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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

Josh pulls a face. ‘Bloody awful. Tyler Garratt and Mark Black, much as you’d expect. Rough as… well, you know. Didn’t give a shit. Said they have no idea where their kids had been.’

‘Weren’t they all supposed to have been at Mark’s?’ Mina asks.

‘Yeah, but Black’s dad said they would have been in the garage, and they don’t go in there.’

‘And Lee Cernis?’

Josh sighs. ‘Oh, bless them, not a clue. I spoke to his mum, and she was lovely. But thinks the sun shines out of Tyler’s and Mark’s arses, and is more than happy with Lee hanging around with them.’ He pulls his notebook out and flicks through the pages. ‘Says Lee was out from six p.m. Didn’t hear him come home, but she knows it was late. He was there in the morning at breakfast and he told her he got in about two a.m.’

‘On a school night?’ Mina remarks.

‘I asked that. But he’s eighteen. Free to come and go as he pleases, as long as she knows if he’s going to be there for dinner.’

Mina scowls. ‘I’m going to be locking my kids up until they’re at least twenty-five,’ she mutters.

Freya gives her a sympathetic smile. Her desk phone starts ringing so she answers it and speaks briefly to the voice at the other end.

‘Thank you, thank you very much,’ she finishes. ‘Yes, please email anything you have through.’

She puts her phone down and faces the other two with a smile.

‘That was the Society of Saint James, one of the homeless charities in town. One of their volunteers identified our vic.’ Freya sits back in her seat, feeling a swell of satisfaction. ‘His name was Duncan Thorpe.’

22

Finn’s arrest creates a ripple of emotion around the hospital room. Finn alternates between confusion and disbelief; Josie continues to cry; Sophie has arrived and is redundantly trying to comfort her boyfriend.

Robin can only feel anger.

He turns to DI Craig, pointing at the door. ‘Can I speak to you for a moment…’ he says, trying to keep his voice level. ‘Please?’

He sees her taking in the chaos and, knowing her presence won’t be helping, she nods. In the corridor, she confronts Robin.

‘Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same if this was your case.’

‘He’s not going anywhere. You can’t interview him. You certainly can’t take him into custody. What’s the point?’