Free The Killing Season by Mark Pearson Page A

another look.
    ‘Get away from the scene, Delaney!’ barked a familiar voice.
    I stood up and looked at the superintendent. She had arrived in her usual good temper, I noted.
    ‘I asked him to take a look, ma’am,’ said Sergeant Coker.
    ‘And why the bloody hell would you do such a stupid thing?’
    ‘Because he’s a homicide detective. He has experience of these things, which we don’t. And until the team from Norwich gets here I thought it might help to have all hands on deck.’
    ‘That’s my decision to make, sergeant.’
    ‘When
are
the forensic surgeon and his team going to get here, ma’am?’ he asked pointedly.
    She looked annoyed at the question and didn’t bother to hide it. ‘They’re not, sergeant. Not until tomorrow, anyway, and maybe not even then. There has been a major incident in the city. A fire set deliberately by the looks of it. Possibly a multiple murder and our one accidental death doesn’t take priority.’
    ‘If it was accidental,’ I said.
    ‘A cliff fell on him, Delaney. That’s pretty hard to arrange deliberately.’
    ‘I might be able to help,’ I replied.
    ‘I’ve already told you. We don’t need or want your help.’
    ‘It wasn’t me I was thinking of.’
    ‘What did you mean, then?’ asked the sergeant, seemingly oblivious to the basilisk-like stare his boss was giving him.
    ‘Doctor Walker, my fiancée, is a fully qualified and registered forensic pathologist. She can liaise with Norwich and help with a preliminary assessment so we know what we are dealing with here.’
    I could see the superintendent chewing it over in her mind. She sure as hell didn’t want to lose face by accepting any help from me, but it was a fair offer and she knew that she would be foolish to turn it down.
    ‘The main thing we need to do is to get the site preserved. We need scene-of-crime tents securing the area – and quick – before the weather sets in again.’
    The super looked at the size of the cliff fall and sighed. ‘We haven’t got anything big enough. How soon can your wife clear authority with Norwich and get out here? We need to get this body moved as soon as possible.’
    I looked at the storm getting ever closer and shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. But I do know a man who used to have a marquee-hire business, with tents big enough for weddings and very large events. I am sure he can get a team down here soonest.’
    ‘Get on it, then!’ she ordered.
    ‘Oh no, my pleasure,’ I replied sardonically and pulled out my phone. ‘You’re very welcome, superintendent. George, it’s Jack Delaney,’ I said as the phone was answered. ‘I need a favour.’

16
     
    ABOUT TWO HOURS later the storm finally made landfall at Sheringham, smiting the coastline like Thor’s legendary hammer.
    Fortunately George Bishop, the landlord at The Lobster public house, had come through and erected a marquee over the area where the dead body was situated, surrounded by broken-up chunks of chalk, as well as rock, shingle and sand. George had had the forethought to bring extra strong long steel pegs to be hammered into the shore. Happily the tide was a neap one and not a spring tide so it didn’t come as high on this part of the beach and reach the cliff edges as it did closer into town. But I wasn’t entirely sure how long the marquee would stay up in the battering wind. Not very long, though: the spikes might have been sturdy but a rock and pebble beach is not the best place to try and anchor something. The rain was falling in sheets and the noise under the big tent’s canvas was close to tropical monsoon level.
    Bright floodlights had been erected and a freelance SOCO team had been brought in to process the removal of the body. Most people assume that SOCO are all serving police officers but in reality there are a number of private firms that are called in sometimes to consult with the police. As the Norwich teams were already deployed on other business the superintendent had hired a