Joanna waved away the inspector’s argument. “Coroners for most prisons are not the sharpest knives in the drawer. Chances are he was told the name of the deceased and given the evidence which surrounded his death. He no doubt took the path of least resistance, which required the least amount of thinking. Let me assure you if this matter was under investigation for an insurance claim, the company would have surely sent in their own medical examiners to either confirm or deny the insured person had died.”
“Do you propose that we bring in another, perhaps more expert, examiner?” Lestrade asked.
“We have one sitting in front of you,” Joanna replied.
“Oh yes, Dr. Watson, of course,” Lestrade recalled.
“Who would not be swayed by the findings of others,” Joanna stated firmly.
“Are you suggesting the body be exhumed?”
“We may have no other choice.”
“That will require a great deal of paperwork, for it cannot be done without a court order.”
“Inspector, it would be in your best interest to expedite the exhumation, for the longer the permission to do so takes, the greater the chance our vandal will find the masterpiece and disappear forever.”
“If things go well, the permit will be issued in a day’s time,” Lestrade estimated.
“Then please begin the process immediately,” said Joanna. “By the way, where is Edmunds buried?”
“In a potter’s field, for his wife claimed she was too impoverished to afford a proper funeral.”
Joanna stopped pacing and gave Lestrade a lengthy look. “Too impoverished, you say?”
“So I was told.”
“Did you check her finances, in particular a bank account and the money it might contain?”
“None were uncovered.”
“Did you bother to look at her style of living to see if it matches that of a poor woman?”
A quizzical expression crossed Lestrade’s face. “To what end?”
“To determine if she is lying.”
“Why would a poor widow lie on such a matter?”
“To give a reason why she could not provide a funeral for her husband,” Joanna answered. “While the real reason was she knew the man being buried wasn’t her husband.”
“That is a bit of a stretch,” said Lestrade.
“But it fits, if my hypothesis is true,” Joanna asserted, and turned to me. “John, what questions should be asked prior to the exhumation?”
“Hold on!” Lestrade interrupted. “You do realize you will be dealing with a charred corpse that is burned beyond all recognition.”
“The flesh may be gone, but the skeleton remains intact, and that is where the unique findings may lie,” I explained. “You see, bones often leave behind an undeniable signature.”
Lestrade suddenly showed great interest and searched for a notepad and pen. “Please be good enough to give me some examples, for future reference should the need arise.”
“Very well,” I agreed. “I shall begin with the head and work my way down. If you find any of the anatomical terms confusing, do not hesitate to interrupt.”
“Do your best to use words that the court will understand,” Lestrade requested. “Such clarification may be important when I present the argument for exhumation.”
“I shall keep that in mind. Now starting with the skull, the examiner should look for congenital abnormalities, such as micrognathia, which is an underdeveloped jaw and gives the appearance of a person with a small, recessed chin.”
“Which would be easily recognized in a photograph or on actually viewing such an individual,” Lestrade noted, as he wrote.
“That is the point, Lestrade,” I said. “One must take the skeletal finding and apply it to a given appearance. In this regard, the teeth embedded in the jaw are an even better example. If the person you are trying to identify had a full set of teeth and the skull has none, you immediately know you are dealing with two individuals and not a single personage.”
“A dentist would be an important witness in that instance.”
“And provide indisputable testimony to the court. Such evidence was used recently in a murder trial up in Scotland.”
Lestrade nodded to himself, obviously pleased with the case I recounted. “And I would think that a missing hand or leg would be the most convincing evidence.”
“Quite so, for one cannot grow another limb, and if a prosthesis has been substituted, it is easily discerned,” said I.
“Let us hope the burned corpse’s skeleton reveals such a marking, although my natural pessimism tells me that we shall not be so fortunate.”
“To the contrary, Inspector, for in the majority of similar cases I have been involved with, the individual’s bones have left behind a personal signature.”
“Then we should proceed with that assumption in mind,” Joanna interjected. “Our next steps are for Lestrade to obtain the court order required for exhumation, and for John and I to travel to Wormwood Scrubs to interview the governor and review the prison’s records of Harry Edmunds. Please be good enough, Inspector, to call the governor and inform him of our imminent arrival.”
Reaching for the phone, Lestrade said, “He may well inquire as to the purpose of your visit.”
“Tell him it is because I believe he has buried the wrong man.”
14Wormwood Scrubs
Mr. George Bradshaw, the governor at Wormwood Scrubs, met us with a cold greeting and a limp handshake, obviously none too pleased with our visit. In his sparse office, he sat behind a neat, wooden desk and gave the appearance one might expect to see in a funeral director. He was tall and thin, nearly to the point of being gaunt, with a somber expression that had not even a hint of warmth.
“This is most unusual,” said he.
“So is burying the wrong body in a potter’s field,” Joanna countered.
“Do you have proof of this?”
“Enough to request an exhumation which will shortly be granted.”
“Do you care to share this evidence with me?”
“I am afraid I cannot, for such evidence must remain confidential until it has been submitted before a court,” Joanna replied easily. “Furthermore, there may well be other related clues we uncover in your prison that must be added to the legal brief, which explains our presence here today.”
“May I ask where you anticipate finding these clues?”
“In your prison
