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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

But he knows that despite Craig’s best efforts to prove to him that Finn is guilty, he can’t believe it. He picks up a bag of peas and replaces it in the freezer. And Josh’s theory comes back to him.

He stands up straight and takes a sharp intake of breath. He pulls his mobile out of his pocket and dials a number, not caring now about keeping his distance.

‘Steph?’ he says as she answers. ‘I need you to look at a body for me. I need a second opinion on Dr Simon Sharp.’

47

Tuesday

Sophie’s up early; she knows what she has to do. She stands, nervously, at the door, hand poised to knock. She debated bringing croissants or coffee, but rejected the idea quickly. She doesn’t want to be too obvious.

She knocks loudly, twice. She feels her stomach knot and forces a smile on her face.

A man opens the door and blinks at her, confused.

‘Sophie?’ he says. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Oh, I’m so pleased you’re in, Col,’ she says, deliberately shortening his name. She knew he would be there. It’s Tuesday, nine a.m. Colin is a man with a strict routine. ‘I need your help.’

He flushes slightly and shows her into the room. It’s crowded, with rows of computers, piles of monitors and keyboards in cardboard boxes, wires trailing. Other faces pop up from behind their computers, meerkats curious at the strange arrival to their territory. The smell is a mix of Lynx body spray and barely suppressed BO.

Colin points to the seat next to his desk. She sits down and looks at the monitor. On the screen are rows and rows of incomprehensible code.

‘What can I do for you?’

‘So,’ she begins. ‘One of the students I’m supervising on the BSc has managed to delete a file.’ Sophie smiles, a hand on his arm. Flirting gently. ‘An important one.’

Colin nods sagely. ‘Do you want me to recover the file?’

‘Can you do that?’

‘Maybe.’ He shrugs. ‘If the backup’s still there.’

‘Oh, that would be incredible, thank you,’ Sophie gushes.

Colin blushes again. ‘What server are we looking at?’

‘BBC-READ-VID-DR07,’ Sophie says, carefully spelling out the name of the BBC server from the piece of paper that Justin White showed her on Sunday.

Colin nods and turns to his computer. She waits as he starts work, staring intently at the screen as he types. Lego R2-D2 and C-3PO figures stand guard, Blu-Tacked to the top of his monitor.