‘Murder?’ said Annie.
‘Murder,’ echoed Davis.
The professor looked above and around him. ‘Once we have removed the skeleton from where she’s been entombed, then we can examine the surrounding area. My first thoughts are that for whatever reason she was killed, she was then placed here by someone who cared deeply about her and what had happened to her, and then the wall was bricked up, maybe at the time, maybe sometime later, who knows?’
‘A tomb?’ whispered Annie.
‘A tomb, yes.’ Davis gave a little moan as he stood upright and stretched his spine. ‘Time for a break and to discuss whether we arrange the movement of this skeleton before examining the next.’
‘Makes sense. It would save changing our protective clothing, which we will need to do before moving on to the next body,’ said Charley. ‘Last thing we want to do is contaminate that scene.’
Pre-packed food bags and hot drinks had been delivered to the site at Annie’s request, and not only was Charley grateful for the food and drink, but she was impressed by the younger detective’s foresight. Fifteen minutes later, guided by the professor’s experience, the skeleton was removed, almost intact. The dagger was easily accessible, and was removed with little effort, photographed, and placed in an evidence tube. Once the scene was free of the bones, the wider search of the area began.
The concrete tomb was relatively clean, surprisingly. Sifting through the rubble, dirt, and other debris, no doubt caused by the current demolition work, was their main hurdle. Nevertheless their patience gave them rewards, as a mirror, a tube, and coins were found. Possible reasons for the mirror and tube being in the tomb was explained away by the professor as safety devices, as they allowed others to look into the tomb for signs of life; pennies were used to seal the eyes shut, or if you believed a practice associated with the north of England regarding the latter in the 17th Century, to ‘give to St Steve’.
‘But why?’ asked Annie. ‘Whoever killed her obviously wanted her dead, and a pagan burial suggests that she didn’t believe in God.’
Amongst the debris they also found a small ring. ‘Did it come off her finger?’
With no more to do at the present on scene one, they took a brief break to discuss the body and their findings.
‘I think it’s time we called it a day,’ said Charley. ‘After all, the body behind the fireplace isn’t going anywhere, and we can start refreshed tomorrow with new coveralls for the second crime scene.’
It was 8.30 a.m. the following morning when the team regrouped at the site. Davis was protective of his ladders, and although assured that he would not need them to get behind the fireplace, where his small frame would prove an advantage in the restricted tunnel, he nevertheless took them with him.
‘The decomposition of this corpse makes me think it has probably been here a matter of weeks, months at the most,’ said Charley above the loud grinding noise the fireplace stone made when it was turned to reveal the tunnel beyond. Bowing his head, Davis walked into the tunnel with apparent ease. Hunched over, Charley followed. Was that a soft glow of light she saw down the tunnel? She blinked and when she opened her eyes, the light was gone. Maybe it was her vivid imagination, or tiredness that was playing tricks with her mind, as she had slept but a little. Whilst Davis continued his visual examination of the body, she listened intently and when he turned and spoke to her, his thoughts were not unexpected. ‘I wouldn’t want to make an enemy of his killer. This man appears to have been executed!’
Charley blew air out between her lips, straightened up best she could, and found herself looking at Davis in the eye. ‘Another execution, you think?’
‘Most certainly, but this time with a modern-day weapon. I can see he has a remarkably clear circular bullet hole in the back of his head. This has been done, I suggest, at close quarters. The barrel of the gun would have been touching his head. I’m many things, but not a ballistic expert, although I do think that this sort of wound would have been inflicted with a small calibre handgun of sorts.’
‘Who was he, and who had he upset enough to shoot him in this barbaric way?’
Davis turned to her, his eyebrows raised. ‘You’re the detective! However, I am thinking that perhaps Crownest was torched to conceal these human remains? People need to realise that house fires don’t get as hot as a crematorium fire. Human remains will always be found at the scene of a fire, if there are any to find. Time will tell us if the fire was started in an attempt to do just that, and to make sure that any evidence appertaining to a crime was destroyed in the act.
‘Whoever started the fire may have not known about the corpse in the cellar, but you’ve got two for the price of one, Inspector, that’s modern-day science for you.’
Davis was a clever man. He wasn’t wrong, but the only thing that connected these two bodies was Crownest. Two murders committed years apart, yet both concealed in the same house.
Chapter 8
The chill in the empty dining room had already cooled Annie’s body considerably, and it was only midday. What she would give to feel the heat of the sun, however weak, upon her skin. Her task, this winter’s day, was to wait with the pathologist until he finished his examination of the body in situ.
Fascinated as she was by the plethora of changing shadows the artificial lighting created in the tunnel, Annie was equally intrigued by the dining-room’s beautiful woodland mural on the wall, albeit somewhat faded by age and damaged by smoke and water. She slid her back down the rough stone mantel of the fireplace, pulling her wool coat underneath her posterior as she did
