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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
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  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

‘We should probably hand this case over. I don’t want to any more than you do, but we’re well out of our depth. If it’s having this effect on you, we can’t risk it.’

‘It’s not. The case is fine. I’m probably just coming down with something. It doesn’t mean we have to give in and let the big boys run the show.’

‘It’s not about giving in. It’s about knowing our limits and doing what’s best for everyone. For Roger Clifton.’

By now, they could hear Aidan starting to return with the glass of water.

‘No, Dex. It’s not happening. I need your help and support right now. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll never forgive you.’

31

‘Pull over here. I’ll take it the rest of the way.’

Dexter gave Caroline the side-eye. ‘I think it’d be best if I drop you back at yours. You’re still not right. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with you driving.’

‘I’m fine. You’re overreacting. Anyway, I’ll be home in thirty seconds.’

Dexter pulled over, bumping the car up onto the pavement on Ashwell Road. ‘Mark home?’

‘I imagine so.’

‘You going to tell him about what happened?’

‘Why, are you planning to check up on me?’

‘No, I just think he has a right to know, that’s all.’

‘And what makes you think he won’t?’

Dexter pointed at the road in front of them. Caroline sighed.

‘I’ll take it from here, Dex. Thanks for dropping me this far.’

‘Alright. You’re the boss,’ he said, climbing out of the driver’s seat of Caroline’s car and walking round onto the pavement. ‘Listen. Before we speak to Arthur Clifton tomorrow, I just wanted to say something. I know you think there’s something there with the family, or that there’s some religious aspect. And yeah, there might be. But something Howard Smallwood said the other day made me think.’

‘About?’

‘About history. I’ve been doing a lot of reading up about it all, and it kind of makes sense. What if the church and everything else is religious symbolism, but not in the way we thought?’

‘Sorry, Dex. You’re going to need to start again and assume I’ve spent a portion of the day unconscious.’

‘The working theory is that the symbolism is meant to represent Roger Clifton being a vocal atheist, and therefore the killer being a Christian, right?’

‘Right.’

‘But what if that’s not it at all? What if the symbolism of the church — Normanton Church specifically — is that it used to be a church?’

‘Dex, when I said dumb it down a bit…’