Imposition (DI Gardener 5)

The area was pretty bleak, with only two trees and a selection of different shaped rocks. Gardener could not tell what the trees were. Two rock faces closed in on either side to an opening of around eight feet, known locally as Hangman’s Bluff according to Cragg. Standing guard in front of the crime scene tape was a uniformed PC. He held a log sheet in his hand.

Gardener displayed his warrant card, signed the sheet, and the three men advanced.

Through the opening, another rock face appeared with a cave entrance. A little way to the left, sitting on a boulder, wrapped in a blanket, a man sipped a drink from a flask cup. His expression was ashen. In his other hand he held an inhaler. A woman had her arm around his shoulder, talking softly to him.

“What’s up with him?” Reilly asked.

“He made the discovery,” replied Fitz.

In the middle, a marquee had been erected around what Gardener assumed was the burial place of whoever they’d found.

“Have you examined the body yet?” Reilly asked.

“As best I can,” replied Fitz as he approached.

“What can you tell us about it, and how long has it been there?” asked Gardener.

“I think you should come and have a look. There’s something I want to show you.”

Gardener followed Fitz past another constable and into the tent, with Reilly and Cragg behind him. He nodded to the men in the paper suits carefully examining what was left of the body. Behind them was a police photographer.

“The man who found it is called Ross Johnson,” continued Fitz. “He and his girlfriend were in the area treasure hunting. They stayed the night last night because his metal detector resembled the Northern Lights when he was searching the site. Thought he’d come across something valuable.

“He dug the hole, and eventually pulled out a bone. He dropped it and called us. He’s a bit shook up. I’ve called a forensic archaeologist in.”

Gardener stooped down and peered into the recess. What he could see of the flesh – which was really only the head – had mummified. The skin was tanned, like leather. A portion of the skull was showing, and the head still had some hair. The arms laid out by the side of the body were mostly bone with little flesh; some clothing remained.

“It’s too neat for a walker to have fallen in and just died there for whatever reason,” said Cragg.

“That’s what I was thinking,” said Gardener.

“It’s been placed,” said Reilly.

The whole middle section was skeleton, but the legs were partially clothed. The smell wasn’t as bad as he would have expected.

“It’s a fairly modern burial,” said Reilly.

“And it’s outside a graveyard,” said Gardener. “Which suggests it’s a crime.”

“Is it male or female?” Reilly asked.

“Female,” replied Fitz.

“How long would you say it’s been here?”

“Best guess? Twenty, maybe twenty-five years. You asked me what was bothering me. I won’t be able to tell you anything until I’ve examined it properly but there appears to be some serious damage to the pelvic area.”

“What are you trying to say, Fitz?” asked Gardener, straightening up.

“It could be a coincidence...”

“We don’t believe in those,” quickly interrupted Reilly.

Fitz nodded in agreement. “I thought it might be worth mentioning that you already have another victim with very similar injuries.”

The men in paper suits continued to brush the skeleton very carefully, stopping every so often to bag what they thought might

be evidence.