Read Body Line for Free Online Page B

and she’s not living on the pig’s back. Her story checks out, and I can’t find any medical connection. And flat-sharing’d make it hard to get up to any carry-on without getting caught out.’
    ‘All right. I don’t want to waste any more time on her if she’s just an accidental bystander. But we’ll need to keep tabs on her, in case we have more questions. Has she got family?’
    ‘She has parents, according to HR at Tangent. They’re her next of kin. They live in Guildford.’
    ‘That’ll do. See if she can go and stay with them for a few days when she comes out of hospital tomorrow. I know Mike Polman at Guildford. He owes me a favour. I’ll ask him to keep an eye on the house. She ought to be safe enough there.’
    It was late when McLaren stuck his head round the door to say, ‘The first of the papers have come in from the house, guv.’
    ‘Right,’ said Slider, glancing at his watch. ‘Let’s have a quick look.’ So far, from the site they had culled a big zero. The street search had produced no gun or discarded clothing, and the canvass had drawn a blank. Nothing for which to pull an all-nighter. He might as well send them all home and save the overtime for another day.
    He didn’t expect great things of the first bag, but there was treasure of a sort: the doctor’s birth, marriage and divorce certificates, tidily together in one envelope, taken from the top desk drawer.
    ‘Born fourth of June 1962 in Greasley in Nottingham,’ Atherton read out over Connolly’s shoulder. ‘Father’s down as clerk, insurance office. Humble beginnings for the Dirty Doctor.’
    ‘He was married in June 1988 to Amanda Jane Knox-Sturgess of The Lodge, Quickmoor Lane, Sarratt,’ Connolly continued. ‘Where’s that?’
    ‘Hertfordshire,’ said Atherton. ‘Carrot country.’
    ‘Ah, she’s a culchie, so!’ Connolly said innocently.
    ‘It’s a very expensive village,’ said Slider corrected. ‘The local church is one they used in Four Weddings and a Funeral . Waiting list from here to maternity. Lots of money around. Old families. County types. Plus, these days, commuting masters of the universe.’
    ‘Her father’s down as a solicitor,’ Atherton said. ‘That plus “The Lodge” suggests money all right.’
    ‘Definite step up for the lad from Greaseborough,’ McLaren commented.
    ‘Greasely,’ Slider said. ‘Very different place.’
    ‘Come on, guv,’ McLaren objected. ‘It’s all “oop north” to us.’
    ‘Here, the doctor’s address book.’ Slider threw it to him. ‘See if you can find the ex-wife in it.’
    ‘Shame the marriage didn’t last,’ Connolly commented, opening the Decree Absolute. ‘They were divorced in September 1999.’
    ‘Eleven years isn’t bad in these debased times,’ Atherton said. ‘No other marriage certificates in the envelope. Can we assume he’s been fancy-free for the last ten years?’
    ‘Maybe the ex-wife will know,’ Slider said. ‘If there were children, she would probably have kept in touch. I’m hoping she’ll be able to tell us who the next of kin is, anyway.’
    McLaren said, ‘Guv, there’s an address and phone number in here under A for Amanda, no surname. Grange Road, Ealing.’
    ‘Look it up, get a surname,’ said Slider.
    ‘Where’s Grange Road?’ Atherton asked. He didn’t know Ealing as well as Slider did.
    ‘On the Common.’
    ‘Common? Bit of a comedown from a lodge in Sarratt.’
    McLaren, at his own desk, was not long in finding the property on the electoral register. ‘The name’s Sturgess, guv, no Knox and no hyphen.’
    ‘So she’s reverted, and simplified,’ Atherton said. ‘What does that tell us?’
    Slider gave him a look. ‘That she’s called Amanda Sturgess. Don’t strain yourself.’
    McLaren went on. ‘Also listed at the property is a Robin Frith.’ He looked up. ‘Either she’s letting a room, or she’s shacking up.’
    ‘Either way, definitely letting herself slip,’ said Atherton.