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Back Time for the Dead
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

So why head in the opposite direction, unless you had a reason not to report the incident? That seemed to Rhona the most likely scenario.

Completing her notes, she laid aside her notebook and, snuggling down, tried to go to sleep. The lightning storm had passed, as had the rain, and moonlight now shone down on her through the attic window.

Hearing Jamie come upstairs to bed, she realized she was glad of his benign presence across the landing, which then reminded her of the nights Sean had stayed over at her flat after coming back late from playing at the jazz club.

How often she’d woken to find Sean’s arms about her, his warm breath brushing her neck.

I miss him, she thought. More than I’m willing to admit, even to myself.

20

Ashton Lane was deserted in the rain; anyone with any sense was staying in the various drinking establishments that lined the cobbled alley. McNab stood for a moment in the doorway, wondering where he should go next.

The meeting with Maguire had been necessary, but not altogether satisfactory. McNab had been keen to know if Rhona had been in touch with Maguire, and how the Irishman had felt about her state of mind.

God knows why I thought he would reveal such a thing to me.

One thing he had learned was that Maguire wasn’t in a good place right now. And that had a lot to do with Rhona.

Their interchange had also planted a seed of doubt in McNab’s mind. Maguire thought Rhona had kept something from him, something McNab knew about. Now McNab fretted as to what that could possibly be.

Had something even worse happened to Rhona that he wasn’t aware of? That no one knew about, even Chrissy?

Across the road, a door, caught by a sudden gust of wind, abruptly slammed shut. The bang burst in his brain like a gunshot and McNab instinctively turned as he had that night outside the casino in order to shield a terrified Chrissy, only to find a puzzled girl trying to leave the jazz club.

Muttering an apology, he stepped aside to let her pass.

Scent, the PTSD counsellor had told him, would stay the longest. After that, specific sounds. For soldiers who’d been on the front line, anything resembling gunfire or even the innocent beat of an approaching chopper might send them back to their darkest place.

If his recall could still be triggered by a door slamming shut, what the hell was it like for Rhona?

Exiting the lane, McNab made for Hillhead underground station, his thoughts moving from Rhona to Ellie. He’d told the Irishman that Ellie was fine and it was true enough, although it was difficult to judge, considering how little time they’d spent together recently.