Dead End Read Online Free PDF Page B

Geraldine said. ‘It can't have been easy, can it?’ Now that the victim's face had been cleaned, the stump of the victim's tongue was clearly visible. ‘That cut really must have been tricky,’ she repeated. ‘I wouldn't have thought many people could have done that, not without taking their time. And I don't suppose the killer wanted to hang about.’
    ‘This was carefully planned,’ Paul agreed.
    ‘By someone intelligent,’ Peterson added.
    ‘I hope not for your sake,’ Paul replied.
    ‘Why?’
    ‘Because if this was a highly intelligent killer, he – or she – is unlikely to make any mistakes and is going to be more difficult to find.’ There was a pause. ‘What about the witness who found the body? Did he see anything?’
    ‘We haven't interviewed him yet. The constable at the scene took a brief statement but the witness was in shock and he had his young son with him. We're going to speak to him later on and get a full statement. Have you got anything else for us? Any defence injuries?’
    The pathologist shook his head. ‘She was wearing gloves which have been sent off for examination, but I can't find any evidence of a struggle.’
    ‘Where was she going?’ Geraldine was talking to herself. ‘Was she meeting someone she knew? Was she being followed? Or was her attacker a complete stranger?’
    ‘In which case we could be looking at someone who kills for the sake of killing,’ the sergeant added.
    ‘A psychopath?’ Paul Hilliard asked. ‘Someone who's mentally disturbed?’
    ‘Well whoever it was, they were certainly disturbed, even as the average murderer goes,’ the sergeant replied. ‘Not that any murderer is exactly sane, but most of them don't remove their victims’ tongues while they're killing them.’
    The pathologist gave a faint smile.
    ‘We need to keep an open mind,’ Geraldine said, returning Paul Hilliard's smile.
    ‘Yes, we need to keep an open mind,’ the pathologist agreed.
    ‘So, anything else you can tell us?’
    ‘She was about forty years old.’
    ‘Forty-eight,’ Peterson corrected him.
    ‘Can you be precise about exactly how long was she dead before she was found?’ Geraldine asked, turning back to the body.
    ‘She was found at ten-thirty yesterday morning. I attended the scene at eleven-thirty and reported death had occurred some time on Saturday afternoon. It's difficult to be absolutely accurate as she was lying out in the rain overnight. When I carried out a preliminary examination I estimated she'd been dead for around nineteen to twenty-two hours, and you have to remember that's only an estimate.’
    ‘She died between one pm and four pm on Saturday then,’ Peterson said.
    ‘Most likely, but there's no absolute certainty. Any number of factors can increase or delay the process of deterioration in a corpse, especially one that's left out in the open.’
    ‘Do you think she was killed in the wood where she was found?’ Geraldine asked.
    ‘No. There was mud and leaves in her hair, all consistent with her lying on the ground but there's no sign of any disturbance there.’
    ‘Well if that's all –’
    ‘For now. You'll have my full report this afternoon.’
    The sergeant couldn't leave the room quickly enough. Geraldine sympathised with his aversion for dead bodies, but she was fascinated by autopsies. As long as she could detach herself from the subjects as previously living people, they intrigued her. She thought Paul Hilliard must feel the same, and wondered what else she had in common with the slim blue-eyed doctor.
    When Paul removed his gloves, Geraldine noticed he wasn't wearing a wedding ring. She glanced up from Abigail Kirby and saw he was watching her.
    ‘I don't remember seeing you here before,’ she ventured.
    ‘I moved to the area quite recently. Have you lived here long?’ Paul responded with a smile. She registered his friendly response to her tentative overture.
    ‘I bought a flat near here recently. Just at the height of