Dying Bad Read Online Free Page A

had no distinguishing features. Swallowing, she tasted bile. Now it was more like no distinguishable features. And where had all the blood come from? The jacket and shirt were slick with the stuff.
    She glanced up at the pathologist. ‘OK if I leave you to it, Rich?’ He didn’t need an audience and she’d seen enough. Actually, not. The body had no ID.
    Patten raised his head, dark irises visible between mask and hood. ‘No worries. I’ll find you when I’m done.’
    She gave a fleeting smile. He was probably the best pathologist she worked with. His willingness to voice an opinion at the scene was worth its weight. Doctors generally kept their cards so close to their chest she was surprised it didn’t stop circulation.
    Standing now, she snapped off the latex gloves while making eye contact with Ryan. ‘You’re sure you didn’t touch anything?’ Not likely but the young PC had already put his foot in it, literally.
    â€˜No ma’am. I could see he was dead. I’d no reason to check. That’s exactly how I found him.’ Stuffing the gloves in a pocket, she followed his gaze. The body was slumped against a red-brick wall in the cobbled passageway between two buildings, a law firm and offices of the probation service. When Ryan came across it, it had been wedged between a brace of wheelie bins. ‘I shouted Linda to keep away, had a quick shufti, then kept a watching brief with her out here until Inspector Wilding and the others arrived. One of the forensic people said it’d be OK to move the bins to gain access but that’s it.’
    Gain access?
She frowned. Couldn’t be doing with manual speak. Why not just say, get closer? Was Ryan one of those people who adopted formal language to distance ugly reality? She hoped not for his sake.
    Hearing rustling, Sarah turned to see two FSI photographers return for more shots. They’d already reeled off a load of stills and video but the more the better. The inquiry needed pictures of every inch, every angle and, as Baker invariably put it, every orifice. A full accurate record showing the location both with and without the body was vital. Not just for evidence but every squad member needed a feel for the scene even though most would never set foot in it.
Unlike Ryan.
    The cameramen were clearly ready for their close-ups. Holding the tape for them, she nodded a greeting. Given the stink of blood and piss and whatever was rotting in the bins, thank God it wasn’t smelly-vision.
    Ducking under the tape herself, she signalled Ryan to follow. Right now he was both police officer and prime witness and, in her experience, neither was infallible. No one recalled facts immediately, fully or accurately. More intelligence invariably emerged during retelling or under questioning. Halting under a street light, she asked him to talk her through it again. Studying his face closely she was also on aural alert for any discrepancy, deviation. Ryan had no difficulty holding her gaze and his second account was virtually verbatim. He and PC Fellows had been nearing the end of their beat. She was on police radio so stayed out front while he went to check the rear of the premises, primarily because there’d been an attempted break-in at the chambers the week before. He didn’t make it that far because the victim’s legs were protruding and Ryan almost went arse over tit.
    â€˜Sorry, ma’am, I meant I nearly—’
    â€˜I’ve heard worse, Phil.’ She scratched her cheek. ‘And it was nine fifteen, nine thirty when you realised what you were dealing with?’ Establishing a timeline early on was vital. The real question was how long had the body been there. She and Harries had arrived at 10.54. It was getting on for half-eleven now. Ryan fumbled in a tunic pocket. Did he really need a notebook?
    No. He wiped a tissue round his mouth. ‘I put the call in to control at 21.45,