The Bell Ringers Read Online Free

the record?’
    â€˜Not at this stage, sir,’ replied Richards.
    â€˜Then we shall proceed with the evidence concerning identification. Is Sergeant Hallam in court?’
    A short man in a grey suit and dark shirt nodded and walked to the stand where, after taking an oath, he turned to the coroner.
    â€˜Sergeant Hallam, you were responsible for identifying the remains of Mr Eyam. Is that right?’
    â€˜In so far as there were remains, sir.’
    â€˜What can you tell the court about their condition?’
    â€˜The blast created considerable destruction in the area and there was much difficulty in locating and removing the victims from the scene. This was compounded by the collapse of two buildings after the fire, and the heavy plant that was required to shift the rubble.’
    â€˜You’re saying the bodies were recovered after a lengthy time? How many were there?’
    â€˜It is very difficult to know, sir – maybe three.’
    â€˜All those killed were in or near that alley? The alley was an inferno. Is that right? There wasn’t much left to go on?’
    â€˜Yes, sir, a lot was lost in the fire and the operation to clear the area. Some remains were located but the Colombian authorities insisted that DNA tests were carried out locally so as to make certain the right set of remains was sent to Britain.’
    â€˜Please tell the court what procedures were followed.’
    â€˜Hair samples were collected from Mr Eyam’s home in Dove Valley and sent with his dental records to Colombia, where a match was made with some of the remains found in the alley. We received confirmation of this on February fifteenth.’
    â€˜Let me be clear on this. Was the readout of Mr Eyam’s genetic profile sent to Colombia, or were the samples?’
    â€˜Both, sir.’
    â€˜And then Colombian authorities did their own test on the remains and found a match?’
    The police officer nodded. ‘They have a fully operational lab for this kind of forensic work, sir. It is perhaps a . . . er . . . a more sophisticated operation than you would expect in that country.’
    The coroner nodded and looked at his papers. ‘Thank you. That will be all, sergeant.’
    After asking Lady Eyam’s lawyer if he had any questions and receiving a shake of the head, the coroner turned to the court. ‘We have heard how David Lucas Eyam, formerly a government official who worked in Downing Street, left the United Kingdom for an extended holiday in December last year. Given Mr Eyam’s exceptional qualities and outstanding service to this country and to the Prime Minister, it is only right for me to extend the court’s sympathy to his family and friends and many colleagues in government at the manner of his untimely death.’ Mr Richards bowed his head to accept the words on behalf of his client. ‘In the matter of David Lucas Eyam’s death,’ he said more loudly and formally, ‘I find that while holidaying in Central America he visited the Colombian port of Cartagena. On January twelfth this year at approximately five forty-five p.m. he was in the Colonial District of the city when an explosion took place that killed him outright. Accordingly, I record a verdict that Mr Eyam was killed unlawfully by persons unknown.’
    The incontrovertible fact of Eyam’s death was established. As Kate rose and worked her way along the bench, her resignation was replaced by anger at the waste of the last two years. God knows how things would have been if they had talked on that Saturday – if they had been talking through the two years of his exile in High Castle.
    She came to the entrance, where there was a crush of reporters crowding round the clerk who was handing out DVDs of the film of the explosion. She turned to find the tall man – Kilmartin – looking down at her. When the way cleared he gestured for her to go ahead of him and gave a regretful,