Will to Live Read online

  ‘So you’ll be able to identify him?’

  ‘Eventually. The forensic odontologist has been – you just missed her. She’s taken X-rays and made some plaster of Paris impressions of the jaw as well as a physical count of teeth placement. We’ll speak to Missing Persons and local dentists. No two people have the same odontology profile, so hopefully we’ll hear something within the week. At the moment, all I can tell you is that he was aged between thirty-five and fifty years old.’

  ‘Anything else?’

  ‘As you can imagine, there wasn’t much left of his torso. It took the full brunt of the impact. We’ve taken swabs from under what’s left of his fingernails. His left hand was no good to us at all, but we have three fingers of his right hand to work with. There’s a slight indentation on the middle finger, perhaps from a signet ring or something, but unless Harriet’s team find the ring, that’s about it. We’ve taken fingerprints where we can, but unfortunately there’s not enough left for a full set.’

  ‘We’ll run what you’ve got through the database, see if we can figure out who he is that way. If he hasn’t been in trouble before though, it won’t help us.’

  Kay resisted the temptation to inhale. She had learnt from experience that the taste from a shocked intake of breath would haunt her for the rest of the afternoon, the stench within the morgue was so acute. Instead, she gestured to the mangled remains set out on the examination table. “What else can you tell us about him?”

  Lucas’s lips thinned. ‘Not much, I’m afraid,’ he said. ‘Unless, or until, we get some results back on those jaw X-rays and impressions, or you receive a call from a relative wondering where he is, he’s going to remain a mystery. We’ll continue here for another hour or so, but I don’t think we’ll find anything else.’

  ‘Thanks, Lucas.’

  Kay led the way out of the room and headed for the door to the ladies’ locker room. ‘I’ll meet you out here once you’ve had a chance to get changed,’ she said, over her shoulder to Gavin.

  She pulled her bag from the secure cabinet, removed the paper coveralls provided by the morgue team, and shoved them into the biohazard bin next to the door before wrenching it open.

  Gavin paced the corridor outside, his face pale.

  ‘Okay, let’s go.’

  Gavin burst through the door, held it open for Kay, and then shoved his hands in his pockets and tipped his head to the sky, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  ‘Okay?’

  ‘Yeah. Give me a minute.’

  ‘Don’t be embarrassed. I nearly puked the first time, and that was even though I saw dead bodies while I was still in uniform.’

  He opened his eyes. ‘I still might.’

  She grinned, reached into her bag, and pulled out a packet of mints. ‘Here. Have one of these.’

  He took them from her, ripped out a mint, and handed it back. ‘Do they help?’

  ‘No, but it’ll give you something to do while I drive.’

  He followed her to the car. ‘It’s okay for you. You didn’t bat an eyelid in there.’

  Kay shrugged as she unlocked it and climbed in. ‘It doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect me. But over time, you learn to focus on what you’re finding out while you’re there, and how it can help you solve the case. That helps to get you through the experience, because you never know when you might be listening to someone over the next few days, or reading something about the victim’s background that will link to something you’ve seen or heard during the post mortem. A pathologist’s report can only tell you so much. That’s why it’s important we attend. We get the chance to ask Lucas questions straight away, and between us we might find something that would otherwise have been overlooked. It’s a team effort.’

  ‘Does it get any better?’

  ‘Easier, you mean? No. Not really. But you’ll find your own way of working through it.’

  He swallowed the last of the mint and his eyes hardened. ‘What sort of bastard would do that to someone?’

  Kay turned the key in the ignition. ‘Let’s find out.’

  Six

  By the time Kay returned to the incident room, the team had received a series of computerised files containing all recorded instances of suicides on railway tracks in the area.

  ‘We’ll start with the last five years,’ said Sharp, pacing his office as he waited for the files to be uploaded onto the database for the investigation. ‘We still have no identification for our victim, but at least Lucas has got a rough estimate of age for us. It’s not much to start with, but separate out the records and put anyone who matches those criteria to one side. Those are the ones we’ll concentrate on to start with.’

  Kay twisted in her seat as he stalked behind her once more. ‘Guv? Could you sit down? I’m getting a crick in my neck trying to keep up with you.’

  He sighed and sank into his chair. ‘Better?’

  ‘Yes, thanks. I was going to suggest that once we have those particular cases split up, we divide them into identified victims and ones like ours – the unknowns. Then try to establish if anyone on the missing persons database is a match.’

  ‘Get Debbie and one of the admin team members on to that as soon as possible. Once they’ve identified the ones that have names then you, Barnes, and Carys can start contacting the families.’

  ‘I’d like to get Gavin involved, too, guv.’

  ‘His detective exams are coming up, so make sure he doesn’t get too distracted.’ His gaze drifted through the partition windows to the incident room where the young police officer sat. ‘I have a feeling he’s got a promising career ahead of him. He certainly doesn’t mind putting in the effort.’

  ‘I think there’s a bit of rivalry going on between him and Carys.’ Kay smiled. ‘That should make things interesting.’

  ‘True. Make sure it doesn’t get in the way of this investigation, though.’

  ‘Will do.’

  ‘All right. Let’s get the briefing underway.’

  He led the way out to the incident room, and Kay plucked a spare seat out from under a desk.

  ‘Right,’ said Sharp. ‘Barnes – give us an update on your trip over to see Harriet.’

  Barnes gestured to Carys, who cleared her throat before speaking.

  ‘Harriet confirms the victim’s clothing contained no personal effects. No wallet, no watch – and no suicide note. The first responders had marked out a clear path, and no one was permitted to leave the train until the line was secure. The passengers were kept on the train for an additional twenty minutes so screens could be erected and the crime scene established at the front of the train. We can be sure that most of this was undisturbed prior to CSI arriving.’

  ‘Any signs of vehicle tracks or footprints?’

  ‘The undergrowth to the Chapel Street side of the track was processed first,’ said Barnes. ‘Had to be, so access could be made to where our victim ended up. The first responders undertook a preliminary search when they arrived, and then taped off the path so Harriet and her team could process the rest of it when they got there. After the line had been declared safe, CSI began to process the far side of the track.’

  ‘What did Lucas have to say, Hunter?’

  ‘He’s sent X-rays of the man’s teeth off for analysis – apparently, the victim had had a major extraction some years ago, and a pair of false teeth were implanted in his gums.’

  ‘Good. With any luck, they’ll be able to trace him through those. Time frame?’

  ‘He said a week, but he’ll put the pressure on them for a quick result, given the circumstances of death.’

  Sharp glanced up at a soft ping from one of the computers and Carys moved across the room to read the screen.

  ‘We’re ready to go. All the files have been uploaded.’

  Kay pushed herself off her chair. ‘Let’s see what we’ve got, then.’

  They spent the remainder of the afternoon poring over all the information they had received from British Transport Poli
ce. The records were thorough, and made for uncomfortable reading.

  More than once, Kay had to leave her desk and go for a walk outside simply to clear her head. She hadn’t realised there were so many suicide cases each year, let alone the sheer numbers on railways.

  A growing sense of frustration about the state of the mental health service and support available to people suffering from depression plagued her thoughts. At one point, Barnes had bumped into her as she opened the side door into the building to return to the incident room.

  They shared a knowing look.

  ‘Not the sort of reading material I usually associate with a bright, spring day,’ said Barnes. ‘Glad to see I’m not the only one who needs to get away from their desk.’

  As the sun began to dip below the roof line of the building and cast shadows across her desk, Kay and the rest of the team had established that eight deaths on railway lines around Maidstone bore similar circumstances to that of their investigation.

  Barnes and Carys had brought another whiteboard into the incident room, divided it into eight squares, and written up the similarities between the eight suicides and the murder victim.

  All were male, and aged between thirty-seven and fifty-two and lived within a fifty-mile radius of the town. Apart from that, the demographics were broad – one man had taken early retirement and could afford to drive a top of the range four-wheel drive, three were unemployed – one returning to live with his mother.

  Sharp stood with his hands on his hips staring at the board.

  ‘Good work, everyone. This is a start.’ He checked his watch. ‘Split these up into two lots. Kay, take Barnes with you in the morning and make arrangements to speak to the families of these men and get up-to-date statements. Carys, Gavin – spend the rest of this afternoon familiarising yourselves with the pathology and inquest reports for these deaths so we’re ready to hit the ground running when those statements come back. Let’s get some traction on this while our killer still believes he’s got away with it.’

  Seven

  Kay turned her key in the door and stepped into the warmth of the hallway, the sound of Adam’s voice carrying from the kitchen.

  She smiled to herself, locked the door and dropped her handbag on the stairs, hung her coat on the newel post and wandered through to find him. As she entered the kitchen, she heard claws scrambling against the tiled floor and gasped as the biggest dog she’d ever seen ambled towards her.

  ‘Hi,’ said Adam. ‘This is Holly.’

  ‘Hello, Holly,’ said Kay and scratched the dog’s ears. The Great Dane’s head reached her abdomen and the giant beast leaned into her, sending her stockinged feet sliding across the floor. ‘Woah, girl. You’re heavy. Really heavy,’ she added as she saw the tell-tale bulge. Her eyes met Adam’s. ‘When’s she due?’

  ‘Next couple of days,’ he said. ‘I had some time off in lieu so we figured it’d be best if I brought her home. Quieter,’ he added.

  ‘That makes sense.’ Kay patted the pregnant pooch’s head. ‘All right, girl. Let me through. I need a glass of wine.’

  Adam finished arranging the dog’s bed in a corner of the kitchen, and then pulled a bottle of white burgundy from the refrigerator and filled two glasses before passing one to her.

  ‘Cheers.’

  ‘Cheers,’ she said. ‘Here’s to not coming home to a snake on the loose this time.’

  They clinked their glasses together and he grinned.

  ‘He was fine. He didn’t do any harm.’

  Kay glared at him over her glass until she couldn’t hold her laughter.

  Holly wandered over and leaned against her once more.

  ‘How was your day?’ said Adam, lowering himself onto one of the stools next to the central worktop. ‘Have you charged anyone yet?’

  Kay shook her head. ‘Not yet, and I think it’ll be a while before we do. We had to spend the day going through all the previous suicide records.’ She gently pushed Holly out of the way and sat opposite to Adam, setting down her wineglass on the worktop between them. ‘Regardless of this case, I can’t believe anyone would be so desperate as to throw themselves under a train.’

  ‘It takes all sorts.’

  ‘True.’ She took a sip of her wine. ‘How’s things at the clinic this week?’

  ‘Apart from this one? Not too bad. The racing stables are quiet for the next couple of weeks. It’s all small stuff at the moment. Mostly guinea pigs and hamsters traumatised by the experience of being taken home by kids for the school holidays.’ He winked over his wine glass. ‘I think most of them are going to need counselling.’

  ‘I think I would, too.’

  Holly moved around to Adam’s side of the bench and plonked her massive head in his lap. He stroked her ears, and took another sip of his wine.

  ‘How’s the other investigation going?’

  Kay bit her lip. She’d spent several weeks – months, in fact – going over the facts as she recalled them about a case from the previous year that had backfired upon the whole force, and had nearly led to her dismissal through a Professional Standards investigation.

  Her hunger for justice hadn’t waned since she was cleared of any wrongdoing, nor had her determination to find out who had set her up, removing vital evidence from a locked room and blaming her, and sending her career and health into free fall.

  She and Adam were still coming to terms with the aftermath, and in an attempt to coax her out of her depression, Adam had suggested that she begin her own investigation – covertly, and at home.

  She ran her fingers down the stem of her glass and swirled the base of it in the condensation on the kitchen worktop. ‘I’ve hit a dead end.’

  ‘In what way?’

  She leaned back on the stool and sighed. ‘I’m waiting until the office is quiet one night so I can access the database without being disturbed. I don’t really want to explain to anyone what I’m doing.’

  Adam raised an eyebrow. ‘Is that wise? Can’t they see if you’ve accessed it?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘But I’m thinking it’d be worth the risk. It’s only human, to want to know what really happened, isn’t it?’

  He held her gaze, his expression troubled. ‘Could you get into trouble?’

  ‘Any more than I was?’ She snorted. ‘No. They’ve cleared me of any wrongdoing.’

  ‘Is it safe?’

  She rubbed at her right eye, then took another sip of her wine. ‘I think so.’

  Adam reached across the worktop, wrapped his hand around hers, and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. ‘Promise me you’ll be careful,’ he said.

  She smiled.

  ‘Promise. Say it.’

  ‘I promise.’

  ‘Thank you.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.’

  Kay’s mobile phone began to vibrate on top of the worktop and she checked the number.

  ‘Shit.’

  ‘What’s up?’

  ‘It’s my mother.’

  ‘I’ll get more wine.’

  Kay poked her tongue out at him, and held the phone to her ear. ‘Hi, Mum.’

  ‘I thought you were never going to pick up. Are you still at work? You work too many hours, you know.’

  ‘I’m at home.’

  ‘Good. About time you saw that boyfriend or whatever you call him more often.’

  Kay closed her eyes. ‘Did you want something?’

  ‘Yes. We’re in France at the moment with Abby and the kids. Gorgeous weather. We’re heading home tomorrow, so we’ll call in to see you for dinner on the way back. You can fix us up with something, can’t you?’

  ‘Mum, I’m—’

  ‘Fabulous. We’ll see you then. Don’t be late.’

  Kay stared at the phone for a moment, stunned.

  ‘What happened?’ Adam pushed her refilled glass across the worktop to her.

  ‘They’re coming here. Tomorrow.’

  ‘Your mum?’
/>   ‘And my dad. And my sister. And the kids.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Apparently, they’ve been in France for the week. They’re driving back tomorrow and want to call in for dinner.’

  ‘Oh.’

  Kay sank back on her bar stool and wrapped her fingers around the stem of her glass. ‘What am I going to do?’

  Adam clasped her hand in his. ‘You’re going to put on a brave face, try to get out of work at a reasonable time, and be a grown-up about it.’

  Kay glared at him, then realised she was pouting. ‘I’m not telling them tomorrow.’

  ‘So, don’t. You suffering a miscarriage last year is none of their business anyway. I’m not going to say anything. Don’t worry about it – I’ll sort out dinner tomorrow. If they’re on their way back from France, your dad isn’t going to want to stay long anyway.’

  ‘You’re right, I suppose.’ She sighed, then checked her watch. ‘It’s getting on. What do you fancy to eat?’

  A quirk began at the side of Adam’s mouth.

  ‘Don’t.’ She wagged a warning finger at him. ‘I’m serious. I’m starving. What shall we have?’

  ‘Let’s be bad.’

  She smiled. ‘How bad?’

  ‘Chinese takeaway.’ He picked up his mobile phone and unplugged it from its charger, his thumb over the speed dial.

  ‘That’s not really bad. You lightweight.’

  He rolled his eyes. ‘Okay. Indian. From that place over near Spot Lane.’

  ‘Now you’re talking.’

  ‘Woof,’ said Holly.

  Eight

  The incident room continued to hum with an energy borne of a new investigation when Kay arrived the next morning.

  Phones seemed to ring constantly, a mixture of landline calls and mobile, while admin staff dashed between the desks, distributing reports and dealing with requests for more research.