Page 7 of The Girl in the Grave
‘Someone has to be, Beth, there are enough pessimists in this world.’
She couldn’t disagree with him. She’d been full of optimism at one point in her life, before fear and regret took over.
‘Do you want to oversee her removal? Or are you happy for us to crack on?’
She nodded. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust anyone else to do it: she felt as if she had to.
‘No, you take the lead. I’ll be here, but I won’t get in the way.’
He nodded, then turned and ducked back inside the tent. Josh gently took hold of her elbow, leading her away so they couldn’t be overheard.
‘Is everything okay?’
She glared at him. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Just that, you seem a little edgy this morning.’
‘Yes, everything’s fine. Well, apart from the fact that some sicko hid a girl’s body in someone else’s grave, I’m good.’
He arched one eyebrow at her. ‘Really?’
She blew out her cheeks. ‘I’m just a little stressed. Two of my cameras went down last night.’
‘I knew something was wrong. Do you think someone tampered with them?’
‘I don’t know, I don’t think so. It’s just unnerved me a little.’
She was aware she’d lowered her voice. She didn’t mind Josh knowing what a mess she was, but there was no way she’d let anyone else hear about it.
‘Want me to come over when we’ve finished here? We can have a beer and you can cook me some of those burritos you’re so very good at?’
Beth laughed. ‘If you want to, but I don’t want to get in the way of any plans you and Jodie might have.’
‘Jodie’s gone to visit her sister – again.’
‘Ouch, that bad?’
‘You can’t even imagine.’
Beth smiled; the things she could imagine would give anyone nightmares for the rest of their lives.
Nine
Beth, Josh, Chris and his student, Amber, bowed their heads respectfully as the undertakers wheeled the trolley past them. Until they identified her and found her family, the girl was their responsibility and Beth took some light relief in knowing that she had such a talented team fighting her corner. It was a shame no one had been around to fight for her when she was alive. Beth gulped, hoping to God that the girl was dead before she was buried. The thought made her squirm as all sorts of scenarios played out in her head; in each the face she saw on the body was her own.
The van doors slammed shut behind her and she jumped so high Josh grabbed her.
Beth knew she was acting strangely; he could tell she didn’t want him to think she was losing it and not fit to work this case, because he knew she was more than capable.
‘Right, I’ll go to the mortuary and get her booked in. Josh, I’ll see you later,’ Beth said, as calmly and matter-of-factly as she could.
Josh’s phone began to ring, and he fumbled in his pocket for it, sticking his thumb up at Beth as he headed back towards his car, his voice hushed and urgent. She watched him for a moment as he stripped off his protective clothing and ducked inside his car, his phone still glued to his ear. He looked tired and stressed.
The undertakers were waiting for her to leave first, to open the mortuary doors at the other end, so she hurried over to her car and got in. Despite the warmth of the sun, she was chilled beyond belief. She turned on the heater and waited for the blast of warm air to hit her face and warm her bones. Something about this case was really unsettling her, but she didn’t know what.
The drive to the hospital was a long one; the mortuary at Westmorland General in Kendal was being refurbished, so the body was taken to Furness General Hospital in the small industrial town of Barrow-in-Furness. The road from Bowness was a nightmare: all twists and turns, traffic lights every couple of miles while the water mains were being replaced and the slowest moving cars she’d ever known. When she finally turned onto Abbey Road she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d phoned ahead so the mortuary staff knew they were on their way. Turning right onto Dalton Lane as she crested the brow of the hill, she saw the hospital and her heart did a little jump, just like it always did whenever she had cause to work from here. It was the hospital they’d rushed her to that night, where the busy accident and emergency department staff had worked so hard on her. She’d forever be in their debt.
Blowing out her cheeks, she turned into the huge grounds and drove around to the staff car park at the rear of the hospital, where the mortuary entrance was situated, and where a familiar face was waiting for her. Abandoning her car on a gravelled area with a huge wooden sign that said ‘No Parking’, she got out and jogged over to Abe. They smacked hands in a high five.
