Rush to Judgement Page 14

  ‘And remember what I said. January second, we can have a coffee and a chat about your book. January first will be over by the time I sober up.’

  ‘Terrific. We’ll be packing soon. Our lease is up on Hogmanay and then we’re heading to Glasgow. Muckle’s coming along.’

  ‘You sure you don’t want to come with us?’ Muckle asked Vern.

  Her thumb was in a brace. The doctor had managed to get it back into place and he didn’t think she’d need surgery. ‘I’m riding back down with Jimmy and Robbie.’ She smiled at Evans.

  ‘Just carry some extra braces with you, hen,’ Dunbar said. ‘I’ve got a crash helmet.’

  ‘You wear a crash helmet every day ’cause you’re daft,’ Evans said.

  ‘You’ve taken that too far. There are people who wear helmets.’ Dunbar shook his head. ‘You sure you want to come down in our Land Rover?’ he asked Vern.

  ‘I’m sure.’

  ‘You’ll get to see Robbie squealing like a wee lassie when he thinks I’ve fallen asleep at the wheel.’

  ‘He does a great impression of somebody snoring at the wheel too,’ said Evans.

  ‘Shut your hole,’ said Dunbar. ‘I was congested, that’s all.’

  They talked about how Albert Renfrew, a.k.a. Gary Whitman, had escaped in the hearse, which had been found abandoned in a little industrial park’s car park. Every force in the UK was looking for him.

  ‘Well, we’re going to head off,’ Harry said.

  ‘Take care, you two,’ Dunbar said.

  They said their goodbyes and got into Alex’s Audi, Harry behind the wheel.

  ‘I was lying awake in bed this morning wondering if I should find a new career,’ she said.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘How many times is it that I’ve landed in trouble? Good God, it can only happen to me. I’m going to run out of luck one day.’

  ‘Rubbish. You make a great detective.’

  Harry pulled away and drove down to the main road and headed south.

  He didn’t mention Renfrew’s last words to him.

  We’ll meet again, Harry.

  There would be a time to worry.

  Today wasn’t it.

  Afterword

  Well, here we are again at the end of another Harry McNeil novel. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as the others. If I could ask you to leave a review or a rating on Amazon, that would be fantastic. I appreciate every one of them, and it helps to keep me writing.

  Thank you to my wife and daughters, for keeping me sane. To Bear and Bella, who keep me sane in their own way. To my group of readers with huge thanks. It’s nice to know I’m not on this journey alone. Also to Ruth from Police Scotland.

  And thanks to you, the reader, for reading my books. I couldn’t do this without you.

  All the best my friends.

  John Carson

  December 2020

  New York

  OTHER TITLES

  DCI Harry McNeil series

  Book 0 -Return to Evil

  Book 1 - Sticks and Stones

  Book 2 -Back to Life

  Book 3 -Dead Before You Die

  Book 4 - Hour of Need

  Book 5 - Blood and Tears

  Book 6 - Devil to Pay

  Book 7 - Point of no Return

  Book 8 - Rush to Judgement

  When Stars Will Shine

  (this is a charity anthology featuring the Harry McNeil short story, titled,

  The Art Of War And Peace.

  (All proceeds go to Hope For Heroes)

  DCI Sean Bracken series

  Book 1 - Starvation Lake

  Book 2 - Think Twice (coming end Jan 2021)

  DI Frank Miller Series

  Crash Point

  Silent Marker

  Rain Town

  Watch Me Bleed

  Broken Wheels

  Sudden Death

  Under the Knife

  Trial and Error

  Warning Sign

  Cut Throat

  Blood from a Stone

  Time of Death

  Max Doyle Series

  Final Steps

  Code Red

  The October Project

  Scott Marshall Series

  Old Habits

  About the Author

  John Carson is originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, but now lives with his wife and family in New York State. And two dogs. And four cats.

  www.johncarsonauthor.com