Dying Fall
‘I’ve heard that the police are investigating Dan’s death. Do you think that this could be connected?’
‘I don’t know,’ says Ruth, ‘but I’ve learnt to be a bit wary of coincidences.’
Susan is about to answer when Kate, with a roar of rage, hurls
Sun, Moon, Stars
from the pushchair, knocking the causewayed enclosure to the floor once again.
*
As Kate destroys Susan Chow’s office, Sandy and Tim are actually at CNN Forensics. They are talking to Terry Durkin about the switched bones. It’s a slightly delicate situation. The police use the company a lot but Sandy disapproves of outsourcing anything and views all scientific experts with extreme suspicion. To make matters worse, Peter Greengrass, the CEO of CNN Forensics, was once a senior police forensics officer and an old enemy of Sandy’s. Now, he is offending Terry Durkin by treating him as one of his own subordinates. Tim, in between taking notes, tries to stop his boss addressing Terry as ‘Durkin’ or, worse, ‘Constable’.
‘So Constable,’ says Sandy, ‘who assigned you to this case?’
‘Mr Greengrass,’ says Terry.
‘Pete eh,’ says Sandy grimly. ‘How’s old Grassy Arse these days?’
‘He’s very well,’ says Terry. ‘He’s just received the Queen’s Commendation for his forensic work.’
‘Did he?’ says Sandy, who feels his own OBE is distinctly overdue. ‘Nice work if you can get it. So you were asked to look after these bones. Did you log them in?’
‘Yes,’ says Terry, handing over a plastic wallet. ‘The paperwork’s all here.’
Sandy doesn’t even glance down but Tim takes the wallet and looks through the papers inside. Everything seems correct. The bones were logged in by one Guy Delaware of Pendle University.
‘Who has visited the bones since they’ve been here?’ asks Sandy.
‘I don’t know,’ says Terry. ‘I’d have to check. A few people from the university have been. And Doctor Galloway the other day.’
Tim reads out from one of the photocopied sheets: ‘Bones were logged in on May 10th. Dan Golding visited several times. Guy Delaware visited on May 11th, Elaine Morgan on May 13th, Clayton Henry on May 16th.’
‘Guy Delaware,’ says Sandy. ‘He was the next-door neighbour, right? The one who called the fire brigade.’
Not for the first time, Tim makes a mental note not to underestimate his boss. Sandy has almost certainlylost the record of the 999 call but there’s nothing wrong with his memory. Guy Delaware had indeed made that call.
‘Yes,’ says Tim. ‘Elaine Morgan lived next door as well.’
‘All very cosy,’ says Sandy. He turns to Terry. ‘Why would these characters be dropping in? What were they doing?’
Terry shrugs. ‘Doing tests, taking samples for analysis, just looking. I don’t know. These bones were long dead. It’s not as if there was a police investigation.’ He looks meaningfully at Sandy.
‘Were any of these people alone with the bones?’ asks Tim.
‘Yes,’ says Terry, sounding defensive now. ‘I left them to it. Like I say, the site wasn’t sealed.’
Sandy, who has had his own experiences with sealed sites, says, ‘Could any of these people have taken some of the bones away and substituted others?’
Terry looks amazed, his sandy eyebrows disappearing into his hair. ‘Why would anyone want to do that?’
‘Just answer the question, Constable.’
Terry looks about to object, but after a martyred glance at Tim, says, ‘It’s not possible. Bags are checked on entry and departure.’
‘Who checks them?’
‘The officer on the door. Or me, if no-one else is available.’
‘So they couldn’t have switched the bones brought in on 10th May and replaced them with the bones of some other poor sod?’
‘Is that what you think happened?’
‘I’m not at liberty to say,’ says Sandy, getting up. ‘This is a police matter now.’
*
The dream-catchers go into a frenzy as Nelson and Cathbad rampage around the house looking for Pendragon. His bed upstairs is neatly made, the ubiquitous collection of shells and feathers hanging overhead as well as (more surprisingly) a large crucifix. The other rooms upstairs seem to be full of junk. Downstairs there’s a bathroom and a kitchen, both high on period charm and low on appliances. There is food for Thing in the kitchen as well as a covered saucepan containing what look like herbs in water.
‘Funny sort of stew,’ says Nelson.
‘It’s an infusion,’ says
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