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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

‘Yeah. Let’s get a woman killed, so we can get our man.’ Janice shot him a look that suggested Ellie wasn’t working hard enough on his feminist transformation.

McNab couldn’t bring himself to say sorry, but tried to look it nonetheless. Thankfully his mobile rang at this precise moment.

‘Sergeant MacDonald, thanks for getting back to me.’ He gestured to Janice that it was a call from Skye, and made himself scarce. ‘Well?’ he said, once out of earshot.

‘Dr MacLeod was right. Something did happen. Enough to embed the skin from someone’s skull in a tree trunk.’

McNab found himself mightily relieved at the news that Rhona wasn’t imagining things.

‘Rhona asked me to send the evidence to Chrissy for processing.’

‘Any sign of the victim?’

‘None. We’ve checked the local hospitals and Inverness Raigmore for any recent head injuries and got nothing. Rhona suggested we check Glasgow.’

‘I can do that,’ McNab offered, glad he could take on any role in the Rhona-inspired investigation.

‘Severe scalp abrasions, blond hair. Chrissy will have blood and scalp samples as soon as.’

‘So, you could be looking for a body?’

‘More blood was found near vehicle tracks at the suspected exit point from the woods.’

McNab imagined for a moment the area that might have to be covered if they were looking for a body. The Orkney island of Sanday had been bad enough, and it was flat and a manageable size, plus no one could get on or off without it being noted.

Skye was an island, but way bigger, and with a bridge to the mainland. Still, if it was anything like Sanday, local folk were a good resource for anything suspicious happening.

‘No word of anything locally that might have led to this?’ McNab tried.

‘Not so far.’

As he rang off, McNab’s immediate and cheering thought was that Rhona was back at work.

17

On moving through to the bar after their meal, they’d discovered Jamie seated with the big collie next to the fire.

‘Blaze is my forensic assistant,’ Rhona explained, after introducing Alvis. ‘It was Blaze who drew my attention to the locus in the first place.’

‘And I heard you found something?’ Jamie said.

‘From Donald and Matt?’ Rhona said.

‘From several people, including Archie McKinnon, who captured you and Blaze via his drone. You were apparently approaching the road with what looked like a full rucksack.’

‘I was spied on by a drone?’ Rhona said, wide-eyed.

‘Archie’s gathering aerial views for the Skye tourist website. You just happened to emerge from the woods as his drone was heading for home. He checked with Donald and was told what you were up to.’ Jamie was laughing. ‘And now everyone knows your real occupation, Dr MacLeod.’

‘If folk are aware that something happened in the woods, maybe we’ll find out who was in there,’ Rhona said.