like this,’ he said as he squatted down beside the Pathologist.
‘What?’
‘Nothing, what have you got?’
‘Male, early twenties, stab wounds, been dead three to four hours but . . .’
‘Don’t quote you. Murder weapon?’
‘I’d say something small, clasp knife possibly, that sort of size.’
‘Carried out here?’
‘No, definitely somewhere else and then the body was dumped here. There’s very little blood on the ground so that means there’s plenty of blood around somewhere else. The abrasions to the left side of his face and the tears to his clothing suggest he was dragged along the ground – possibly after being pulled out of a car.’
‘Thanks Madge. As always, you’re a star.’
‘Go get ’em, Batman.’
Sergeant Morley joined them.
‘Better late than never, Sergeant,’ said Giles.
‘Sorry sir. I was at a friend’s house . . . up in Cromer . . . I got here as quickly as I could.’
Giles made a play of looking at his watch and Marjorie Ryman hid a smile at the younger man’s embarrassment.
‘Could this be the weak link you were looking for, sir?’ asked Morley.
‘That’s my fear,’ said Giles. ‘Someone thought he couldn’t be trusted to keep his mouth shut . . . so they shut it for him.’
‘Poor bastard.’
* * * * *
‘Dr Dunbar is here to see you, sir,’ announced Sergeant Morley, holding back the door to allow Steven to step inside.
Giles got up from behind his desk and shook hands.
‘You had a rough night, I hear,’ said Steven.
‘Another murder,’ said Giles. ‘And not unconnected with the first by the look of things.’
‘How so?’
Giles explained his thinking. ‘Needless to say, we’re trying to establish who Lyndon was with last night.’
‘I hope you get the break,’ said Steven.
‘I’m not quite clear about Sci-Med’s interest in all this,’ said Giles. ‘Apart from the fact of course, that a well-known academic was the victim.’
‘It’s not so much that,’ smiled Steven. ‘We’re more concerned with the escaped animals and what they might have been used for.’
‘Ah,’ said Giles. ‘Now I understand. I was told it was an influenza experiment. Have you any reason to believe differently?’
‘Flu?’ exclaimed Steven.
‘That’s what the man said.’
‘What man?’
‘A suit from the Department of Health named Nigel Lees. He turned up at the institute while we were all there. I was a bit concerned myself about what the animals might be carrying but he reassured me there was no risk to the public.’
‘So who called in the army?’
Giles smiled as if anticipating the question. ‘Funny you should ask that,’ he smiled. ‘Not me. I thought broadcast warnings to the public and the involvement of the RSPCA and PDSA would cover the situation but apparently someone thought different.’
‘But you don’t know who?’
Giles shook his head. ‘You could ask Mr Lees.’
‘I think I just might,’ said Steven. ‘As I understand it, five of the animals were shot but one hasn’t been recovered?’
‘That’s my understanding too,’ agreed Giles.
‘Do you know what happened to the dead animals?’
‘They were taken back to the institute for incineration.’
Giles looked at Steven and then asked hesitantly, ‘The fact that you’re here . . . and the fact that the army was called in . . . I mean, you don’t suspect the flu story was some kind of a cover-up, do you?’
‘I don’t think anything at the moment,’ said Steven. ‘I’m trying to keep an open mind but I’ll keep you informed if I find out anything.’
‘Same here,’ said Giles. ‘I take it you’re going over to the institute?’
‘On my way there now,’ said Steven.
‘They’ll still be cleaning up. They made a right mess of the place.’
Steven drove over to the Crick Institute, thinking about what he’d learned. Not a lot. He hadn’t really thought the police would know who had called the army in and Giles was probably
‘What?’
‘Nothing, what have you got?’
‘Male, early twenties, stab wounds, been dead three to four hours but . . .’
‘Don’t quote you. Murder weapon?’
‘I’d say something small, clasp knife possibly, that sort of size.’
‘Carried out here?’
‘No, definitely somewhere else and then the body was dumped here. There’s very little blood on the ground so that means there’s plenty of blood around somewhere else. The abrasions to the left side of his face and the tears to his clothing suggest he was dragged along the ground – possibly after being pulled out of a car.’
‘Thanks Madge. As always, you’re a star.’
‘Go get ’em, Batman.’
Sergeant Morley joined them.
‘Better late than never, Sergeant,’ said Giles.
‘Sorry sir. I was at a friend’s house . . . up in Cromer . . . I got here as quickly as I could.’
Giles made a play of looking at his watch and Marjorie Ryman hid a smile at the younger man’s embarrassment.
‘Could this be the weak link you were looking for, sir?’ asked Morley.
‘That’s my fear,’ said Giles. ‘Someone thought he couldn’t be trusted to keep his mouth shut . . . so they shut it for him.’
‘Poor bastard.’
* * * * *
‘Dr Dunbar is here to see you, sir,’ announced Sergeant Morley, holding back the door to allow Steven to step inside.
Giles got up from behind his desk and shook hands.
‘You had a rough night, I hear,’ said Steven.
‘Another murder,’ said Giles. ‘And not unconnected with the first by the look of things.’
‘How so?’
Giles explained his thinking. ‘Needless to say, we’re trying to establish who Lyndon was with last night.’
‘I hope you get the break,’ said Steven.
‘I’m not quite clear about Sci-Med’s interest in all this,’ said Giles. ‘Apart from the fact of course, that a well-known academic was the victim.’
‘It’s not so much that,’ smiled Steven. ‘We’re more concerned with the escaped animals and what they might have been used for.’
‘Ah,’ said Giles. ‘Now I understand. I was told it was an influenza experiment. Have you any reason to believe differently?’
‘Flu?’ exclaimed Steven.
‘That’s what the man said.’
‘What man?’
‘A suit from the Department of Health named Nigel Lees. He turned up at the institute while we were all there. I was a bit concerned myself about what the animals might be carrying but he reassured me there was no risk to the public.’
‘So who called in the army?’
Giles smiled as if anticipating the question. ‘Funny you should ask that,’ he smiled. ‘Not me. I thought broadcast warnings to the public and the involvement of the RSPCA and PDSA would cover the situation but apparently someone thought different.’
‘But you don’t know who?’
Giles shook his head. ‘You could ask Mr Lees.’
‘I think I just might,’ said Steven. ‘As I understand it, five of the animals were shot but one hasn’t been recovered?’
‘That’s my understanding too,’ agreed Giles.
‘Do you know what happened to the dead animals?’
‘They were taken back to the institute for incineration.’
Giles looked at Steven and then asked hesitantly, ‘The fact that you’re here . . . and the fact that the army was called in . . . I mean, you don’t suspect the flu story was some kind of a cover-up, do you?’
‘I don’t think anything at the moment,’ said Steven. ‘I’m trying to keep an open mind but I’ll keep you informed if I find out anything.’
‘Same here,’ said Giles. ‘I take it you’re going over to the institute?’
‘On my way there now,’ said Steven.
‘They’ll still be cleaning up. They made a right mess of the place.’
Steven drove over to the Crick Institute, thinking about what he’d learned. Not a lot. He hadn’t really thought the police would know who had called the army in and Giles was probably
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