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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

‘He’s mountain-trained,’ Donald had told her. ‘And very cautious.’ He gave Rhona a selection of the dog’s commands. ‘But if you tell him to stay, remember to release him, otherwise he’ll stay in that place forever,’ he warned them with a smile. ‘I left him in the pub once. He hasn’t forgotten.’

Rhona’s ‘walk on’ had sent Blaze a little ahead of them. Her ‘here to me’ brought him swiftly back.

‘Hey,’ Chrissy said. ‘You’re bossing him about just like me.’

Cresting a small hill, they found an area sectioned off by police tape, an officer on duty, although it looked like the SOCOs had already departed.

The crime scene manager turned out to be Jamie’s friend, the one who was due to have his stag do the forthcoming weekend. Introducing himself in a London accent as Sergeant Frank Duns, he told them he’d transferred to Skye from the Met five years ago.

‘I used to climb here on holiday once a year. Now I can climb whenever I like,’ he told them. ‘And the murder rate’s a lot lower,’ he added with a wry smile.

‘Did the SOCOs find anything of interest?’ Rhona said.

‘A few footprints, but folk wander up this way from the car park all the time. Good thinking on Blaze, though.’

Freshly kitted up, Rhona and Chrissy entered the enclosed area. Rhona then produced the swab she’d taken from the victim and offered it up to Blaze.

If the collie could detect blood in the woods behind the sports centre, he was equally likely to pick up where the victim had been on the clifftop.

Donald’s instructions had been clear. ‘Use “Go find it” and if Blaze is in close proximity to what he’s meant to be looking for, you call “Good boy” and he’ll do a detailed search of about a five-yard area.’

Blaze took a while sniffing the swab, then, on her command, he took off. Rhona’s biggest fear in trying this was that Blaze might pick up the faller’s scent around the cliff edge.

She was wrong in that. The dog was circling the area, but if the faller had walked this section, it seemed he had left no trace.

Chrissy turned to Rhona, disappointed. ‘Could this be the wrong spot they’ve identified?’

Having crossed and recrossed the sectioned-off area, Blaze now passed under the tape and moved further afield in his search.

‘Maybe he’s looking for a rabbit?’ Chrissy said.

‘I thought that in the woods,’ Rhona told her, ‘and I was wrong then.’

The dog had come to a halt and now stood waiting, the brown eyes fixed firmly on Rhona.

‘Looks like Blaze has found something he wants us to see,’ Rhona said.

25

Afghanistan