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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 conference room on the upper level of the building was packed with officers, some of whom Rhona recognized from Kilt Rock. If this did turn out to be a murder enquiry, more would have to be brought in, together with a serious crime team from the mainland.

The first thing she learned on entry was that Jake Ross had been found. He’d apparently driven to Kyle of Lochalsh, where he’d abandoned the car and caught the Inverness train, eventually turning up at Raigmore hospital, where his wife had died earlier in the year.

‘He’d made that journey scores of times to see her, when she was still alive,’ Lee explained to Rhona. ‘He just forgot that she had gone.’

It was a sad story, but it could have ended much worse, and it meant all their resources could now concentrate on the incident at Kilt Rock.

Lee confirmed that the body had been airlifted to Glasgow rather than Inverness, and that Rhona’s forensic examination evidence was following.

Rhona explained about the lack of a scent trail to the cliff edge, and the previous injury to the back of the head. ‘I also found evidence of cocaine use in the victim,’ Rhona said. ‘My forensic assistant brought the news that the soil samples from the site behind A.C.E Target Sports contained benzoylecgonine, which suggests the presence of cocaine.’ She turned to Lee. ‘You mentioned to Alvis that you’d taken a big haul of cocaine and cannabis recently. I wonder if what’s been happening here could be linked in some way to that?’

‘We’re sharing info all the time on the circulation of heroin. Norway has the same problems as we have, especially the rural areas. Most often the drugs coming into Skye and Lochaber come from Glasgow, via Europe and Scandinavia, a lot of it originating from Afghanistan. We’ve been speaking to officers in Glasgow including DS McNab about their Sandman operation.’ He paused. ‘Are you planning to go across for the post-mortem, Dr MacLeod?’

Rhona didn’t have an answer to that. If she did go back for the autopsy, she would be unlikely to return, and she wasn’t convinced she was ready to do that, just yet.

‘Last thing,’ Lee was saying, realizing she wasn’t going to give an answer on the PM. ‘Let’s show them the gemstone you found.’

Rhona, having attached her camera to the system, produced the image of the blue-green stone, which caused some interest and chatter among the officers. Eventually one young female constable raised her hand.

‘You recognize this?’ Lee said.

‘My brother was in the army, Sarge. In Afghanistan. He said the British and American planes carpet-bombed the way to Kabul in advance of the friendly northern rebels. When the rocks shattered they revealed semi-precious stones like that one. My brother had one made into a bracelet for his girlfriend.’

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