‘So, what do we do now?’ Adrian said.

‘We keep trying to connect these things together. It just can’t be a coincidence. Maybe if we interview that genetics professor when she gets back we can get ahead of this thing. Are we looking for two killers, one methodical and one inexperienced? Are they a team? Or just someone who is all over the place?’ Imogen said.

‘I think we are looking at maybe a team or a copycat, God knows. Maybe it’s one person with an MO we haven’t figured out yet. I’m so fucking confused,’ Adrian said.

‘You can say that again. All we do know is that this all centres around the university.’

‘What do you need me to do?’ Gary asked.

‘Gary, you are always ten steps ahead of everyone, just do what you do.’ Imogen smiled; aside from Adrian, Gary was the only person she could absolutely rely on.

She was grateful that things between her and Adrian had resumed their normal level of discomfort. Adrian had managed to file the kiss between them as irrelevant; he barely even flinched when he saw her, and she had been expecting some extreme awkwardness. The last thing she needed was for this to become a problem. She was still adjusting to being alone, still adjusting to losing her mother. She really didn’t need any other complications.

Chapter Seventeen

The pathologist stood by the body of Owen Sager; it had completely broken down already and Adrian couldn’t see how they would be able to get any useful information from this. Bits of him were in bowls and the smell was incredible. Three months might have been the worst time to exhume a body, it certainly smelled like it. Adrian resisted the urge to throw up, but he decided when he was done here he would phone up and cancel dinner with his family.

‘The body of Owen Sager,’ the pathologist said. ‘On further examination, it seems unlikely this was a suicide.’

‘What makes you say that?’ Adrian asked.

‘In suicidal hanging there is scarcely ever any internal evidence of neck injury at all. Suicidal hanging is usually pretty gentle as the person is compliant with their own death. Apparently, it’s painless and can practically be done lying down,’ the pathologist explained.

‘But that’s not the case with Owen Sager?’ Imogen said, her voice cracking a little as she tried not to inhale any more than necessary. At least Adrian wasn’t the only one struggling in here.

‘His hyoid and his mandible were fractured. This suggests someone else was involved. The hyoid is well protected in the neck. It takes an amount of force to break it.’

‘Was there an autopsy of this kid before?’ Adrian said.

‘No. The investigators at the time were confident it was suicide.’

‘His mother didn’t seem to think he was suicidal,’ Imogen said.

‘There is some clear evidence of historical abuse and self-harm on his body. It’s also quite well documented in his medical files. He had spoken to his GP about depression only a week before. It’s entirely possible they looked at that and decided the kid just wanted a way out, didn’t want to put the mother through any more trauma.’