Detective
ay. Three hours before
ained upstream on their m
free of the sludge they sl
, past unlit chandlers, o
y wastelands, strange, l
nd amongst the ghostly machinery
ights – a police vehicl
ng silently. It was joine
ext twenty minutes more
cars, two plain Ford Sier
ra team. A roadblock was
niform were detailed to s
officer got onto Croyd
ea Major Investigation P
ck Caffery, AMIP team
rk, collecting his though
n, taking a deep breath,
the bathroom, splashing
tandby week, Jack, swea
better to arrive fully a
d – CID don't like us loo
s of instant coffee, with
, you just never know wha
, found car keys in the
eine, a roll-up between
Greenwich to the crime s
t Steve Maddox, a small
ed for him outside the aggregate yard – pacing u
ng hi
, crossed to him, put an
w and said: 'I hope yo
handbrake. He pulled Ri
. Just what I was
sell-by.' He stepped back
uried. Bang in the mid
in, ha
ID briefed me. And, u
D officers stood in a hu
re's been an autopsy on
hand on the car d
up
ly gone walkabout
kno
student
held hands up, stalling
e checked over his shou
retty good with us usual
t kill us to have a
O
tened up. 'Now you. How
ad
mmed the door, pulled h
f course I'm not ready.
ance, moving along the p
ium yellow of the scat
f the forensic camera cr
beyond, dominating the
its red aircraft lights
liner or something,' Madd
tending couldn't be sur
ut the wind up him.' He
. 'The Merc.
reak step. A heavy-backe
ont seat, speaking int
arting up going on aro
ast week he took on a te
d the grave without kn
then at oh-one-
nd they showed warrant
under the cr
ed hours this a.m., three
can of Evostik and they
ow. The CSC'll tell u
e scene co-ordinator, do
learing next to a Portak
ly pulling back the ho
d the int
nn. Fiona – my new
, hand extended. '
snapped off latex gloves
irst. I
AMIP
er one for you. Things ar
Something's split the
ck.' She leaned back to d
alf-light Caffery could
n is buried under pre-cas
t or so
there
– she pulled the glove b
ss than a week; but too
d wait until daylight to d
when he's got her in the
red, half wrapped in a dus
ffer
y said. 'You sure we need
been an
's ri
ill want us
change. 'Yes, I think you
t a professi
changed glances. A mo
dd
cleared his throat, too
y tucked his tie inside
have a
e gloves, old CID habit
time to time he lost si
im moments of unease – th
had finished and were
Now the only light sour
ape the CSC had used to o
hem until AMIP's exhibits
n the mist like inquisi
mpled cans, something sh
. Conveyor belts and brid
ky around them, grey and
r coa
a hand up t
ffery. 'See her? Jus
he
?' She let the to
es
einforcing rod
es
w that
su
e i
died himself.
'd thought it was a pie
ol, so distended and yel
nd recognized an arm. An
he understood what
Maddox said wearily. 'Com
sion ov