they told the barman.’ Alvis glanced at the window. ‘It’s definitely not camping weather. Still, if they’re service personnel they’ll be used to rough conditions.’

15

Afghanistan

I have lost all sense of time. I sometimes try to piece the broken past together. To view the jigsaw between then and now. At first I attempted to count the days by the sun’s movement across the dirt floor. And focusing on the light means I can see the other non-human occupants of my cell.

My greatest fear has been of the scorpions who love to shelter in stone walls like the ones that surround me.