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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

‘So it wasn’t an honourable discharge then?’

‘Fucked out of my brain a lot of the time. Afghanistan’s a junkie’s paradise.’ He gave a laugh. ‘What about you when you took the bullet?’

‘I pressed the morphine button a lot,’ McNab admitted. ‘When I rose from the grave I went for a whisky alternative.’

‘You still doing that?’ Harry said, looking interested.

‘Sometimes,’ McNab admitted. ‘I’m trying caffeine as a substitute.’

‘Once an addict, always an addict.’

‘Tell me something I don’t know, brother.’

Harry’s face clouded again. ‘Two mates died when I got this. Blown to fuck. Bits of them stuck to my face.’ His hand grasped at his cheek and he motioned as though scraping it clean.

McNab had been playing the role of brother-in-arms up to now, but at that moment Harry’s remembered horror almost sank him. Eventually, he said the words that he didn’t want to hear coming out of his mouth.

‘Ellie’s willing to give you a place to stay when you’re discharged.’

‘What?’ Harry regarded McNab with astonishment.

‘I don’t like it, but I can’t stop her.’

Harry’s face was suffused with colour, as if his heart had finally started to beat.

‘I can’t do that.’

‘Good,’ said McNab.

Harry threw him a look that said he had no idea what the hell was going on.

‘But Ellie doesn’t give up easily. I can vouch for that.’ McNab paused. ‘If you were to move into a room at her place, she would move into mine. That bit I do like.’

‘She’s your girlfriend?’

‘Correct. So maybe we might come to some arrangement that works for us both?’

37

Lee hadn’t seemed keen when Rhona had announced her intention of heading home to Sleat that afternoon.

‘I assumed you’d be staying over at Jamie’s again,’ had been his response.

‘There’s no problem with the road, is there?’ Rhona had checked.

‘Some surface water, because of the heavy rain.’

‘Doesn’t sound any different from Glasgow.’ Rhona had attempted to add a little humour into the awkwardness.

‘Is Chrissy going with you?’ Alvis had ventured at this point.

Chrissy in fact had been equally discouraging when Rhona had announced her intention in the production room. It seemed her forensic assistant already had her evening planned, which included food at the Isles and time spent in Donald’s company.

‘You don’t have to come back with me, anyway,’ Rhona had assured Chrissy.

‘Can’t you just stay at Jamie’s again? It’s more convenient.’

‘For what?’ Rhona had said. ‘Our part in the investigation is over. You should be heading back to Glasgow.’

Chrissy had looked startled by such an idea. ‘I was assuming we’d stick around for a bit, at least until the results come back on the evidence we’ve submitted.’