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Back Under a Dark Cloud Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. Part 1
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. Part 2
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. Part 3
  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. Acknowledgements
  74. Next in Series
  75. Canelo Crime
  76. About the Author
  77. Also by Louisa Scarr

Robin pauses. Growing up, her house was an extension of his own. Every day after school, he and Finn would come home to find Josie drinking tea in her kitchen, with either Mary or Sandra, or both, keeping her company. And as much as Robin is used to delivering bad news, it’s different when it’s someone you know.

‘We’re not sure, Josie, I’m sorry. We can’t get to him at the moment.’

‘What do you mean, you can’t get to him?’

He can understand her confusion. It’s such an incomprehensible situation to explain. Robin tries again, as simply and calmly as he can. A locked door. Finn upset and refusing to come out. A dead body. He doesn’t mention the suicide threat or the sheer amount of blood. ‘We just need you here as soon as possible. Listen, Josie. Is there anything we should know about Finn? Has anything odd like this happened before?’

There is a long pause, and Robin takes the phone away from his ear and looks at it, wondering if reception has cut out.

‘Josie?’ he repeats. ‘Are you there?’

‘Yes, yes, Robin. Um, no, of course not.’ Robin hears a sniff down the phone. ‘Listen, Robin, you look after him until we get there. Love? You keep him safe?’

‘I’ll do all I can,’ Robin says softly.

He hangs up and looks back over to the van. He isn’t lying. He will do all he can. But right now, he wonders whether that’ll be enough.

Robin walks back to DI Craig.

‘She’s on her way, won’t be long.’

Craig nods, then makes another call on her phone. He knows what’ll be going through her head: how to get Finn out without making matters worse. Whether to bash down the door, hit and hope that they can get to Finn before he does anything. Send in a dog, or PCs armed with Tasers. But zapping a potentially mentally ill man with 50,000 volts doesn’t make for a great sound bite on the evening news.

A shout diverts their attention. A woman’s voice, on the edge of the cordon, screaming at the top of her lungs. A policeman is holding her by the arm to stop her pushing past, and she is shouting something about police brutality.

Robin turns away, recoiling from the woman. He hadn’t forgotten about her, only hoped she wasn’t on the scene any more. The shouting continues and Robin groans. Craig looks at him.

‘Who’s that?’

Robin wrinkles his nose in disgust. ‘Sophie. Finn’s girlfriend.’

Craig gestures to the policeman to let her through, and Robin grits his teeth.

Fucking Sophie. That’s all they need.

4