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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
  15. 11
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  17. 13
  18. 14
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  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
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  44. 40
  45. 41
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  50. 46
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  55. 51
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  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

‘Glad to hear it! Not doing so well the past few years, mind. I’m not going to point out that it coincided with my retirement, but it definitely coincided with my retirement.’ Walsh let out a huge belly laugh — enough to make a couple of punters in the saloon bar next door turn their heads.

Caroline didn’t want to get boxed into a discussion about rugby — a sport she knew nothing about until very recently — and decided to change the subject.

‘Did you hear about the murder over at Normanton?’ she said.

Walsh narrowed his eyes. ‘I did, yeah. Why’d you ask it like that?’

‘Like what?’

‘Ah. You’re a copper, aren’t you?’

‘Guilty,’ she said, raising her hands in mock salute, although she’d never intended to claim to be anything else. ‘I’m working on the case, but I’m technically not on the clock right now. Still can’t help myself from asking if anyone’s heard anything, though. You know how it is.’

It wasn’t the way Caroline had intended her first meeting with Patrick Walsh to go, but it seemed to be working in a strange way. Walsh was clearly uneasy, and that in itself was an advantage for Caroline.

‘If you hear anything, get in touch, yeah?’ she said, handing him her card. ‘You can give me a call on that mobile number. Any time.’ She added a wink for good measure. ‘Ooh, while I remember, can I get a photo with you, please? I wasn’t lying about the Tigers thing, I promise. I’ve been a fan ever since the Courage League win in 1988. First ever league champions, eh? They’ll never take that away from us. I even got Rory Underwood’s autograph that year.’ She might not have been a rugby fan in the slightest, but she wasn’t afraid to do her research when a potential suspect popped up on her radar.

‘Yeah, course,’ Walsh said, breaking into a smile.

Caroline waved Dexter over and handed him her phone. ‘Can you get a photo of us, Dex? One for the scrapbook.’

‘I’ve never understood that saying,’ Walsh said. ‘The word “scrapbook” always sounds a bit tatty and derogatory, doesn’t it? I’m not sure I’d want to end up in anyone’s scrapbook.’ He laughed as he said it, making clear this was a lighthearted comment and not a serious request.

‘Oh no,’ Caroline said, feeling his tree trunk of an arm around her waist as she leaned in and smiled for the camera. ‘I’ll be keeping this picture very close at all times, don’t you worry.’

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