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