like ID in there?’ asked the DCI.
‘No.’
‘Are you telling me this man has been down there since the eighties?’
‘Not necessarily, but it looks as though he’s been dead since the eighties. He should have decomposed by now. Where did you find him?’
Moore pointed to the cleared site of the fourth open pit. ‘It’s an old ash pit – lead-lined and sealed.’
Sally touched the wall. ‘It’s very cold, but it would have to be dry, too.’
‘It was when we prised it open, but all four pits used to be connected to the sewers.’
‘And they’re not any more?’
‘We won’t know until the contractors have been down here. Something still is, you can smell it.’
‘What I can tell you is that he’s been in this foetal position for a long time. Either here, or a large domestic refrigerator. Because of his immaculate condition, the day he died, and therefore the way he died, is set in stone. I’ll get him to the lab and –’
‘No,’ said DCI Moore.
‘What? Why did you call me down here?’
‘As a favour.’
‘I don’t mind doing favours, Carolyn –’
‘DCI Moore.’
‘I don’t mind doing favours,
DCI Moore
, but I like to know when I’m granting them.’
‘I have to think about our budget,’ Moore replied tartly.
Jessie stepped forward. ‘But, boss, this is a suspicious death. Look at his hands – someone cut his fingers off. No fingers, no ID.’
‘That may be, DI Driver, but according to youhe could have died twenty years ago. Hardly the sort of case we want to blow a lot of money on.’
‘Unlike Anna Maria Klein, you mean, who guarantees the police much more press?’
DCI Moore pulled herself up. ‘If you care so much about this, it’s yours. I’m putting you in charge. Identify him, find a match in Missing Persons and if any of his family are still alive you can let them know. But you don’t get Sally. Now that she’s a fully qualified Home Office pathologist she’s become far too expensive. Bad luck,’ she told Sally. ‘You’ve priced yourself right out of the market.’
Jessie turned to the scenes of crime officers. ‘Can we get a sample of –’
‘Hold your horses, Driver,’ said Mark, suddenly bounding forward. ‘This is my crime scene, my search party, my lads from SOCO. Off you go, boys – time for a break.’
‘Don’t go anywhere. I don’t mean to state the obvious, but Anna Maria isn’t here,’ said Jessie. ‘You heard the boss, this is my crime scene now.’
‘You don’t know that this is a crime scene,’ said Mark. ‘And we haven’t finished the search yet. You may not have noticed, but there are four old coal stores we haven’t investigated and below this level are the foundations of the workhouse that was originally built on this site. We haven’t even started this search.’
‘You think this guy mutilated his own hands and dropped himself in a hole and pulled the lid over his head? Come on, of course this is a crime scene.I can’t have you lot trampling all over it – you’ll contaminate it.’
‘That is quite enough melodrama, DI Driver.’ DCI Moore moved towards the exit. ‘Mark has a point. This place may still be unsafe. Let’s keep going with what is essential: finding Anna Maria Klein. When Mark is finished, you can continue with your investigation. But, please, don’t move the body until the hyenas have moved on. Sarah Klein and I are going to make a statement.’
‘I bet you are,’ whispered Jessie under her breath.
DCI Moore shot her a look, then left. Sally took out a card and quickly scribbled a name and number on it.
‘He’s a doctor, but he’s studying forensic pathology. He’s got great potential and passion, and he’ll relish a challenge like this. Send him the body. That way we’ll get it examined without the cost of a coroner, and if he finds anything we’ll go down the normal channels.’
DCI Moore reappeared as Jessie pocketed the card. ‘Sally, would you accompany me back up to
‘No.’
‘Are you telling me this man has been down there since the eighties?’
‘Not necessarily, but it looks as though he’s been dead since the eighties. He should have decomposed by now. Where did you find him?’
Moore pointed to the cleared site of the fourth open pit. ‘It’s an old ash pit – lead-lined and sealed.’
Sally touched the wall. ‘It’s very cold, but it would have to be dry, too.’
‘It was when we prised it open, but all four pits used to be connected to the sewers.’
‘And they’re not any more?’
‘We won’t know until the contractors have been down here. Something still is, you can smell it.’
‘What I can tell you is that he’s been in this foetal position for a long time. Either here, or a large domestic refrigerator. Because of his immaculate condition, the day he died, and therefore the way he died, is set in stone. I’ll get him to the lab and –’
‘No,’ said DCI Moore.
‘What? Why did you call me down here?’
‘As a favour.’
‘I don’t mind doing favours, Carolyn –’
‘DCI Moore.’
‘I don’t mind doing favours,
DCI Moore
, but I like to know when I’m granting them.’
‘I have to think about our budget,’ Moore replied tartly.
Jessie stepped forward. ‘But, boss, this is a suspicious death. Look at his hands – someone cut his fingers off. No fingers, no ID.’
‘That may be, DI Driver, but according to youhe could have died twenty years ago. Hardly the sort of case we want to blow a lot of money on.’
‘Unlike Anna Maria Klein, you mean, who guarantees the police much more press?’
DCI Moore pulled herself up. ‘If you care so much about this, it’s yours. I’m putting you in charge. Identify him, find a match in Missing Persons and if any of his family are still alive you can let them know. But you don’t get Sally. Now that she’s a fully qualified Home Office pathologist she’s become far too expensive. Bad luck,’ she told Sally. ‘You’ve priced yourself right out of the market.’
Jessie turned to the scenes of crime officers. ‘Can we get a sample of –’
‘Hold your horses, Driver,’ said Mark, suddenly bounding forward. ‘This is my crime scene, my search party, my lads from SOCO. Off you go, boys – time for a break.’
‘Don’t go anywhere. I don’t mean to state the obvious, but Anna Maria isn’t here,’ said Jessie. ‘You heard the boss, this is my crime scene now.’
‘You don’t know that this is a crime scene,’ said Mark. ‘And we haven’t finished the search yet. You may not have noticed, but there are four old coal stores we haven’t investigated and below this level are the foundations of the workhouse that was originally built on this site. We haven’t even started this search.’
‘You think this guy mutilated his own hands and dropped himself in a hole and pulled the lid over his head? Come on, of course this is a crime scene.I can’t have you lot trampling all over it – you’ll contaminate it.’
‘That is quite enough melodrama, DI Driver.’ DCI Moore moved towards the exit. ‘Mark has a point. This place may still be unsafe. Let’s keep going with what is essential: finding Anna Maria Klein. When Mark is finished, you can continue with your investigation. But, please, don’t move the body until the hyenas have moved on. Sarah Klein and I are going to make a statement.’
‘I bet you are,’ whispered Jessie under her breath.
DCI Moore shot her a look, then left. Sally took out a card and quickly scribbled a name and number on it.
‘He’s a doctor, but he’s studying forensic pathology. He’s got great potential and passion, and he’ll relish a challenge like this. Send him the body. That way we’ll get it examined without the cost of a coroner, and if he finds anything we’ll go down the normal channels.’
DCI Moore reappeared as Jessie pocketed the card. ‘Sally, would you accompany me back up to
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