Page 36 of The Girl in the Grave
A couple of hands went up. Josh looked across at Sykes. ‘Yes.’
‘Boss, what if she’s already dead and been put into a grave?’
‘We can only hope to God that she isn’t.’
‘But, there’s a chance she’s already dead, right?’
‘There is a strong possibility she might be. If she’s been put into a box or a coffin, then her air supply wouldn’t have lasted more than six to seven hours max. If he’s keeping her captive somewhere then we have a chance to get to her before he kills her. Doctor Adams explained at the post-mortem for Chantel Price that she had to have been dead at least twenty-four hours before she was put into the grave; this was because of the fly pupa Doctor Adams found in the body. We know that the last confirmed sighting of Chantel was three days before Florence Wright’s funeral, so by my calculations – and if the killer is following the same MO as his first victim – we have approximately forty-eight hours before it’s too late. We have to keep on looking.’
‘Funeral homes would be a good place to start, boss.’
Josh debated about telling them what Barker had said to him yesterday. This was his team, they needed to know. ‘They would, and it’s a great idea. I actually went to Dean&Sons yesterday for an unofficial look around. Let’s just say that unless we have enough to get a warrant, I’m not allowed back there.’
Laughter echoed around the room, and Josh checked outside the door to make sure Barker wasn’t around or, even worse, the chief super.
‘On a serious note, I want any evidence we can get our hands on; Paton, I’m not saying that you messed up not bringing Thompson in yesterday, but it could have gone a lot better. I want him located today. Task force are going to assist you in tracking him down. There’s a couple of addresses to be checked out for ex-girlfriends and family members that were already on the system. Hopefully he’s hiding locally and not gone too far away. I don’t think he’s our man per se, but he hasn’t helped himself, has he? And the boss wants his picture released to the press today.’
‘What about the guy from the nightclub? Is his picture being released? Someone might recognise him.’
‘Absolutely not. He’s a hotter suspect and we want to let him think we’re barking up the wrong tree by going for Thompson. Let him think he’s clever, let him get cocky and start making mistakes. I want all the shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants in the local area canvassed. There are PCSOs on their way up from Barrow and Ulverston to assist with those enquiries. Sykes, I want you speaking to every hotel employee, and a still of the mystery man shown to them in case he’s stayed there, or they’ve noticed him hanging around in the bar. I want background checks on everyone who works at the hotel and all the local undertakers. Sam, could you go to the cemetery for me? I need to know about any burials that may have taken place yesterday or if there are any scheduled in the coming days. If there are then I’ll organise a team to go undercover and keep a watch on them in case he turns up.’
He left before they could start asking too many questions. He needed something to go on and fast.
Fifty-One
‘Good morning, Doctor Adams, I’m James Dean, still alive despite the rumours.’
He smiled at her, winked and then held out his hand. Taking it, she gripped it firmly. He was wearing shirt and trousers, no suit jacket, no tie. She was taken aback by just how good-looking he was, not what she’d been expecting. Just because he was a funeral director, it didn’t mean he couldn’t be good-looking, did it? She of all people knew how shallow it was to judge a person by their vocation.
‘Our receptionist said you needed to speak about the recent exhumation. Would you like to come with me, and we can chat somewhere a bit more private? Would you like another coffee?’
‘No, thank you. One was enough. And yes, that would be great; I have a few questions.’ She stood up. The fact that he’d made no acknowledgment that the receptionist was his niece jarred her. Was he being professional, or was she picking up on some animosity between the pair of them? She placed the cup on the coffee table and followed him, throwing a quick glance to Alex, who smiled back.
Beth followed him into a large room with rows of filing cabinets lined up against the walls, a big desk and the most amazing view out of the huge windows onto the formal gardens with a view of Orrest Head, the very first Lakeland Fell that Wainright walked in the distance.
‘I think I’d struggle to get any work done with a view like that, it’s beautiful.’
He laughed. ‘That’s why the chair faces away from the window. It’s far too easy to sit and daydream instead of working. So, how can I be of assistance, Doctor Adams?’
‘As you know, the body of Florence Wright was exhumed three days ago after a relative made some allegations of possible misconduct surrounding her death.’
‘Actually, all we knew was that there were some discrepancies brought to light. As you know, the procedure for exhumation is that an application to exhume usually takes around three months in order to ensure it’s a necessary procedure. So whoever submitted the application must have given a valid reason for the application to be approved. This one seemed to go through very fast, so someone along the line must have had sufficient concern to give permission. We initially dealt with the body after it was released to us, like we deal with the hundreds of other bodies each year. She was brought here from the hospital mortuary after death, and nothing untoward was noted when she was embalmed and prepared for burial.’
‘How do you know that; did you speak to the embalmer?’
‘Iamthe embalmer. I prepare the bodies; wash, dress, hair and make-up. That’s my department.’
‘Oh, do you have an assistant?’
‘I do, I have two. Both are very good, but I specifically remember dealing with Mrs Wright’s body myself because both of them were off work. It was a weekend.’
‘Don’t they work weekends?’
He shook his head. ‘No, we like to give our staff the weekends off to enjoy with their families or whatever it is they like to do to relax. At weekends the place is run by Harry, my brother who runs the front of house, and Harry’s daughter, who you met on the reception. Alex has all calls routed to her mobile.’
‘That’s very noble of you, but surely you need a break as well?’ Not even realising she was doing it, her fingers reached for her hair to make sure it was covering the scar on her face.
He shrugged. ‘Thankfully, it’s not always busy of a weekend. People have a nasty habit of dying all hours of the day and night. As you well know. Can I ask what any of this has to do with the exhumation?’
