“It would be better if you could do without,” Patti advised.
“I think I’ll give it a go.”
Katy placed the jar back on the stainless-steel trolley. “Well, I bloody need it, and no one is going to persuade me otherwise. On your head be it, Charlie.”
“I’ll risk it.”
“Right, what have we got?” Katy asked, glancing down the length of the corpse’s charred remains.
“I’ve already established the man had his throat cut. That was before the fire took place as the wounds are singed.”
“Okay, have you managed to ID him yet?”
“No, not yet. He was in a bathing suit, few places possible to store any form of ID as you can imagine.” Patti held up a clear evidence bag, holding up the remains of a charred pair of fluorescent-green budgie smugglers.
Katy cringed. “Nice taste in beach attire, I don’t think.”
“I won’t be rushing out to buy any for Brandon, that’s for sure,” Charlie chipped in.
“If you two have quite finished dissing the man’s fashion endeavours. As I was saying, his throat was cut. He also suffered a broken jaw. Now, whether that was caused during the accident, I’m not too sure. There are also a number of contusions around his face, again, similar outcome, I’m just not sure when they happened.”
“It’s all a damn mystery,” Katy muttered. “Have you had a chance to do the PMs on the other victims yet?”
“No, he’s my first. Sorry for the loss of your two colleagues. I’ll do my very best to get the results back to you quickly. I’ve already had a call from their boss, demanding the results ASAP. He was on his way to inform the families.”
“Tough job. I hate doing it. I’ll have that pleasure to come when we ID the other victim.”
“I don’t envy you. All right if I proceed?” Patti asked.
“Go for it.”
She ran through any nicks or extra bruising she found on the corpse and then moved on to remove the organs. “His liver is pickled, a heavy drinker for sure.”
“Goes with the territory, if it’s who we perceive him to be. James, the head technician at the scene, said he was likely Ray Thatcham, a local businessman. The boat was registered in his name.”
“Okay, in that case, you know more than me for a change.” Patti removed his heart and prodded it. “Again, signs of a rich diet, fatty tissue surrounding the heart here and here.” She poked at two separate areas.
“Sounds about right.”
The rest of the post-mortem was carried out swiftly with no further conclusions of note.
“That’s about it. I’m going to patch him up the best I can. I can categorically say that the wound to his throat was the fatal blow that ended his, what would appear to have been, extravagant lifestyle.”
“Sounds plausible to me. Hang on, I’ve just thought of something. James said the gent was all over Google.”
“We can match any photos that are on the internet, if that’s what you’re saying? His face isn’t too charred. I took some photos of him before I started the PM.”
Patti crossed the room and returned with her camera. She showed Katy the photos she’d snapped off. “It’ll have to do. I’ll get them sent to your phone when I’m back in my office. I’m going to take a break after I’ve finished here, before I start on the next one.”
“Great stuff. We’ll get changed.”
“I’ll be another fifteen to twenty minutes on this one, can you hang around?”
“Of course. It’s not like we have anything else to go on.”
2
After successfully obtaining an ID for the man, Katy rang the station and asked Karen to find an address for the victim. She’d rung them back almost instantly, and now they were en route to break the news to the man’s family.
“Damn, I could do with your mum’s input for this one. I detest with a capital D this part.”
“Surprisingly enough, Mum used to say the same.”
“Wow, you’ve shocked me there. She always came across so calm and collected with the right amount of empathy chucked in for good measure. You learn something new every day, I guess. Feel free to take over this side of things once you’ve settled in more, won’t you?”
Charlie grimaced. “I’d rather leave the onerous chore up to you, thanks all the same.”
“Yeah, I had a feeling that was going to be your response. Maybe we should stop off and have a quick drink on the way, to give me some Dutch courage.”
Charlie stared at her. “Are you talking alcohol or caffeine?”
“Don’t tempt me. Maybe caffeine would be the better option, a bacon sarnie wouldn’t go amiss either. What say you?”
Her partner’s tummy grumbled, giving Katy her answer. Charlie glanced down at her stomach and said, “Traitor. All right, it does sound tempting.”
Katy pulled into a greasy spoon café she’d heard good things about in the area, and they sat there for half an hour, discussing the case and its different scenarios over a coffee and a calorie-laden bacon roll. Then they got on the road again.
Charlie rubbed her tummy. “I’ve eaten too much. Don’t be surprised if I fall asleep during the afternoon shift.”
Katy puffed out her cheeks. “Funny that, I was just thinking the same. I doubt if I’ll need any dinner this evening. Worth it, though, eh?”
“It was. I hope that’s not going to become a regular thing. I’ll be ten stone heavier in no time at all working alongside you.”
“Maybe a once-a-month treat, how does that sound?”
“It would be better if you’d said once every six months.”
Katy sniggered. “You’re young enough to work it off, unlike me.”
Charlie tutted. “Bloody hell, you’re hardly past it, what are you, thirty-three?”
“Not far off. Actually, I’m thirty-two.”
“And you think that’s old?”
“All right, maybe I was stretching the truth a little. I feel old some days, especially when Georgina hasn’t slept well.”
“The joys of having kids. AJ is definitely
