Could it be him di sally.., p.2
Could It Be Him? (DI Sally Parker Book 13), page 2
“When are you going to learn to keep that mouth of yours shut?”
“I… umm… I… you can’t go around lobbing people’s limbs off like this.”
“Can’t I? Watch me!” He grappled with Denis’ right arm and extended it, then he swiped the machete across the wrist. The blade chopped through the joint with ease.
Denis watched on in horror as his hand fell to the ground beside him. He screamed out again, but what was the use? There was no one around to hear him. That was this guy’s intention, wasn’t it? “Please, no more, don’t do this. All I did was spill your drink and this is how you punish me?”
“Not only did you spill my drink, but you disrespected me in the process. I don’t take kindly to fuckers like you thinking you’re better than me.”
“What? I didn’t. I apologised at the time. How did I disrespect you? This is all wrong, you’re bang out of order. You need to get me to the hospital. Maybe they’ll be able to sew my limbs back on, make me whole again.”
The man laughed. “Whatever. I ain’t finished with you yet.”
The machete came at him again and swiped a deep wound in his stomach. Denis stared at the open wound. The pain hadn’t registered yet, there was a delayed reaction, and he couldn’t figure out why.
“No scream this time? You must be getting used to it. Good, time for more.”
Denis stared at the man, who had obviously lost his marbles, as blow after blow ripped his body to shreds. His life flashed before his eyes, and they closed for the final time.
CHAPTER 1
“How long before you complete each of the houses?” Sally asked her husband.
Simon smiled. “By the end of next week, if everything goes according to plan. Your dad is overseeing the snagging list on one property, the smaller terrace. Tony is in charge of the second property, the detached house on the outskirts of Attleborough, and that leaves me to deal with the flat conversion which has been a thorn in my side for weeks now.”
“Oh, you never said. What’s been the problem?”
“I didn’t want to burden you with it, you have enough to contend with on a daily basis as it is.”
Sally moved closer and lifted her head for a kiss. Simon planted a quick peck on her lips.
“A problem shared and all that. What problems have you encountered?”
“The building inspector was a pain towards the end, and then there were a couple of safety issues we had to overcome. It’s all done now, so the renovations are back on track.”
“I can’t believe you’ve managed to get all three properties finished at around the same time. You guys must be delighted with how the business is progressing.”
“You could say that. We make a great team. I think it has given Tony and your dad a new lease of life.”
“I’m so pleased, for all of you. Who would have thought the business would be thriving this much after only a few short years?”
“I know. I do have to pinch myself now and again. Anyway, enough about business, or should I say my business, how are things going at work?”
“Same old, same old. We cleared the backlog of cases last month. We’re hoping the Super doesn’t start making the cuts he threatened to make a while back.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Do you have time for breakfast?”
“You bet. What did you have in mind? Nothing too heavy for me.”
“Shall I knock you up some pancakes?”
Sally closed her eyes and moaned. “I think I’ve died and gone to Heaven. Do you have the time?”
“Sure. Do you want to give Lorne a shout, see if she and Tony want to join us?”
“Now, that’s a great idea.” She picked up her mobile and rang her partner. “Hi, it’s me. Have you eaten yet?”
“You caught me putting cereal in a bowl, why?”
“Put it back and come and join us. The invitation is open to Tony as well. Simon is knocking up pancakes for us. I’m sure I can rustle up some bacon as well.”
“God, really? We’d love to join you. See you in five.”
Sally ended the call with a beaming smile. “They’re on their way. They decided cereals wasn’t a good enough start to the day. Shall I put some bacon under the grill?”
“That’d be great. The mixture is made. I’ll start making them now and we can keep them warm in the oven until the others get here.”
A few minutes later, Lorne and Tony entered the back door and hugged them both.
“This is a lovely surprise, thanks for the invite,” Tony said. “Anything we can do to help?”
“Get the cutlery out and lay the table,” Simon replied.
The four of them had been friends for a few years now, the men not as long as Sally and Lorne, but they had become inseparable since Lorne and Tony had left London and moved in to run the kennels next door. Working together only seemed to strengthen their friendship, which was a blessing.
They enjoyed the filling breakfast and stimulating conversation then went their separate ways. Sally always gave Lorne a lift to work when she could; it not only saved on fuel but passed the time during the boring journey, too.
“Simon said they’re hoping to complete three properties by the end of next week. Isn’t that amazing?”
“It is. I hear that two of the properties have already sold before they’ve had a chance to market them,” Lorne replied.
“Blimey, he never got around to telling me that news, he was too busy singing Tony’s and my dad’s praises.”
“It’s great the business has been such a success, especially as the market has been turned upside down lately.”
“I suppose quality always shines through in the end. By now, all the estate agents in the area know their standards are impeccable, so they tend to have a list of buyers lined up before the properties are half completed. It doesn’t always pay off, but nine times out of ten it does. I’m so proud of them, of what they’ve achieved over the years.”
“Me, too. I couldn’t be prouder. It’s such a thrill knowing that we made the right move coming up here to Norfolk. I just wish we got to see more of Charlie. That’s the one downside to moving away from London.”
“Hey, she visits when she can. Any news about her getting another fella yet?”
“No, I think she’s steering clear of men at the moment, and who could blame her? I believe she’s keen to rise up the ranks quickly and only sees men as getting in her way.”
“I don’t blame her. Any chance you can persuade her to settle up here with you?”
“I’m working on it. Especially after the backlash the Met has received from the press lately.”
“Has she ever come across any misogynistic behaviour?”
“No, not that she’s been willing to share. She’s lucky in that respect, working alongside Katy. It might have been a different story if her partner was male.”
“Too true.” Sally’s mobile rang. “Here we go, that has an ominous ring about it.”
“You’re nuts, it’s probably Simon wondering what you want for dinner this evening.”
Sally laughed and answered the phone. “DI Sally Parker, how may I help?”
“It’s me, Pauline. Are you free?”
“Hi, Pauline, yes, Lorne and I are just on our way in to work. What’s up?”
“Can you join me?”
“Depends. Where are you?”
“At present, I’m standing in a field out near Acle, staring at the remains of a corpse that was discovered by the farmer a few hours ago. Interested?”
“We’re on our way. Can you send us a pin with your location?”
“Sending it through now. See you soon.”
“Can you deal with that, Lorne, and insert the location into the satnav?”
“Consider it done. Great start to the week, eh?”
“That’s one way of putting it. Still, if it keeps the Super off our backs for a while, it can’t be all bad.”
Lorne entered the location, and within seconds the satnav had calculated the route. “I think I know where it is, roughly.”
Sally glanced sideways quickly and then returned her gaze to the traffic ahead of her. “We should be there within ten minutes, unless this lot grinds to a halt in the meantime.”
They arrived at the scene later than anticipated due to a small prang ahead of them. Sally had stopped to check if the drivers and passengers were okay while Lorne rang the station to request the assistance of a patrol car. The drivers were quite nonchalant about the accident, so Sally decided to leave them to it and continue the journey to the scene.
Pauline was standing by her van, her arms crossed, tapping her foot. “It’s about bloody time. I expected you here sooner than this.”
Sally walked towards her. “All right, wind your neck in. An accident happened not long after I spoke to you. We had to hang around and sort it out before we could get on the road again.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t aware of that.”
“So you should be. I’m not in the habit of giving out false information to pathologists.”
“All right, there’s no need to go on. Let’s call a truce now before either of us says something derogatory.”
“Derogatory? Me? Christ, I know we’re still trying to get to know one another, but you’re way off the mark if you believe I would ever be that rude to a fellow professional.”
Lorne nudged Sally in the back, and it was then that she realised she’d gone too far with her response.
Pauline’s head dropped, and her cheeks coloured up. Within seconds, she murmured an apology. “I’m sorry. Of course, you’re right, I overstepped the mark in our new professional relationship. Can you ever forgive me?”
Sally took a step forward, encroaching into the pathologist’s personal space. “Hey, let’s forget about it. Put it down to experience; we were both out of line.”
Lorne applauded, startling both Sally and Pauline. The three of them laughed, and the awkwardness was soon forgotten.
“Can we get back to the job in hand?” Sally smiled. “Do you need us to get dressed for the occasion?”
“Always a good idea, whether the corpse is associated to a cold case or not,” Pauline replied.
Sally and Lorne collected a set of Tyvek overalls and shoe covers each from the back of Pauline’s van at her insistence, as if making up for any insults she had dished out. Once they were suited and booted, they joined Pauline at the muddy graveside of the skeleton.
“Male or female? Or is that a silly question at this stage of the process?” Sally asked.
“Don’t hold me to this, but my initial findings are telling me that we’re looking at a male.”
“And the farmer was by himself when he found him?”
“That’s right. He was in the process of digging a trench to put new pipework in, and as you can see for yourselves, this is what he discovered.”
“How long ago?”
“A couple of hours, although we’ve only been on site for the past forty-five minutes, therefore, pre-empting your next question about any relevant evidence, no, we haven’t had a chance to look for anything as yet. You know how hectic everything is once we arrive at a scene of this nature. One of my first priorities was giving you a call.”
“Which I appreciate. Shall we leave you to it and have a word with the farmer?”
Pauline shrugged. “It’s up to you. I’m about to start my examination now that everyone is here. The farmer is over there, sitting in his tractor, waiting for you to interview him. Fair warning for you, he was in a bit of a state when I spoke with him earlier.”
“Understandable. Thanks for the heads-up. We’ll be back soon.”
“Good luck. Right, now where was I before I was rudely interrupted?” Pauline asked her second-in-command, dismissing them.
“Come back, Simon, all is forgiven, right?” Lorne whispered as they walked away.
Sally chuckled, but discreetly, in case Pauline thought they were saying anything derogatory about her as they were leaving. “She’s an unknown quantity at the moment, isn’t she? One day I think we’re getting on great together and then she either says or does something that flips that idea on its head.”
“I suppose we still need to give her time to settle in. What is she, thirtyish?”
“I don’t know her well enough to acquire any personal details, yet.”
“She’ll come around to our way of thinking, sooner or later.”
“I hope so. Our job is challenging enough as it is without the need for us to show up at a crime scene, only to walk around on eggshells.”
Lorne sighed. “I’ll give you that one. Maybe we should drag her out for a night out, that might help her get to know us a bit better.”
“Good idea. The next barbecue we have, her name will be at the top of the list.”
“I’ll remind you.”
“Thanks.” Sally glanced ahead of her at the way the farmer was holding his head. “This was a tough find for him. I think we’re going to need to tread carefully with this one. Can you take down any necessary notes?”
“Don’t worry, it’s all sorted. He does seem a bit down. I suppose I would feel the same if I’d dug up a body on my land.”
“God, can you imagine? We’ve both got huge gardens… no, I refuse to go there. Let’s focus on the task in hand for now.”
“Yeah, let’s not go down that route. If I mentioned this conversation to Tony, he’d be expecting me to hire some of that thermal imaging equipment to go over every blade of grass we own.”
“He wouldn’t! He’s not that anal, is he?”
“Trust me, he would.”
“Don’t make me laugh, I’m trying hard to keep a straight face here.” Sally coughed to clear her throat.
They were a couple of feet from the tractor when the farmer finally saw them approaching his vehicle.
He offered up a weak smile and a brief wave and climbed down from the tractor’s cab. “Hello, I’ve been expecting you. I’m Eric Chalmers. Is this going to take long? I’m a bit shaken up, you see, and I’m eager to get back to the farmhouse for a much-needed cuppa with an added shot of the hard stuff to calm my nerves.”
“We can relocate to the farmhouse if you’d rather do that? Whatever suits you, however, we’d need to interview you a bit later rather than waste another suit.” Sally pointed at the paper ensemble she was wearing.
He nodded. “I get you, here’s fine. My needs don’t matter in the grand scheme of things, do they?”
“Of course they do. It must have been a shock for you to discover the body.”
“That’s a gross understatement. I’m just thankful I had a pacemaker fitted last year because I don’t think I’d be here otherwise, the shape my old ticker was in before the op.”
“Sorry to hear that. Do you feel up to speaking with us now?”
“Yes, I think the sooner the better.”
“My partner here will be taking notes throughout, if that’s okay with you?”
“Do what you need to do. I fear I’m not going to be able to tell you much.”
“There’s no pressure from us, take your time.” He nodded and Sally continued, “what time did you discover the body?”
“I left the farmhouse just as the sun was rising.”
“Sorry, I’m not generally up before six-thirty.”
“I got washed and dressed at four-forty-five.”
“Did you come down here right away?”
“After shoving a piece of toast and a cup of tea down my throat. I like to set myself up properly for the day. None of this nipping home after an hour’s work for a cooked breakfast like in my father’s day.”
“Have you owned the property long?”
“Around four years. Although my family have been farming in Norfolk for decades. Buying this farm, which is twice the size of the one my father ran in his day, was supposed to bring us in more money. Ha, that’s a bloody laugh.”
Sally frowned. “I’m assuming the opposite is true. I would have thought that was a given if it was twice the size of your previous one.”
He puffed out his cheeks and shook his head. “Gone are the days you see farmers driving around in brand-new Range Rovers. Nowadays we have to contend with climate change and all that it brings to the party. Droughts, floods, you name it, it’s a constant battle, I can tell you. Tougher than any time I’ve ever known through the decades. My father says he’s never seen the like of it, and he’s been farming for over sixty years, and his father did the same before him. Our hands are tied when the damned weather is out of our control. Yes, we can change what crops we grow to combat the hotter weather they predict for the summer months, but it’s getting that crop to start growing that’s the problem. Still, that’s none of your concern, sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologise. I just don’t know what to say in response. I know a lot of us are complaining about the prices at the checkouts right now, but it’s this side of things that the general public aren’t fully aware of, and we should be.”
“Precisely. Which is why the government need to be doing more to help us. But again, that’s another issue and doesn’t really cover why you’re here today. I can tell you, when I first found the body, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. If I hadn’t jumped down from my tractor to ensure the channel was deep enough, I would be none the wiser and probably would have scattered the bones within another couple of digs.”
“So it was a test patch, is that what you’re telling us?”
“Exactly.” He ran a hand through his longish hair that was greying at the temples. “Such a shock. An unbelievable shock that knocked the wind out of my sails. Never in my wildest dreams have I ever encountered something as… horrendous, I suppose you’d say. I’ve never seen a skeleton before, not a real one. I can remember we had a plastic one in the science lab at school, but this is nothing in comparison. All I keep thinking about is this person’s family and how the hell he or she came to be buried here.”
