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Chapters (70)
  1. Cover
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  3. Map of Rutland
  4. Map of Oakham
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
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  38. 34
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  42. 38
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  62. 58
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  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

‘Listen here. I don’t know what you’re trying to get at, but you need to stop it. I don’t know how you did things in the Met, and to be frank I really don’t care. You’re not in London now. This isn’t the Met. You’re in Rutland. We treat people like human beings here. If you want people to help you and provide you with information, you need to show them respect. Trying to bully and frighten people isn’t going to work, let me tell you that.’

‘I’m not trying to bully or frighten anyone,’ Caroline said, a nagging voice at the back of her head reminding her that Derek Arnold wasn’t the first person this week to pull her up on her London-centric attitude. ‘I’m just trying to get to bottom of what happened to Roger Clifton and make sure we do justice for him and his family. It’s what every victim deserves.’

‘I completely agree. We’re fighting the same corner here, Caroline. But you’re not going the right way about it. By rights, this is the sort of case we shouldn’t even be handling. This should’ve gone to EMSOU. Do you have any idea what sort of shit I’m having to put up with from them? They’re breathing down my neck like you wouldn’t believe. Don’t go giving me or them any reason to pull you off the case and hand it over, Caroline. Do you hear?’

She swallowed hard again. ‘Yes, sir. I get it. Don’t worry.’

As she left Derek Arnold’s office, Caroline bumped into Dexter as he left the toilet.

‘Alright?’ he said.

‘Yeah. Wonderful.’

Caroline looked at him. The awkward expression on her colleague’s face told her all she needed to know. ‘You heard all that, didn’t you?’

Dexter shrugged. ‘Thin walls in here. Whose bright idea was it to have the chief’s office backing onto the men’s bogs?’

‘You didn’t need the loo, did you?’

He shrugged again. ‘Always good to keep regular. Don’t be too downhearted, yeah? He’s getting pressure from above him, and from the boys from EMSOU. And you know what people can be like. They’ll complain about anything. He’s only doing his job in passing it on.’

‘You do know that was a private meeting, don’t you? Confidential.’

‘Hey, I didn’t decide to build a police station out of cardboard. I can’t help it if the sound leaks through, can I? I just wanted you to know I’m behind you. I support you.’

‘Dex, I don’t need support. I need you to get on with your job. We’ve got a killer to find. I don’t need any more of this bullshit. Just focus on what you’re meant to do, alright?’

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