Free The Murder Bag by Tony Parsons Page A

single wound to the neck caused a massive haemorrhage. Death would have been quick, quiet and messy. An initial spray, perhaps several, as the artery was cut and then massive bleeding. As you noted, DCI Mallory, the trachea was severed, so screaming was a physical impossibility – there was nothing left to scream with. But it wasn’t just the trachea that was cut. The carotid artery was also severed along with the internal jugular vein. Death would have been almost immediate, but neither man had the chance to bleed to death. They suffocated before they had the chance to bleed out.’
    Elsa spoke the effortlessly perfect English of the Scandinavian abroad. She was fortyish, Norwegian, tall and slim and dark, one of those black-haired, blue-eyed Norwegians who defied the Nordic stereotype. Mallory had told me that she was his favourite pathologist because she talked about the dead as if they had once been among the living. He said they did not all do that.
    ‘We don’t have a weapon,’ Mallory said. ‘We don’t even have an idea of a weapon. What kind of blade can cut a throat like that, Elsa?’
    ‘The mechanism would need to be long and thin and razor-sharp,’ Elsa answered. She peered at the gaping black letterbox in Hugo Buck’s neck which extended from ear to ear. ‘The assailant was standing behind the victim, as we can see from the classic long sweep of the wound. The mechanism would be something like a short double-edged sword, a long scalpel, something similar. Something with a sharp stabbing point and good cutting edges. These are remarkably clean cuts. A torn artery tends to contract and stem the bleeding. But a cleanly cut artery starts bleeding and it doesn’t stop.’ And then, almost as an afterthought, she said, ‘Manner of death was murder.’
    ‘Time of death?’ Whitestone said.
    ‘Hugo Buck had an algor mortis or temperature of death of ninety-seven degrees Fahrenheit,’ Elsa said. ‘Not far below normal body temperature of 98.6. Adam Jones was ninety-five degrees. But Mr Jones died on the street and Mr Buck died in a climate-controlled office.’
    ‘And bodies lose temperature more quickly in the open air,’ Whitestone said, looking at Gane.
    ‘Adam Jones was found just after seven p.m.,’ Elsa said. ‘I would estimate the time of death was between five and seven p.m. Hugo Buck was found at six a.m. and I would estimate time of death between four a.m. and six.’
    Mallory smiled. ‘Two-hour windows, Elsa? Not taking many chances, are you?’ He looked at his detectives. ‘I think we just missed them – both of them. I think they both died just before we got there.’
    The pathologist raised her hands – the perfect hostess trying to avoid an unpleasant scene. ‘Time of death is only ever a best guess,’ she said. ‘You know that as well as I do.’
    ‘We have to cut Elsa some slack,’ Mallory said, still smiling. ‘Time of death can eliminate subjects or damn them. So time of death is where our forensic colleagues are at their most cagey, and least willing to speculate.’
    ‘And where the investigating detectives are most desperate for accuracy,’ Elsa added.
    ‘Defensive wounds?’ Gane said. ‘I can’t see anything obvious.’
    ‘Nothing,’ the pathologist said. ‘Neither of them had the will or the chance to put up a fight. There are no defensive wounds on the hands, arms, wrists, legs or feet.’ She peered at the body of Adam Jones. ‘Although on the body of Mr Jones I did discover some old cuts, bruises and abrasions from minor, earlier incidents.’
    ‘Life on the streets,’ I said. ‘Takes its toll. No sign of recent substance abuse? He wasn’t using at the time of death?’
    Elsa shook her head. ‘Surprisingly not.’ There was a note of pity in her voice. ‘Mr Jones was drug free. He was trying to change his ways, despite what you can see.’
    What we could see were the exhausted veins on the man’s arms – track marks, the miniature railway lines