Dying to Sin. Stephen Booth

Чтение книги онлайн.

       8

      The mobile incident room was on site at Pity Wood. A thirty-foot trailer equipped with computers, drop-down screens and video and DVD equipment, and a ‘front office’ open to the public. It had on-board generators and floodlight masts. And, most importantly, it had heating, a fully equipped kitchen and toilet facilities. The cold rain falling steadily on the farm was enough to drive officers into the trailer on any pretext.

      The initial body tent had been replaced by a larger crime scene tent to allow more space for working in. The digging team could be heard chatting among themselves sometimes, but they were more often silent and absorbed in their task, oblivious to the presence of the police waiting for them to finish their work.

      As Fry and Cooper arrived, there was a burst of laughter from the excavation area, slightly brittle laughter, a release of tension.

      ‘Anybody want a Pyrex baking dish?’ said someone. ‘It’s still in one piece, just needs a bit of mud cleaning off. I’m giving it away. If you don’t want it, I’ll sell it on eBay.’

      ‘It might be evidence,’ said a police exhibits officer standing nearby with his clipboard.

      The diggers groaned and went back to their task.

      ‘Hello, what is he doing here?’ said Fry as they reported in at the mobile incident unit.

      Cooper looked around, but there were too many people to make out which of them Fry had picked out. ‘Who?’

      ‘Jamie Ward. The builder’s labourer.’

      ‘The one who found the body?’

      ‘That’s him. He’s over there, at the outer cordon.’

      ‘That’s odd.’

      ‘Normally, I’d say it was downright suspicious,’ said Fry. ‘Members of the public who find dead bodies shouldn’t still be hanging around the crime scene next day – especially when they live miles away, as Jamie does. It makes you look guilty.’

      ‘But Jamie can’t be a suspect. Maybe he’s come back with some more information.’

      ‘We’ll see.’

      Fry strode over to the cordon. Jamie looked more relieved than startled when he saw her.

      ‘I didn’t recognize anyone else. I’ve been waiting to speak to you,’ he said.

      ‘Go ahead, then, Jamie. I’m here now.’

      ‘I want to show you something.’

      Jamie led her to the back of the farmhouse, skirting the police tape that had been strung from gatepost to gatepost and unrolled across the top of a wall. Fry could only see the large yellow skip, a lot of digging, and a cement mixer and wheelbarrows left by the builders. She made a mental note to chase up that search of the skip. God alone knew what evidence could have been dumped in there.

      ‘See this area here?’ said Jamie. ‘Some of the crew have been getting ready to connect the new drains up.’

      ‘Yes, I see.’

      ‘But next to it there’s a disturbed patch of ground. It’s obvious when ground has been disturbed. The subsoil ends up on top, and it looks different. It’s one thing I’ve learned.’

      ‘So what do you think happened here?’ asked Fry.

      Jamie frowned uncertainly. ‘I don’t really know. I think there must have been a change in the plans some time – there was a trench here, but it’s been filled in.’

      ‘When would this trench have been dug?’

      ‘One day last week, I suppose. I didn’t see it being filled in again. I reckon Nikolai must have got somebody else to do it while I was busy round the front.’

      ‘Well, thanks, Jamie. I’ll make sure it’s noted. Our diggers are a bit busy right now, but we’ll be at the scene for a good while yet.’

      * * *

      With Cooper at the wheel, they drove towards Rakedale on a dark, jungle-green road bordered by stone walls, muddy cattle and a rushing stream. When they reached the hill into the village, Cooper found water running towards him down the road, streaming into two rivulets under his wheels.

      ‘Oh, great,’ said Fry when she saw the water. ‘It’s like the village is pissing on us already.’

      The road was very narrow, barely wide enough for one vehicle, and the stone walls left no room for error. It wasn’t used much, though – grass was growing down the road in the middle of the СКАЧАТЬ