Follow the Dead
Page 34
Kyle had halted at that point, the emotion the memory brought still strong.
‘Alvis never gave up until she was found. Like many of the people who lose a loved one on the mountain, he became a friend of the centre. Although, since her body was recovered, this is the first time he’s returned.’
Rhona understood now why Olsen had chosen not to tell her the full details, especially when the investigation had brought him back here. His goodbye had been warm when he’d left her on the mountain.
‘I’m in Aviemore for the weekend,’ she’d told him. ‘Maybe—’
‘I won’t be down in the valley,’ he’d interrupted her, ‘but if you’re ever back in Stavanger … ?’
It was, she realized, one of the things people said when such a thing was unlikely to happen. Although it just might.
‘Harald and I could end up at another forensic conference together,’ she’d said with a smile.
‘If you do, my advice is to avoid the tattoo parlour.’
He’d hugged her tightly then and his quiet words in her ear were heavy with emotion. ‘Takk, Rhona … for alt.’
Macdui’s was packed, but Annieska had kept a table for them next to the stage. Rhona searched among the faces and saw him, talking animatedly to Gilly, the Irish guitarist he’d jammed with at Hogmanay. As though sensing Rhona’s eyes on him, Sean turned and smiled a welcome.
Acknowledgements
Some years ago, I was asked to give a talk at the Edinburgh Film Festival on the similarities and differences between Nordic and Tartan Noir. My research for that talk began my fascination with the close links between Norway and Scotland, which I had first been made aware of when living in Orkney.
Thus the idea for a joint investigation between Police Scotland and the Stavanger HQ Politidistrikt Sør-Vest was born. The research for this book was only made possible with the help and enthusiasm of people on both sides of the North Sea, including:
In Norway
Egil Eriksen, Politiinspektør (Assistant Chief Constable) Joint Operational Unit/Chief of Staff
Ernst Kristian Rossebø, Politiinspektør (Assistant Chief Constable)
Kåre Moen Olsen, Politioverbetjent (Police Superintendent)
Narve Toppe, Politioverbetjent (Police Superintendent) function: Politispesialist Menneskehandel (Police Specialist Human Trafficking)
Bjørn J. Åmlid, Search and Rescue Coordinator at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) South Norway (Stavanger)
In Scotland
Willie Anderson, Leader, Cairngorm Mountain Rescue (www.cmrt.org.uk)
Dr James H. K. Grieve, Emeritus Professor of Forensic Pathology at the University of Aberdeen
Ian Carruthers, Cairngorm Gliding Club
Michael Carruthers, Kirkwall, for his tug boat advice
Mona Røhne, Consul, Royal Norwegian Consulate General, Edinburgh
All the characters are fictional except for Gilly, an excellent musician, who does live and play in the valley, and is my neighbour.
Mary Grant, also from my home village of Carrbridge, donated an agreed sum to Cancer Research to have her name used in the latest book. Since she likes McNab, I gave her a chance to get to know him a little better.
Lin Anderson
Lin Anderson has published twelve novels and one novella featuring forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod, which have been widely translated. Her short story Dead Close was chosen for the Best of British Crime 2011 and is currently in development as a feature film. Also a screenwriter, her film River Child won a student BAFTA and the Celtic Media Festival Award for Best Short Drama. Formerly Chair of the Society of Authors in Scotland, she is also co-founder of Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival.
By Lin Anderson
Driftnet
Torch
Deadly Code
Dark Flight
Easy Kill
Final Cut
The Reborn
Picture Her Dead
Paths of the Dead
The Special Dead
None but the Dead
Follow the Dead
NOVELLA
Blood Red Roses
First published 2017 by Macmillan
This electronic edition published 2017 by Macmillan
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ISBN 978-1-5098-0702-4
Copyright © Lin Anderson, 2017
Map artwork by Hemesh Alles, 2017
Design © www.blacksheep-uk.com
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