The air felt stale and heavy. He switched on the lights and drew the curtains. The place was freezing. It looked institutional, he thought, like a cheap motel on a nameless motorway.
He released Henry from the cat carrier and set about filling the litter tray and opened a can of cat food. His cat stretched and looked around him lazily, as if unimpressed with his surroundings after the freedoms of the cottage. He seemed disappointed that his buddy Oscar wasn’t there too. With a pang he realized that he was already missing Mhairi.
He’d visited Lind every week since Laura had relented. He knew that Byers had been instrumental in changing her mind and he was grateful. It would take time but his friend was making steady progress now. Even though he had lost Laura, he could still recover enough to have a meaningful relationship with his kids. He knew that Laura and Byers would do everything they could to facilitate that. They would become a blended family of sorts. Kate Moore visited Lind every week too. His eyes would spark with pleasure when she entered his room. Supporting him had given her a renewed sense of purpose.
He was still no clearer to figuring out his own path through life. He had made his peace with God but felt no great pull to serve the Church. In truth he felt emptied of everything. All his angst and torment had ebbed away to be replaced by a new kind of peace. For now, he was living in the moment.
There was a knock at the door and Mhairi McLeod bowled in wearing a colourful dress, her eyes flashing. The flat suddenly felt like home with her in it.
‘I thought you’d got lost!’
‘You do know, I’ve got two left feet,’ he warned her, as she grasped his hand and pulled him out the door.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to say a big thank you to my brilliant editor Finn Cotton for his helpful suggestions and attention to detail. Thanks also to my copy editor, Janette Currie. I’ve made some wonderful writing friends along the way who have been unstinting in their support and kindness including my Twisted Sisters, Moffat Crime Writers and the Crime and Publishment gang. I’d also like to give a big shout out to my Ohana Twitter family for all the hilarity and encouragement. A debt of gratitude is owed to the bloggers who have unselfishly supported my work and give so much to the book world in general. I’ve been fortunate to meet so many of you now in the real world. I’d also like to thank my local Waterstones in Dumfries for stocking my books and supporting me in any way that they can. Huge thanks to my lovely family for putting up with all the chaos my writing inflicts ranging from late meals to digging me out of the trenches of self-doubt. They ensure that I never completely lose the plot. Finally, I’d like to thank my wonderful readers for accompanying me into my fictional world. I couldn’t do this without you!
Keep Reading …
Enjoyed Avenge the Dead? Try the first thriller in the Frank Farrell series.
To find a killer, he must face the past
Ex-priest DI Frank Farrell has returned to his roots in Dumfries, only to be landed with a disturbing murder case. Even worse, Farrell knows the victim: Father Boyd, the man who forced him out of the priesthood eighteen years earlier.
With no leads, Farrell must delve into the old priest’s past, one that is inexorably linked with his own. But his attention is diverted when a pair of twin boys go missing. The Dumfries police force recover one in an abandoned church, unharmed. But where is his brother?
As Farrell investigates the two cases, he can’t help but feel targeted. Is someone playing a sinister game, or is he seeing patterns that don’t exist? Either way, it’s a game Farrell needs to win before he loses his grip on his sanity, or someone else turns up dead.
You can order your copy here
About the Author
Jackie Baldwin practiced as a solicitor in a rural town for twenty years specialising in family and criminal law. She then trained as a hypnotherapist and now works from home. She is married with two grown up children and loves to walk with her two dogs in local forests. She is an active member of her local crime writing group. Avenge the Dead is her third novel.
@JackieMBaldwin1
Also by Jackie Baldwin
Dead Man’s Prayer
Perfect Dead
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