A Capital Crime by Laura Wilson Read Free Book Online Page B

Please …’ He gestured at the pathologist to continue his work.
    McNally had been dictating for some time, medical terminology, most of which Stratton didn’t understand, letting it wash over him and deliberately keeping his eyes off the baby, who, lying on the slab next door to the mother, made a pathetically small shape under the white sheet. Ballard, he could see, was doing the same. Worse for him, thought Stratton, with a baby daughter himself. Something McNally said caught his attention. ‘…There are a series of abrasions three and a half inches long on the right side of the throat, varying from one and a quarter inches in width to three-eighths of an inch. On the left side of the back of the neck is another group of abrasions …’
    ‘So she was strangled?’ asked Stratton.
    ‘It would appear so,’ said McNally, ‘but I can’t be certain untilI’ve finished. Would you like me to move to the child now, and do the internal examinations later?’
    ‘Please. If you don’t mind.’
    McNally finished his dictation, then motioned to Higgs to cover up the body. When the baby was unveiled, Stratton saw that its face was swollen and bluish. It was wearing a fancy knitted cardigan and a dress, and had a large white handkerchief wrapped around its neck, but its legs and feet were bare. The sight of the tiny, wrinkled soles was almost more than Stratton could stand, and he turned away, blowing his nose.
    ‘The body is of a well-nourished baby girl. Height is thirty-three and a half inches …’ McNally held up his hand to indicate that Miss Lynn should stop writing. ‘Start removing the clothes, please, Higgs.’
    The procedure was repeated, with Ballard noting down the items. After taking off the top clothes, Higgs fumbled at something stuck inside the vest. ‘Something in here, sir. Aha … here it is. One toy duck.’ He held it up for Ballard and Stratton to see. It was a small, cheap thing, but, judging by its worn appearance, much loved. Stratton felt a lump rise in his throat.
    ‘One … toy … duck,’ repeated Ballard in a choked voice, writing in his notebook. Then he looked up, and Stratton saw that there were tears in his eyes. Clearing his throat, he said, ‘If you could excuse me for a moment, sir …’
    ‘Of course.’ Stratton took the notebook and pencil. ‘Get yourself some air.’
    Ballard left the room in a rush and, after a moment’s silence, Higgs continued, ‘One white handkerchief.’
    ‘One white handkerchief.’ Stratton wrote it down and kept his eyes on the page, waiting for the next item. A sharply indrawn breath made him look up and he saw that tied tightly round the baby’s neck was a man’s tie. ‘Strangled,’ he said.
    ‘Certainly looks like it,’ said McNally. ‘Poor little thing.’
    After a moment, Higgs said, ‘Shall I carry on, sir?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘One vest.’
    ‘One … vest.’
    ‘One nappy.’
    ‘One … nappy.’
    ‘One nappy pin.’
    ‘One … nappy … pin.’
    ‘You all right, Mr Stratton?’
    Unable to speak further, Stratton simply nodded.
    ‘If you need some air …’ Higgs continued.
    Stratton swallowed. ‘Yes. I’ll be … outside.’
    As he left the room, McNally was saying, ‘Decomposition is most advanced in the upper part of the body …’
    ‘Sorry about that, sir.’ Ballard was in the yard, white-faced and leaning against the wall.
    ‘No need to apologise. Cigarette?’
    ‘Thank you.’
    They smoked in silence for a moment before Stratton, feeling that he ought to say something, no matter how inadequate, said quietly, ‘Terrible business.’
    ‘Yes.’ Ballard, staring down at his feet, shook his head. ‘Just …’
    ‘I know. Doesn’t do to dwell on it.’
    ‘Hard not to, sir.’
    ‘Yes, it is.’ Stratton allowed his hand to rest, momentarily, on the sergeant’s shoulder. ‘Never gets any easier, unfortunately.’
    ‘Katy’s got a little duck like that. Sleeps with it tucked in next to her … Duck and Teddy.