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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

White nods. ‘He needed Simon as a frontman. And Simon needed his new Doppler. But…’ He scowls. ‘They didn’t always work well together.’

‘How so?’ Craig asks, and Robin leans forward, closer to the monitor, desperate to be in the room.

‘They worked in different ways. Dr Mason liked things to be ordered and controlled. Simon was more… haphazard, I guess. He worked off the cuff and I know that annoyed Finn.’

‘Did they ever argue?’

‘No. Oh…’

‘What, Mr White?’

‘I… I don’t know why I haven’t remembered it before. I came in late, about a week ago, and they were both in Dr Mason’s office. They were arguing. Or rather, I could hear Simon shouting, and Finn was sitting at his desk. He looked upset.’

‘What were they shouting about?’

‘I think it was to do with the Doppler that Finn was working on. Finn said something, but I couldn’t hear what. Then Sharp shouted at him.’

White starts to cry now, angrily wiping at his eyes with the edge of his shirtsleeve.

Craig leans across the table towards him. ‘What did he shout, Mr White?’ she pushes.

‘He said… he said, “Only over my dead body…” then Finn stormed out. As he went, he was muttering something under his breath, but I didn’t think anything of it at the time.’

Craig stares sternly at White.

‘What was Finn Mason saying?’ she pushes.

Justin White looks up at Craig. There are tears in his eyes.

‘Finn said, “That can be arranged.”’

18

Freya, Josh and Mina don’t get much further that day. Still no ID on their victim, nothing back from the lab. And she hasn’t heard from Robin since he tried to call her the night before.

He’s been on her mind. Ever since she saw Olivia at the college, she’s been debating what to do. He needs to know. Even though she’s certain he has nothing to do with it.

She’s cooking dinner – pasta, again – when she hears a knock on the door. She opens it, and Robin’s there.

‘You’re back,’ she says, surprised. Then: ‘Come in, come in.’

He frowns apologetically. ‘Sorry to come round unannounced. I just…’ But Freya knows what he’s saying. He’s had a bad day and he doesn’t want to go home to an empty house. She felt exactly the same. Last night she went to the pub with Josh to avoid it.

‘Do you want something to eat?’

‘God, yes. Please. All I’ve had is vending-machine shit for two days.’

‘And how’s Finn?’

Robin slumps into one of her kitchen chairs. He runs his hands across his face. ‘Not good. No change.’

‘What do the doctors say?’ She goes to the fridge and takes the bottle of wine out of the door, pouring him a glass without asking.