Read Death Bed for Free Online Page B

and exercise. Her blonde hair was cropped in a bob at the front and cut very short at the back, sloping into the nape of her neck. Geraldine returned the sergeant’s smile but before she could respond the room fell silent. The briefing was about to begin.
    The detective chief inspector was standing beside the incident board where a photograph of a young black woman was displayed, her face bruised, her bottom lip split and one eye swollen and bloodshot. It was difficult to tell what she must have looked like before she had been viciously battered, but she could have been beautiful.
    ‘Good afternoon.’
    The detective chief inspector looked slowly and deliberately around the assembled officers. Geraldine had the feeling he was taking in every detail of her face, although his gaze only lingered on her for a second. He was tall and burly with broad shoulders and a square chin, his dark hair flecked with grey, still physically powerful, a man who could pack a punch if he chose to. There was an air of arrogance about him, perhaps suggested by his surprisingly well-educated accent.
    ‘I’m DCI Reg Milton, for those of you who don’t already know me, Senior Investigating Officer on this case.’
    He turned to the incident board.
    ‘We’re investigating the violent death of a young black woman, aged somewhere around twenty. The body was found early this afternoon in an alleyway near Tufnell Park station.’
    He read out the post code and the exact address.
    ‘The body was discovered, wrapped in a black dustbin liner, by a David Crawley, tenant of a ground floor apartment where he lives with his girl friend, Elizabeth James. So far we have no identity for the victim, but there’s little doubt we’re looking at suspicious circumstances. There’s a Gold Team meeting here tomorrow with the borough commander and someone from media and communications, and the Safer Neighbourhood Inspector will also be present.’
    He glanced around the room again.
    ‘Hopefully we can sort this out very quickly, certainly before the papers get too busy. So, let’s get going and gather as much information as possible before the meeting tomorrow.’
    Geraldine discovered she was indeed scheduled to work with Detective Sergeant Sam Haley and their first task was to interview David Crawley, the witness who had discovered the body.
    ‘We can get to Islington in time for tea,’ the sergeant chattered cheerfully as they walked over to the car.
    Geraldine nodded without answering.
    ‘The canteen at Islington’s nothing special,’ Sam went on, ‘but it’s worth going there at tea time. There’s homemade banana cake, if we’re lucky.’
    ‘Fine. But we’ll see David Crawley first.’
    ‘Yes gov, but if the banana cake’s all gone you’ll be sorry.’
    She laughed and Geraldine couldn’t help laughing too. She had a feeling she was going to enjoy working with Sam Haley.

10
ONE DEAD STRANGER
    I t began to drizzle as they drove past Tufnell Park station.
    ‘We’ve taken the wrong turning,’ Sam called out, leaning forward to squint at the road names.
    ‘Do you want to check the sat nav?’
    ‘No. It’s easy. We’re virtually there. We just need to go back to the tube station and pick up Tufnell Park Road at the junction. It’s one of the roads off there. Yes, we’ve gone too far.’
    They turned round and found the street they wanted. As they turned into it they saw a police cordon blocking access further down. Almost all the spaces along the road were taken but they managed to park a few doors away from the alleyway where the body had been found earlier that day.
    Geraldine checked her phone before she got out of the car.
    ‘There’s still no news of the victim’s identity,’ she said, screwing up her face at the rain.
    Sam put up a large black umbrella. Huddled together underneath it they hurried along the path towards the forensic tent up ahead, spanning the width of the alleyway. They pulled on their white suits and blue