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Автор MacBride Stuart

STUART MACBRIDE BROKEN SKIN

For Fiona

(third time's the charm)

Without Whom ...

Researching a book is always fun - especially when people are prepared to open up and let you into their worlds of expertise. In writing Broken Skin I needed some pretty specialist information about the BDSM scene. The people who shared their secrets with me don't want to be named, but they know who they are and I thank them.

I also want to thank everyone at Grampian Police who answered all my stupid questions with clever answers: Sergeant John Souter (CCTV); Inspector John Soutar (Control); Chief Inspector Jim Bilsland; Bruce Duncan and Zoe in the IB; and Fingerprint Expert Gary Dempster. An extra special nod goes to PC Derek Bain, who put up with more than most - thanks!

And once again I owe a debt of gratitude to that lovely guru of all things post mortem: Ishbel Gall. She knows more about dead bodies than anyone I've ever met.

These are the people responsible for anything I've got right: anything I've got wrong is my own silly fault.

More thanks go to Philip Patterson - still the best friend and agent a bearded write-ist could have - Luke, Isabella, and everyone else at Marjacq scripts; my editorial team of spoon-wielding Berber ninjas, AKA the brilliant Jane Johnson and Sarah Hodgson; the superb Amanda, Lucy, Andrea, Fiona, Kelly, Clive, Wendy, Damon, Leisa, Dom and the rest of the team at HarperCollins for doing a stunning job; Kelley Ragland at St Martin's Press for all her help; and James Oswald for everything not nailed down.

I also want to thank Ian Burdis who donated a large sum of money to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation so that his partner, Debbie Kerr, could be a character in this book. Two other real people who feature are my old friend Alexander Clark (who was invaluable for IT info), and John Rickards who writes excellent crime novels, when not appearing in my slightly twisted ones. Needless to say, Debs, Alex and John have let me get away with murder;}#

And lastly, but not leastly, I have to thank my naughty wife Fiona. Not everyone would put up with this kind of thing ...

Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Sex

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Violence

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Lies

Chapter Twenty Eight