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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

She turns for a second, smiling at the big grin on his face. And she realises that now she’s said it that she would. Very much. ‘Yes. But it’s complicated.’ She spoons instant coffee into their mugs. ‘I was involved with this guy, a while back. It ended badly.’

‘I know all about bad break-ups…’ Josh starts, but she cuts him off.

‘He died.’

‘Oh.’ Josh’s face falls. ‘I’m sorry.’

Freya dismisses his comment with a shrug, then pours the boiling water into the mugs. She points to the fridge that Josh’s standing awkwardly in front of. ‘Milk?’

‘Right, yes.’ He hands it to her and she pours it in.

‘I just need a bit more time.’ She stirs the coffees, then throws the spoon into the sink. She passes him his mug. ‘If that’s okay?’

‘Yes. Of course.’

They walk back to Mina, who’s watching them with curiosity. Freya avoids her unsaid question quickly: ‘Made any progress on our freezer man?’ she asks. ‘Duncan Thorpe?’

‘Christ, if only,’ Mina says. ‘Every lead comes to a dead end. The guys who dumped the freezer have an alibi around time of death—’

‘And bugger-all motive,’ adds Josh.

‘Bottles and fag butts in the bus shelter have four different DNA profiles and a variety of fingerprints, but no hits on the system. Although some do match the prints found on the freezer. Plus, the lab found fibres on the vic that don’t match his clothes.’

Freya raises an eyebrow. ‘Our trio of troublemakers?’

‘Maybe,’ Josh agrees. ‘But not enough grounds for a warrant to confirm. CCTV is a complete loss – nobody was out in the storm.’

‘And there is no dashcam footage, no cashpoint cameras, no witnesses, no trace round the freezer or footwear marks.’ Mina leans back in her chair. ‘If you want to kill someone, it seems the middle of a storm is the best time.’

‘Are we even sure he was killed?’ Freya asks.

They shrug in unison. ‘Official COD is suffocation,’ Josh says.

Mina looks pointedly towards Josh. ‘Tell her,’ she pushes. Then she looks at Freya. ‘Josh has a theory.’

‘It’s stupid.’

‘So share,’ Freya says.

‘And we have no way to prove it.’

‘Why not?’

‘The only way we can is to get hold of the freezer and replicate the conditions. And the lab said no.’

Freya looks from Mina to Josh and back again. ‘Would the same type of freezer work?’

Josh looks at her, interested.

‘Because,’ Freya continues, ‘I have that exact one in my house.’

45

It’s not good, and Robin knows it; DI Jo Craig’s investigation into the murder of Dr Simon Sharp is solid. He’s been sitting at his kitchen table for two hours now, reviewing her file, paper and documents laid out in front of him.