Electric Light (Blair Dubh Trilogy #3) Read Online Free

punctuated by Nora’s angry breathing. Craig stared awkwardly at his hands.
    “I’m sorry, it is a while since I last visited,” he eventually said. “But I’ve not had any time off work for ages with everyone getting ill.”
    “Couldn’t Freya bring Petie to see me? It’s not far.”
    “She’s not had her driving licence long, she hasn’t the confidence to drive from Glasgow.”
    “She could get on the train.”
    “Mum, that would be such hard work with a young child. She’d have to get a taxi to the station, get on the train then get off at Largs and get another taxi here dragging Petie’s pushchair and all his stuff. We told you you’re always welcome to come to us but you keep turning us down.”
    “I’m not as young as I used to be Craig, it’s hard work for me too.”
    He took in a slow, deep breath. “I’m sorry about that but we’re skirting the issue. You know she won’t bring him here and who can blame her? I don’t know how you can stay here after she was nearly murdered twice.”
    “That wasn’t the village. You can’t blame Blair Dubh for that.”
    “Freya does and I can understand why and I’d expect you to have more compassion for her.”
    She gave him a sad, weary look. “Maybe I’ve run out of compassion?”
    Craig’s anger spiked. “I don’t believe this. You know what she’s been through. Her life is finally as she wants it and she’s not going to let anything spoil it. She’s trying to protect her child. You’re a mum, you must be able to understand that.”
    Nora cast her eyes to the floor knowing she was at fault but unable to concede she was wrong. Craig shook his head, got up and went into the kitchen to make her sandwich, closing the door behind him so she wouldn’t see how angry he was. She was cranky and frustrated being laid up with her bad ankle, he’d be lashing out too if he was in her position, but not at Freya. She’d suffered enough and he wasn’t going to let his mum give her a hard time.
    He buttered the bread angrily, accidentally tearing a hole in it. He grunted in irritation, threw it into the bin and started again. His mum had disappointed him, he’d expected more from her.
    “There’s your sandwich,” he said, returning to the sitting room with it on a plate and dumping it on the table next to her chair.
    “Thanks,” she quietly replied.
    Ill feeling filled the air and they both wanted to clear it but both were equally stubborn.
    “If you’ll be okay for an hour or two I thought I’d nip across the road to the pub and say hello.”
    For a moment it looked like Nora was going to object and Craig felt even worse for being desperate to escape the house. Instead she released a martyred sigh and nodded. “Feel free. Don’t let me stop you.”
    He bent to kiss her cheek. “Thanks Mum. I’ll take the pictures of Petie to show. Don’t worry, I’ll bring them back.”
    Nora opened her mouth to object when he snatched up her photos, grabbed his jacket and left, but he was out the door before she could say another word.

CHAPTER 3
     
    Craig was greeted by a hearty cheer when he entered the pub. As usual the men were crowded around the L-shaped bar while the women sat in small groups at the tables.
    Gordon as ever was standing sentinel behind the bar. “Craig, good to see you again,” he smiled. “Brought the family this time?”
    “No,” he replied, colouring slightly. “You know how it is.”
    They all looked vaguely disappointed, although Lizzy must have told them by now that Freya and Petie weren’t with him.
    “Pint?” said Gordon.
    Craig was shocked by the landlord’s appearance. After he’d discovered his beloved wife Isla - who he thought had run off years ago - had in fact been buried alive in the village graveyard by Father Logan, he’d gone into a decline. The last time Craig had seen him he’d lost weight and his hair had thinned but he was practically bald and his clothes hung off his thin body. He’d always been