Private Oz (Private 7)

“What was he doing here?”

“Looks like the kid was a vagrant … evidence someone had slept in the front room last night.”

“Obviously wasn’t here long. Probably nothing to do with the crime. Needs checking out though.”

The body lay no more than a couple of feet beneath the surface. Three men in blue forensics suits lifted the dead woman out of the opening and laid her on plastic sheeting.

Talbot and his sergeant took two paces toward the body.

One of the forensics officers leaned in and brushed away some soil.

Most of the woman’s clothes had rotted away. Her flesh barely clung to her bones.

“Dead for weeks,” the forensics guy muttered, his voice muffled by his mask.

“Clear the soil from her pubic region,” Talbot said.

The officer moved the brush down the dead body, swept away the sand and grains of soil. Some skin and flesh came away with it. A roll of fifty-dollar bills had been wedged into her vagina.

“You want me to call Private?” the sergeant asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” Talbot responded without looking round. “Not this time.”

Chapter 66

COLETTE POKED HER head around the door into the Private lab.

“What’s up?” Darlene asked. She saw a tall, skinny guy with hair like a giant bird’s nest standing just outside the room trying to peek inside.

“Er … this is … What did you say your name was again?” Colette asked, turning and deliberately obstructing the doorway.

“I-I-I’m, S-S-Sam,” the man stammered.

Darlene looked at him blankly for a second and then the name registered. “Software Sam? Micky’s friend?”

“The very s-s-same.”

Colette glanced at Darlene, then at the tall guy and stepped aside.

“Micky reckons you’re a whiz with computers,” Darlene said leading Sam into the room.

He was gazing around, taking it all in approvingly. “Yeah … I-I-I am. So, w-w-what’s your problem?”

“Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but this equipment … Well, it’s all pretty new. Most of it’s one-off stuff, custom-made. I wouldn’t expect you to be able to help with it.”

“I could g-g-give it a go.”

Darlene studied him. “You look ridiculous,” she thought. “But then so did Einstein!”

“Okay. I’m having a problem with my image-enhancing software.” She led him across the room. “I’m working on some blurred images from a security camera.” She pointed to a large Mac screen, sat and tapped at the keyboard. Sam stood beside her chair.

A pair of indistinct faces came up.

“Th-th-they’re the o-o-originals, r-r-right?”

Darlene looked up. “No, Sam. They are the best I can get.”

He whistled. “Wh-wh-what software package you using?”