Dead People. Ewart Hutton
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Название: Dead People
Автор: Ewart Hutton
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Полицейские детективы
isbn: 9780007478255
isbn:
I was helping the technicians assemble desks in the ballroom when David Williams stuck his head round the door. ‘I couldn’t find you. I’ve just taken a call from Dr MacLean.’
‘What did she want?’
‘She asked if you’d call her back. She sounded a bit upset.’
I started to dial the number he had given me. I looked up at the clerestory window. We still had light.
I borrowed David’s Land Rover to handle the by-way. When I reached Tessa’s camp I was surprised to see a SOCO vehicle parked by the dig. Tessa came out from under the canopy as I parked. She watched me with a hand shading her brow from the setting sun.
‘I heard about the accident,’ she said, as I got closer.
I touched the dressing instinctively. ‘It’s nothing serious.’
She squinted at my face. ‘It makes you look a bit lopsided.’ She softened the judgement with a grin.
‘I got your message.’
‘You didn’t have to come all this way.’
‘That’s okay.’
She nodded. She suddenly looked preoccupied. ‘I heard that you’d discovered another body. Jeff isn’t up to talking. I tried to go over, but it’s all cordoned off.’
‘We’re trying to keep the press out.’
‘Is it another skeleton?’
‘I can’t divulge that information, I’m afraid.’
‘Please, Sergeant?’ She didn’t try to play it coy. It wasn’t a plea. She was just making it plain that this was important to her.
‘In strictest confidence?’
She nodded once.
‘We’ve found the recently interred body of a young woman.’ I didn’t bother informing her that she had arrived in two halves.
‘Oh my God …’ Her face drained. A tremor ran through her. ‘What’s happening …?’ She stared at me. The question was involuntary.
‘That’s what we’re trying to investigate.’
‘I’m sorry.’ She forced a smile.
I smiled back. But I was really wondering what had caused this reaction. She had been so composed with that first corpse. So what had upset her so much about this one?
She read my mind. ‘I’m used to skeletons. It’s the archaeologist in me. Fresh graves disturb me. We have to sleep up here at night, remember?’ This time the smile broke through to let me know that she wasn’t entirely serious. ‘Thank you. It is actually better to know.’
‘You’re welcome. And I’m only ever a phone call away.’
She nodded gratefully, and then gestured behind her to the dig canopy. ‘I’d show you mine if it weren’t so crowded in there.’
‘Who’s here?’ I asked, nodding at the SOCO vehicle.
‘Your forensic anthropologist. She’s come to make sure that I haven’t been duped,’ she explained, more amused than annoyed. ‘At least mine was here first. And has an excuse for being here.’
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