Free Down Among the Dead Men by Ed Chatterton

preliminary statements from the neighbours but so far nothing out of the ordinary reported. There's a teenage son too: Nicky, missing. DC Caddick is trying hard to track him down.'
    At this stage, with no details made public, Caddick's doing this as discreetly as possible. Frank's sure that'll change unless they get hold of the boy soon. The last thing they need is for Nicky to find out about this horror from some source other than the police. Frank doesn't want to think right now about the son being a victim or, perhaps worse, involved in the slaughter.
    'No other children, thank God,' Cooper continues. 'Ferguson's looking at the body in the garage now.' She's all business but the pallor of her skin betrays her. Keane knows how she feels.
    'I hate murder-suicides too, Theresa. Did I miss the memo? Married life a bit sticky? Kill the missus and top yourself. Fuck me.'
    Cooper smiles weakly. Well, I tried, thinks Frank.
    'Anything else?' he says.
    'There are ashes in the fireplace in the living room. It's one of those log burner things. Not gas. The ashes look fresh. I took samples and sent them in with one of the techs.'
    'Interesting. Not really log fire weather, is it?'
    Cooper shakes her head. 'I'd say it was clothing in there.'
    Frank nods. 'Probably.' He frowns. 'Maybe the dentist burnt his clothes for some reason.'
    'I think they're in the garage,' says Cooper. 'There are someclothes there, anyway. I haven't had time to check the sizes yet but I think they'll be his.'
    'Any blood on the clothes in the garage?' says Harris.
    'None that I can see. Maybe traces once we look harder.'
    Frank frowns. The clothing in the log burner – if the ashes turn out to be cloth remnants – is a puzzler. With the working hypothesis of murder-suicide it would make sense for there to be blood on the dead man's clothes. If he committed the crime, why burn any clothing if you are going to kill yourself anyway? Add the disappearance of the teenager, and the murder-suicide theory is already fragmenting.
    Frank turns back to the bedroom. Stick to the job in hand.
    'Ferguson's already been in here, right?'
    'Yes, sir.'
    'OK, well, once he's finished in the garage make sure the miserable Scottish bastard has a word before creeping back to Castle Dracula, right?' Cooper nods. Ferguson is one of the county pathologists. Despite his undoubted expertise, he and Keane have differing opinions, mainly concerning which brand of red team they follow, Ferguson being – despite his birthplace, or maybe because of it – a Manc at heart.
    Misery findeth misery, reflects Frank.
    'Who called this in?' he says, a little sharply, his mind having briefly strayed to bleak thoughts of Old Trafford.
    'The dentist's brother. Only lives round the corner.' Cooper checks her clipboard. 'Terry Peters. Eight-forty. Came round and got no reply. Seems that the family was supposed to be home. The brother got worried and let himself in. He's back home with a uniform. I'm off there soon to get a full statement.'
    'Neighbours?'
    'No one in on the left.' Cooper inclines her head one way. 'The other side is a doctor. Chief Merseyside cardiologist, no less. I got a short statement but no one there seems to have anything very useful just yet. Heard nothing, saw nothing. A few vague ideas about car movements but so far couldn't say which house they came from.'
    Cooper's mention of the high-ranking medic reminds Keane of the Birkdale demographic they're dealing with. Step lightly, dickhead. Doesn't the CC live somewhere round here?
    'He came upstairs? The brother?'
    'Must have done. Why, sir?'
    Frank shakes his head. 'No reason. Just seems a bit funny. Would you go snooping around uninvited in your brother's house?'
    'I haven't got a brother,' says Cooper. 'But I know what you mean.'
    'And check about a dog,' says Frank. 'If you haven't already. This house looks like it'd have a dog.' He's thinking about the walled garden outside. From what he could see it was well tended but the