A Deviant Breed Read Online Free PDF Page B

it?’ she asked.
    Dunbar ignored her, his gaze seemed fixed upon one of her students conducting a geophysics survey a hundred yards away. ‘And that?’
    ‘Magnetometer, another essential piece of field archaeology kit.’
    ‘Along with the people who operate it.’
    ‘Of course, Zoe’s very keen on the geo-phys side of our work.’ As Geary spoke Zoe stopped and turned to face them as if she had heard them but could not possibly have done so.  ‘Cue another Sebastian rant.’
    Dunbar eyed the professor quizzically.
    ‘Seb thinks we’re trying to cover too much ground in too little time.’
    At that moment Zoe did a double take and fixed on Dunbar.  He smiled, only for her to complete her about-turn and march off in the opposite direction.  He turned around to see Professor Geary’s face still furrowed with concern.  Why was the cause of his limp of such concern? 
    ‘RTA – some months ago,’ he offered, tapping the side of his right leg gently with his stick, hoping that would suffice.
    ‘Road Traffic Accident,’ Tyler added helpfully, seeing her puzzled look and sensing Dunbar held no desire to discuss it.  She was right. 
    ‘Oh dear, what happened?’
    Dunbar scowled and looked back at her blankly then glanced at Briony Tyler who merely raised an eyebrow.  Recalling Terry Watt’s cautionary words after the post briefing exchange he sighed.
    ‘I cannae remember.’
    Tyler eyed Geary knowingly whilst she remained fixed on Dunbar. 
    Dunbar cleared his throat. ‘I was driving back from Aberdeen and crashed my – actually it was my wife’s car – tschh!   She loved that car.’
    ‘But was relieved that you –’
    ‘Of course,’ he cut in, however, writing off her Mercedes SLK took some getting over.  Elspeth plunged into a mini-depression for weeks afterwards; a detail he was not about to share with his two companions. ‘Anyway, it left the road but I have no memory of how or why.  One minute I was driving along the A9 – the next week I wake up in ICU.’
    ‘Oh dear – sounds like you were very lucky but – how frustrating.’
    ‘Yeah.’  He eyed the mud caked, long wheel based Land Rover, ‘and now I’m wishing I’d invested in a four-by-four instead of a Beemer.’
    ‘Seb, have you a minute?’ Geary called out over her shoulder. A moment later her colleague stepped out from behind his cavernous finds tent and into the daylight.  Dr Vasquez looked the stereotypical field archaeologist from his busy gilet, to his grubby cargo pants worn through at the knees and horn-rimmed spectacles on a cord that was lost underneath his bushy beard and long hair. Vasquez shielded his eyes and scanned the site.
    ‘What is she doing way over there?’ Vasquez asked, and Geary rolled her eyes. ‘Zoe! That will do – I need that data,’ he shouted.  Zoe stopped in her tracks and wheeled about.
    ‘This is Chief Inspector Dunbar and Inspector Tyler, Seb, they are tasked with trying to solve the mystery of our rogue skull.’
    ‘Good luck with that,’ Vasquez responded curtly, as his eyes, drawn to what Zoe was doing, narrowed quizzically.
      ‘Dr Sebastian Vasquez,’ Geary announced. ‘Who, for some inexplicable reason, deserted us during the long vac for Edinburgh University’s campus,’ Professor Geary continued with a grin as the two cops turned to face him.
    ‘It’s called ambition, Shelagh, and better then, than mid-term I’d have thought.’ Vasquez turned to face the detectives.  ‘How do you do,’ he said, as he accepted Dunbar’s hand only to see the corner of the detective’s mouth curl into a smile that he clearly could not control. ‘Something amusing you, Chief Inspector?’
    ‘Sorry, it’s just,’ he smirked, ‘Shelagh and Sebastian, it sounds like a folk combo.’
    ‘We are – sort of – well, members of a ceilidh band at least.’ Professor Geary interjected. ‘Seb’s the percussionist and I – the caller.’
    ‘Cool,’ Dunbar offered insincerely