Steph frowns, and they return him face up, stepping back and snapping their gloves off again. ‘That one I wasn’t sure about. I assumed it was where he was leaning against the door.’

‘But?’ Robin stops. This is it; this is the sign he’s been looking for. ‘What if he was killed elsewhere?’ he says, quietly.

‘But you have the CCTV…’

‘But what if?’ Robin says. He feels a swell of excitement growing in his chest. ‘How would you interpret your findings then?’

‘I’d say the hypostasis was more consistent with a body which lay on its back after death…’ Steph’s thinking out loud. ‘And…’

‘What?’

‘The time of death. It doesn’t make sense.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘The PC that found him reported his body being cold and floppy. But if Jonathan Miller died the night before, as you’re assuming, then he would have retained some rigor mortis. The body would still be stiff, even a little bit, until about thirty-six hours after.’

‘Can’t you run tests now?’ Robin pauses in the doorway. ‘This could be really important, Steph.’

‘It’s too late. The further away from time of death, the less accurate it all becomes. If we’d acted sooner it would have been possible, but not now. He’s been dead for four days, and refrigerated for a lot of that time. There’s no way I can tell for certain.’ She sees Robin’s determined expression and rolls her eyes in resignation. ‘Fine. I’ll have another look. But the cause of death is still the same, Rob. He asphyxiated. No doubt about it.’

‘Just…’ Robin’s already backing away from her, starting to walk fast down the corridor. ‘Don’t file that report just yet.’

‘I’m being pressured by the coroner,’ Steph calls. ‘What am I supposed to say?’

Robin turns back. ‘Recommend an open verdict for the moment.’ Steph shakes her head, disbelieving. ‘Please?’

‘Fine,’ she shouts after him, but Robin’s already running.

Back to the police station. Back to review the evidence.

17

‘Butler, have you nothing better to do?’

Robin waits in front of his DCI, the file clutched in his sweaty hand. Freya’s sitting next to him, up to speed on what Robin and Steph discussed in the mortuary.

‘Guv, there’s just too much about this that doesn’t add up,’ Robin begins.

DCI Neal Baker stares at him across the desk. ‘You have a crime scene with no signs of foul play. Eyewitnesses saw the dead man up until he entered the hotel, something you also have captured on CCTV.’ He rubs his salt-and-pepper goatee in exasperation. ‘Data from multiple sources back this up, plus one of our own PCs saw the guy in a fish and chip shop. When exactly do you think he was murdered?’