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work here. It’s possible that whoever dumped our friend, faked a road closure.’
    ‘That’s a lot of forethought,’ said Noble.
    ‘That’s what worries me.’
    ‘And he’d need more than cones. Maybe a
Diversion
sign or something.’
    Brook nodded. ‘Get DS Gadd and a couple of uniforms over here. We’re going to need a canvass of all the nearby houses as soon as possible before memory fades. See if anyone noticed anything.’
    ‘Not very likely if it was the middle of the night.’
    ‘No – but hold that thought, John. It’s time for a cup of tea. There was a café at the junction when I came past – might be open now.’ Brook jerked a thumb at the cones and made to set off along Station Road. ‘My treat as you’re guarding the evidence.’ Noble sagged on to a nearby fence and pulled out his cigarettes.
    Brook removed the lid from his polystyrene cup and watched the ambulance depart. Dr Higginbottom squelched over from the river bank in his Wellingtons, fastening up his trademark leather bag. He removed his glasses when he stood beside Brook and Noble, and eyed their hot drinks.
    ‘Well,you were right, Inspector. He doesn’t appear to have any lungs, or indeed any internal organs. I didn’t want to poke around inside or disturb the stitching in case this turns into a murder inquiry
. . .
’
    ‘Why would there be any doubt, Doctor?’ asked Noble.
    Higginbottom smiled. ‘There’s always doubt, until there’s certainty, Sergeant. Now, who said that? I can’t remember. But suffice to say, without a detailed examination, all I can do here is assure you that the subject is deceased and that he died before he went into the river. Keith Pullin seems to be in the right area for how long the body’s been in the water. Between one and three days, very roughly. The body has the right amount of
cutis anserina
.’
    Like most of the medical experts Brook knew, Higgin-bottom liked to confuse his audience with a bit of Latin before explaining in layman’s terms. It was all those years they were forced to study a dead language and it had to be justified with a certain level of showmanship.
    ‘Which is?’ asked Brook deferentially.
    Noble smiled. He was pretty sure Brook already knew.
    ‘Gooseflesh,’ replied the doctor smugly. ‘At a guess I’d say he died a couple of days before he went in the water, but don’t hold me to it. Do you want that tea, Inspector? I didn’t have time for a drink before I got the call.’ Brook handed his cup to Higginbottom and watched dismayed as the PS removed the lid, drained the contents, then handed the cup back with a contented sigh. ‘But as to murder, it’s impossible to be definite about Cause of Death without an autopsy. It could even be natural causes. One thing, he didn’t drown, even before his lungs were removed. There’s no haemorrhaging of the middle ear and no sign of cadaveric spasm. That’s when—’
    ‘Weknow,’ said Brook, dispensing with deference after the theft of his drink.
    ‘Oh,’ replied a miffed Higginbottom. ‘And do we know the deceased yet?’
    ‘Not yet,’ said Brook.
    ‘Well, it shouldn’t be hard to find out,’ continued the doctor. ‘Prison looks likely – he’s had a hard life. I suspect he’d be homeless and he’s a part-time drug abuser – probably alcohol too. His teeth were very rotten, worn down by the acids in alcohol, and there’s evidence of intermittent needle-marks. My guess, he took drugs when he could get them, but not as a matter of course, which probably means he couldn’t afford to buy very often – hence homeless, indigent, delete as applicable.’ He grinned. ‘Contrary to popular opinion, most regular addicts hold down jobs. Thanks for the tea, Inspector. I’ll let you have my report asap.’
    Brook winced faintly at the assault on the English language as Higginbottom marched back to his car to remove his Wellingtons. His eyes followed the doctor, then moved to his empty cup, then settled on