BooksBarbecue
Back Under a Dark Cloud
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. Part 1
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. Part 2
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. Part 3
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgements
  74. Next in Series
  75. Canelo Crime
  76. About the Author
  77. Also by Louisa Scarr

‘Butler?’ Grey appears at the door. ‘DI Craig’s been on the phone. We need to be getting back.’

Robin points to the bottles. ‘Fetch some evidence bags,’ he says, Baker’s instructions forgotten. This is too important. ‘Get these labelled up to take away.’

Grey looks annoyed, but nods.

‘And then,’ Robin says to himself, ‘we’re going back to his flat.’

16

The mood is sombre the moment they step into the mortuary. Freya was waiting for the homeless shelters to get back to her, and Mina had reached her limit with the CCTV, so when the call came in, Josh sent them down there. He had an ulterior motive: it was just after lunch, and nobody wants to view a post-mortem on a full stomach.

Dr Steph Harper greets them with a wave as they arrive. She is already head-to-toe in protective gear, dictating notes to her assistant as she makes her way round the body on the table. Freya feels cheered at seeing Steph again – her straightforward and logical thinking is always a welcome balm, especially with Freya’s now-scrambled brain.

Freya and Mina stand at a distance as she starts her post-mortem. The body is skinny, hip bones protruding, arms with little fat or muscle. Freya looks up to his head to distract from where Dr Harper is starting to make the Y-incision, running the scalpel down the length of the chest, opening up the ribcage with a loud whine of the saw.

The man has long matted hair and a full unkempt beard. It’s clear he wasn’t looking after himself.

Steph turns to them both, scalpel in hand, body open on the table. ‘You guys ready?’ she asks, and they nod. ‘Let’s crack on.’

Hours later, Steph concludes her autopsy and leaves her assistant to finish up. She pulls off her protective glasses and scrubs, then gestures to Freya and Mina to follow her out.

Steph’s tiny cupboard of an office is clean and tidy, with neat files of paperwork lined up on the desk. A small fridge sits on one side with a kettle on top, and she flicks it on.

‘So, show me some photos of those babies of yours!’ Steph smiles as she sits down, and they lean over Mina’s phone for a minute, as she and Steph go through the snapshots, cooing over the chubby dark-haired baby and Mina’s older toddler. It makes Freya think about Olivia Cross again. That bump, and who the father might be.

‘Anyway,’ Steph sighs, back to business. ‘I’m not sure how much of that you understood, but essentially we’re looking at a malnourished male, in poor health. Your victim had infected sores on many parts of his body, obviously been there for a while. Little chance of healing without proper medical attention. Plus, a nasty infestation of lice.’

Freya scratches involuntarily. ‘Homeless?’ she asks.