Free Final Cut by Lin Anderson Page B

one.’
    Rhona kept quiet. If McNab wanted to throw his money away, that was up to him.
    ‘How much?’
    ‘You stand drinks for myself and Rhona. Whatever we want.’
    Rhona decided her drink would be a bottle of champagne. God knows what Chrissy was planning. She couldn’t drink alcohol at the moment but that didn’t mean she couldn’t save it until after the birth.
    McNab was swithering. He was one of life’s gamblers and he didn’t like being beaten by a woman.
    ‘OK, but if I lose you show me how you do it.’
    It was a difficult call for Chrissy, who didn’t believe in giving ground.
    Rhona pretended to study her notes, keeping half an eye on the proceedings. McNab had been at the lab when she’d got back from the restaurant. He hadn’t made it plain why, though Rhona suspected it might be about Bill.
    ‘OK,’ Chrissy conceded.
    ‘And these are definitely not the marked cards from the skip.’
    ‘Hey, I wouldn’t tamper with the evidence.’
    McNab nodded at her to go ahead.
    Chrissy sprang the cards from left to right, showing off, then shuffled and laid out a fan. McNab pondered for a while, faking a choice then changing his mind. Chrissy showed not the least concern. Rhona wanted to laugh, but didn’t dare. Two red spots marked McNab’s cheeks. He was taking this seriously.
    He made a big thing about choosing a card, then switched his allegiance to another and quickly withdrew it from the pack.
    ‘OK, what is it?’
    Chrissy tried to look puzzled. ‘Mmmm, difficult one.’
    McNab began to look more confident. Rhona could have wept for him.
    ‘Not sure. Maybe the jack of hearts?’
    He stared at the card, perplexed. ‘You are such a shite, by the way.’
    Chrissy smiled the smile of the victor. ‘Yes, but I’m very good at it.’
    McNab began turning the cards face up, as though that would somehow reveal the secret of Chrissy’s success.
    ‘Mine’s a bottle of Remy Martin.’ Chrissy smirked at Rhona.
    ‘I’m partial to a glass of champagne.’
    McNab’s relief was short lived.
    ‘But I prefer a bottle.’
    Chrissy laughed. ‘We can make champagne cocktails.’
    McNab seemed to be accepting defeat with unusually good grace. They discovered why almost immediately.
    ‘Do you play poker?’ he asked Chrissy.
    ‘Do I play poker?’
    ‘The guys have a card night every second Wednesday. Fancy joining in?’
    ‘You let women play?’ Chrissy’s voice was heavy with sarcasm.
    ‘Not normally.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘But then you’re no normal woman.’
    ‘You want to shaft your mates?’
    ‘You just shafted me.’
    ‘True.’ She contemplated the offer. ‘OK, if you promise to take me to hospital if I go into early labour.’
    ‘That won’t happen, will it?’
    Chrissy looked wordly wise. ‘With first babies you never know. Especially as I’ll be excited about winning.’
    McNab waited for Chrissy to depart before he produced a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to Rhona.
    ‘What’s this?’
    ‘I got it in an email today from the kid in the crash.’
    She spread out the drawing on the table.
    ‘You’ve shown this to Bill?’ she said.
    He shook his head. ‘Not yet. I’m beginning to think this second body is just a ruse by the kid to get attention.’
    Rhona looked up at him. ‘From you?’
    ‘I did give Claire, the mother, my contact details. Told her to get in touch if Emma remembered anything else about that night.’
    ‘What’s the mother like?’
    ‘Mid-thirties, attractive. Made a point of telling me she wasn’t married.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Not like that, she was angry I called her Mrs.’
    ‘You think the kid’s trying to pair you off with her mum?’
    ‘Maybe.’
    ‘Drawing dead bodies and sending them to a policeman to get a new dad sounds a bit over the top to me.’ Rhona took another look at the drawing. ‘The girl must have wandered around in those woods for a while before you found her. Maybe she did see something else, but can’t remember