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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

‘So call him. If he’s your best mate, he won’t care. Buy him a beer and all will be forgiven. Anyway,’ Sharp says from out of shot. ‘I thought I was your best mate. I’m offended.’

‘Piss off,’ Finn says, laughing. ‘I’ve known Robin my entire life. We grew up together.’

‘That must be nice. To have someone who knows you that well.’

‘It is.’ Finn’s expression is thoughtful. ‘I know that whatever happens, Robin will have my back. Plus he’s a cop, so, you know. He can arrest people and stuff.’

Sharp laughs. ‘Always handy in an emergency.’

‘Yeah. I haven’t been there for him as much as I should have, though. His…’ Finn pauses, and Robin knows he’s thinking about Georgia and the twins. ‘He’s been through a hard time these past few years. I’ve been a shitty friend.’

‘So call him,’ Sharp says. ‘It’s never too late.’

Finn nods, then glances up as a loud crack of thunder echoes round the van. ‘Shit, that was a big one,’ he laughs. ‘Turn this shit off, we need to get sorted.’

The camera jerks for a second, then the video goes black.

Robin stares at the screen. He feels his vision blur, his breathing halt in his chest. Hearing those thoughts, from Finn’s own mouth, was almost too much to bear. His best friend – the person who knew him better than anyone else – knew he’d have done anything for him.

But Sharp had been wrong. It was too late.

Robin can’t hold back any longer. The events of the past week – the murder, going home, Finn’s diagnosis, even Freya’s struggle – all come back in a rush; the facade he’s worked so hard to maintain crashes down in an instant.

He’s alone. It doesn’t matter now. His face crumples and the tears come. He puts his head in his hands and his shoulders shake, as he starts to cry.

It’s too much. It’s all been too much.

63

Wednesday

Robin arrives in the doorway of Finn’s room at the same time as Dr Blackstone, and from the expression on the doctor’s face, Robin knows what he’s going to say. Although he didn’t think it possible, the doctor looks greyer today: all colour gone from his face, his lips leached of blood. Josie’s waiting already, thin and pale. To Robin’s surprise, she reaches out to take his hand as Dr Blackstone starts to speak.