The Unburied Dead Read Online Free PDF

fiancée all those photographs of him naked which'll probably start turning up in the post. We polis are an unforgiving lot.
    Mind on the job.
    'I understand you knew Miss Keller.'
    Wonder who's been dispatched to inform the parents. Hope it's not Bloonsbury himself. Feel sorry for them. Jonah breathing all over them, telling them their daughter's face has been shredded.
    She looks at me, another noisy slurp.
    'Well, aye. Not that well, but. Used to get the same bus from town sometimes.'
    'And when was the last time?'
    'Last night, you know. She seemed happy enough. Well you know, not great, but then, why should any cunt be that happy? It's a shit life, in't it? Now she's dead. Can't believe it, so I can't.'
    'Where d'you get the bus from?'
    'Buchanan Street. I work in a jewellers in the arcade, and she works in Frasers, something like that. Part time, I think. Saw her about town sometimes, but we weren't that friendly. You know.'
    That's good. The automatic distancing. Doesn't want to associate too closely with the victim. A little bit of dishonesty never did anyone any harm, and it means she's less likely to go to pieces on me.
    'And did you go out much in the evenings or weekends?'
    'Do I go out much? What do you think I am? Some sad bastard with no mates?'
    'No, not you. Did you go out with Miss Keller?'
    'Oh.' Dozy bitch. Pay attention. 'Naw, naw, not much. Every now and again, you know, but not often.'
    'When was the last time?'
    'A couple of weekends ago. I can't remember.'
    Nod the head, look serious. Pretend to think.
    'Did she say anything on the bus yesterday about what she was going to do last night?'
    She looks at me, nodding. Face like a kid who wants to tell the teacher who it was who threw the piece of chalk.
    'Aye, that's the thing. She says she was going to the pictures, you know, that wee one along the road. The one that shows all that foreign shite. I was having a right go at her, so I was.'
    'Did she say with whom was she going?'
    I always end up throwing whom into a sentence when I'm speaking to one of these people.
    'Aye. Some bloke.'
    'Any idea who it might have been?'
    She shrugs. Difficult to know if she's telling us everything.
    'Not sure really, you know. Some guy she's seen a few times. Think he's from around here somewhere, you know Cam'slang, but I'm not sure.'
    'Had you ever seen him?'
    Big shake of the head. Drawing back before she gets too close.
    'Naw, naw. I was always joking with her about getting a look at the guy, you know, but I hadn't seen him. Says he was good looking, but you never know, do you? I used to think my Malky was good looking, but look at the bastard now.'
    I look around to see if there's a photo of Malky. She slurps her tea, then her eyes light up and she looks at the TV. Follow her gaze. It's some sad looking guy I've never seen before, and you can tell she's itching to turn the sound up. Time to leave her to it.
    'Well, thanks very much, Mrs Sprott. We'll need you to come to the station later to make a statement.'
    'Why? What have I done?'
    'You haven't done anything. It's just procedure.' I love that innate trust of the polis. Course, she's right.
    'Oh.' Looks back at the TV. Time to go.
    I nod at Edwards, he opens the door and out we go, back into the cold of early morning. As we close the door behind us the TV is turned back up, and Mrs Sprott goes about the business of forgetting everything she knows about Ann Keller.
    We stand outside the house and take a look up the street. At least twenty officers milling around doing the thing. Most of them will come up empty, but every now and again you get something like I just did. Put it all together, and you never know. There's a long way to go, and most of it'll be pretty boring. I start to trudge off, head down, wishing for once that I had a cup of tea, rather than a vodka and tonic.
    'Why didn't you ask about Malky?' says Edwards, one pace behind.
    I stop and look at him, shaking the head.
    'Get me a cup of tea, will you