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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

‘Blaze has a full repertoire which you can view nightly at the Isles Inn, or alternatively daily in the square at Portree outside the police station.’ The guy held out his hand. ‘Hi, I’m Domhnall MhicAoidh, or in English, Donald MacKay. Blaze’s owner, although I’m sure he probably thinks he’s mine.’

‘Chrissy McInsh,’ Chrissy offered. ‘Rhona . . . Dr MacLeod’s forensic assistant, although I’ve heard on the grapevine that Blaze here might be after my job?’

‘I think he may well be,’ Donald said with an apologetic look. ‘Good to meet you, Chrissy McInsh.’

‘And you.’

‘I take it you’re here to join Rhona on the shore?’

‘That’s the plan. How did Rhona get down?’ Chrissy asked.

‘She abseiled with one of the MRT guys.’

Chrissy mouthed a fuck. ‘Well, if that’s how Dr MacLeod got down there.’ She glanced around at the milling personnel. ‘So who’s to be the lucky guy?’

Donald gestured to a tall bloke near the barrier on the clifftop.

‘Jamie McColl. He knows Rhona from way back on Skye. Come on, I’ll introduce you,’ Donald said, giving Blaze a share of his breakfast roll.

24

Studying the dead brought you closer to them. Everything Rhona recorded here would help paint a picture of the living, breathing person, who now lay lifeless before her.

She was the first mourner. The first to study the body. The first to contextualize the end of their life.

In an autopsy, the body would be recorded in minute detail, focusing on the forensic nature of the wounds and inner organs, but the pathologist wouldn’t be here on this rocky foreshore, with the basalt cliffs towering behind, amid the cry of the gulls and the rush of the breaking waves.

The locus of the body wasn’t necessarily the place where the victim had died. Bodies might be moved after death, disposed of by a perpetrator in order to conceal their death or at least disguise the way they had died.

A hanging disguised as a suicide.

A murder masquerading as an accident.

So when did this young man die?

According to Jamie on their way down the cliff face – he had kept her talking to keep her mind off the descent – the Italian tourist had arrived at the viewpoint on a minibus around 3.30 yesterday. He hadn’t liked standing too close to the railing, especially when he’d heard the weird moaning sound the barrier made. So he basically pointed the camera, clicked a few times, then headed back to the bus.

‘Were there any other photographs taken that showed the body?’ Rhona had asked.

‘According to Lee, there were at least four tour buses here yesterday. They’re trying to get in touch with the companies involved.’

So it seemed the victim had been on the cliff path sometime before 3.30 p.m. yesterday.