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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

They’ve been partnered together for nine months now and have developed an easy shorthand. Two coffees bought every day, taking turns through the week. Him saving a seat for her in briefings – not that anyone else chose to sit near him anyway. She knows how he works. No niceties, no fake smiles. But she understands him, and he her. Both have experienced unimaginable loss; they went through a lot in that first month working together.

It wasn’t an auspicious start. Their first case was an accidental death: a man found dead in a hotel room, hanging from the back of the door in an apparent sex act gone wrong. But the man was Freya’s boyfriend Jonathan, a fact she kept quiet so she could stay on the investigation and make sure she got him the justice he deserved. And then Robin had found out. It hadn’t ended well.

Freya thought Robin had got over that initial deception. She thought he trusted her. There were far greater secrets between them now, after all.

Freya shakes her head. She isn’t going to think about that now. Focus on the new case.

But she expects more from Robin. A text at least, telling her what’s going on. Why isn’t he here today? Why has he left her to work with this guy? This new bloke, with his ridiculously symmetrical face and bright blue eyes?

Freya lets out an audible sigh. ‘He’s going to be such an insufferable twat,’ she moans to herself, and follows Josh and Mina out to the car park.

3

After twenty years in the police force, Robin hates being on the back foot. He’s used to arriving at a crime scene with sparse details, quickly working out the accused, the victim, what happened. But today: late, stressed, under another constabulary’s orders? It puts him on edge. Especially when it’s all to do with his best friend.

He’s been driving for over an hour, radio tuned in to the news, negotiating the many roundabouts of the A33 and the infamous IDR road network of Reading. He turns off and slows as he approaches the multistorey car park. The entrance is blocked off, a uniformed officer posted at the gates. Robin spots a crowd of people, some with cameras, and he wonders why the press are so interested this early in the morning.

The PC crouches down to Robin’s window, as he pulls his car up next to him.

‘DS Robin Butler,’ he says, showing his warrant card. The PC nods.

‘Park on level six. Then use the stairs to get to the top.’

He does as he’s told, parking his battered Volvo next to the two patrol vehicles and one unmarked white Skoda. He notices a first-responder ambulance car as he climbs the stairs to the top, dodging the puddles pooling on the concrete.