computer?’
‘Somebody killed him and walked out of here with their arms full of computer?’
‘Maybe a laptop. I don’t know, I’m just speculating.’
Bliss tweaked a smile. Speculation? Was that still allowed?
‘So who is he, Karen?’
‘Tristram Greenaway. Thirty-five. Employed by the council. Lived here on his own. There was a girlfriend, but she’s said to have moved out a few weeks ago.’
‘Mind your back, Francis.’
Slim Fiddler was shooting video, trying to frame the whole room. Slim was Chief CSI. They liked to call themselves CSIs now, sounded sexier than SOCO. Before long, the ambitious bastards would be using American TV words like
exsanguination
and
directionality
. Bliss edged gratefully away from the action. Slim Fiddler hadn’t lost any weight; there were whole crime-scene teams who took up less room.
‘What’s Billy say, Karen?’
’¿…lıǝu 'ʇuɐʇsıssɐ sıɥ ʇɟǝl ɥɔıɥʍ 'ǝɯıʇ ǝɯos ʞɹoʍ ɟɟo ǝq oʇ ʎlǝʞıl ˙ƃǝl ɐ ǝʞoɹq puɐ ƃuıɥʇǝɯos ɹo ɥɔuǝɹʇ ɐ oʇuı llǝɟ ʇsıƃoloǝɐɥɔɹɐ ʎʇunoɔ ǝɥʇ ˙ʎɹɐɹodɯǝʇ ʎluo ɥƃnoɥʇ ˙ʇuǝɯʇɹɐdǝp s’ʇsıƃoloǝɐɥɔɹɐ ʎʇunoɔ‘
’¿uǝɹɐʞ 'lıɔunoɔ ǝɥʇ ɥʇıʍ qoɾ sıɥ sɐʍ ʇɐɥʍ‘
˙ǝʇɐıɹdoɹddɐuı ǝq ʎlʇɔɐxǝ ʇ’uplnoʍ sʇɥƃıl lnɟɹǝʍod ǝɹǝɥʍ uʍoʇ ɟo ʇɹɐd lɐıʇuǝpısǝɹ ǝuo ǝɥʇ uı 'ooʇ 'ǝɹǝɥ ʞɔɐq ƃuıʇɥƃıl ʇǝǝɹʇs dɐɹɔ ˙sɐld ǝɥʇ uo ǝɔuǝɟɟo ǝsnɐɔ oʇ pooƃ ɹǝʌǝu ˙ǝɔuǝɟɟo pǝsnɐɔ ʎǝɥʇ ǝsɐɔ uı 'ǝɔıʇou oʇ ʇou ʎɹʇ plnoʍ sɹnoqɥƃıǝu ǝɥʇ ǝldoǝd ʎq ʇı ɟo ʇsoɯ
’˙ǝɹǝɥ punoɹ ƃuıoƃ puɐ ƃuıɯoɔ ɟo ʇol ɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ˙ɹɐɟ os ʇuɐɔıɟıuƃıs ƃuıɥʇou ˙sɹoop-oʇ-ɹoop ǝɥʇ uo llıʇs ǝɹ’ǝʍ‘
’¿sɹnoqɥƃıǝu‘
’˙ʞǝǝʍ ʇsɐl ǝq oʇ ʎlǝʞılun ˙ʎlqɐqoɹd ˙ʎɐpoʇ ɹǝılɹɐǝ ˙ǝɔɐɹƃ ɹp ʍouʞ noʎ‘
’¿ǝɔuıs ƃuol ʍoɥ ˙ʇɐlds‘
’…puɐ sɐʍ ʇı ɹǝʌǝoɥʍ uo ʞɔɐq sıɥ pǝuɹnʇ 'pıɐɹɟɐ ǝq oʇ uosɐǝɹ ou ˙uı pǝʇıʌuı puɐ ʍǝuʞ ǝɥ ʎpoqǝɯos ǝq plnoɔ ¿ʎq pǝʞɔɐʇʇɐ ʇǝƃ oʇ ʇɔǝdxǝ ʇ’upıp ǝɥ ʎpoqǝɯos ¿ʞɔɐʇʇɐ ǝsıɹdɹns ɐ sıɥʇ sı ˙spɹɐʍɹǝʇɟɐ dn ƃuıʎpıʇ punoɹ ǝuoƃ s’ǝɥ ssǝlun‘ ˙pıɐs uǝɹɐʞ ’'ǝlƃƃnɹʇs ɐ ɟo suƃıs ou os‘
˙sɐld ǝɥʇ uo pǝɥsɐɯs ʇoƃ sɐɹǝɯɐɔ ˙ǝɹǝɥ punoɹ ʌʇɔɔ ɟo ʎɐʍ ǝɥʇ uı ɥɔnɯ ʇou
˙ʇuɐɹɹɐʍ ƃuıpuɐʇsʇno uɐ ɯoɹɟ ǝɔɐɟ ɹnoʎ ǝzıuƃoɔǝɹ ʇɥƃıɯ ɯǝɥʇ ɟo ǝuo puɐ sɐld ǝɥʇ uo sdoɔ oʇ ǝsolɔ ooʇ ʇǝƃ ˙sɹǝʞooluo ʎuɐɯ ʇou ˙sǝɥsnq pǝʇunʇs ǝɥʇ uı punoɹɐ ƃuıʞod ǝɹǝʍ sɯɹoɟıun ǝǝɹɥʇ ˙pǝɹ oʇ pǝƃuɐɥɔ slɐuƃıs ǝɥʇ sɐ pǝɥƃıs ɔıɟɟɐɹʇ punoq-ʎʇıɔ ǝɹǝɥʍ pɐoɹ uıɐɯ ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ sʇɐlɟ ǝɥʇ ƃuıʇɐɹɐdǝs ssɐɹƃ ɟo dıɹʇs ǝɥʇ ssoɹɔɐ pǝʞool ǝɥ ˙ʎlʍols ǝɥʇɐǝɹq oʇ ƃuıʇɹɐʇs 'ʇno ɹǝɥ ƃuıʍolloɟ ssılq
’˙plnoʍ ǝɥ uoʞɔǝɹ ı‘
’˙ǝƃunƃ puɐ poolq uı pǝɹǝʌoɔ ǝq p’ǝɥ‘
’˙ǝɹǝɥʇ uı ʇı pǝssoʇ ǝʌ’plnoɔ ˙pɐoɹ ǝɥʇ ssoɹɔɐ 'ǝɹǝɥʇ uʍop ʎluo s’ɹǝʌıɹ ǝɥʇ 'ǝǝs‘ ˙uǝɹɐʞ 'noʎ ʞuɐɥʇ 'ƃuıʍolloɟ ssılq 'ɹoop ʇuoɹɟ ǝɥʇ ɥƃnoɹɥʇ ʇno pǝʞlɐʍ uǝɹɐʞ ’…ʇı pǝssoʇ puɐ pɐoɹ ǝɥʇ ssoɹɔɐ pǝʞlɐʍ 'ƃɐq ɐ uı ʇı ʇnd ʎlqɐqoɹd‘
’¿uodɐǝʍ ǝɥʇ ɟo uƃıs ou‘ ˙sʇnƃ sıɥ uo ʞɹoʍ ʇɐ ɥɔuǝʇs ǝɥʇ 'ǝɹǝɥ ɟo ʇno ʇǝƃ oʇ ƃuıpǝǝu ˙pıɐs ssılq ’¿sʍouʞ oɥʍ‘
’˙ǝƃɐɹ ǝlqɐlloɹʇuoɔun ǝʞıl ǝɹoɯ ˙ǝɹǝɥ ʎlddɐ ʎlpɹɐɥ plnoʍ ʇɐɥʇ ʇnq‘ ˙pıɐs uǝɹɐʞ ’'ʎʇıʇuǝpı ǝɹnɔsqo oʇ ǝuop s’ʇɐɥʇ ƃuıɥʇ ɟo ʇɹos‘
˙ʎɹǝƃɐʌɐs uɐɥʇ ǝɹoɯ sɐʍ sıɥʇ ˙pǝʍollɐʍs 'ʎɐʍɐ pǝuɹnʇ ssılq
‘Somebody killed him and walked out of here with their arms full of computer?’
‘Maybe a laptop. I don’t know, I’m just speculating.’
Bliss tweaked a smile. Speculation? Was that still allowed?
‘So who is he, Karen?’
‘Tristram Greenaway. Thirty-five. Employed by the council. Lived here on his own. There was a girlfriend, but she’s said to have moved out a few weeks ago.’
‘Mind your back, Francis.’
Slim Fiddler was shooting video, trying to frame the whole room. Slim was Chief CSI. They liked to call themselves CSIs now, sounded sexier than SOCO. Before long, the ambitious bastards would be using American TV words like
exsanguination
and
directionality
. Bliss edged gratefully away from the action. Slim Fiddler hadn’t lost any weight; there were whole crime-scene teams who took up less room.
‘What’s Billy say, Karen?’
’¿…lıǝu 'ʇuɐʇsıssɐ sıɥ ʇɟǝl ɥɔıɥʍ 'ǝɯıʇ ǝɯos ʞɹoʍ ɟɟo ǝq oʇ ʎlǝʞıl ˙ƃǝl ɐ ǝʞoɹq puɐ ƃuıɥʇǝɯos ɹo ɥɔuǝɹʇ ɐ oʇuı llǝɟ ʇsıƃoloǝɐɥɔɹɐ ʎʇunoɔ ǝɥʇ ˙ʎɹɐɹodɯǝʇ ʎluo ɥƃnoɥʇ ˙ʇuǝɯʇɹɐdǝp s’ʇsıƃoloǝɐɥɔɹɐ ʎʇunoɔ‘
’¿uǝɹɐʞ 'lıɔunoɔ ǝɥʇ ɥʇıʍ qoɾ sıɥ sɐʍ ʇɐɥʍ‘
˙ǝʇɐıɹdoɹddɐuı ǝq ʎlʇɔɐxǝ ʇ’uplnoʍ sʇɥƃıl lnɟɹǝʍod ǝɹǝɥʍ uʍoʇ ɟo ʇɹɐd lɐıʇuǝpısǝɹ ǝuo ǝɥʇ uı 'ooʇ 'ǝɹǝɥ ʞɔɐq ƃuıʇɥƃıl ʇǝǝɹʇs dɐɹɔ ˙sɐld ǝɥʇ uo ǝɔuǝɟɟo ǝsnɐɔ oʇ pooƃ ɹǝʌǝu ˙ǝɔuǝɟɟo pǝsnɐɔ ʎǝɥʇ ǝsɐɔ uı 'ǝɔıʇou oʇ ʇou ʎɹʇ plnoʍ sɹnoqɥƃıǝu ǝɥʇ ǝldoǝd ʎq ʇı ɟo ʇsoɯ
’˙ǝɹǝɥ punoɹ ƃuıoƃ puɐ ƃuıɯoɔ ɟo ʇol ɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ˙ɹɐɟ os ʇuɐɔıɟıuƃıs ƃuıɥʇou ˙sɹoop-oʇ-ɹoop ǝɥʇ uo llıʇs ǝɹ’ǝʍ‘
’¿sɹnoqɥƃıǝu‘
’˙ʞǝǝʍ ʇsɐl ǝq oʇ ʎlǝʞılun ˙ʎlqɐqoɹd ˙ʎɐpoʇ ɹǝılɹɐǝ ˙ǝɔɐɹƃ ɹp ʍouʞ noʎ‘
’¿ǝɔuıs ƃuol ʍoɥ ˙ʇɐlds‘
’…puɐ sɐʍ ʇı ɹǝʌǝoɥʍ uo ʞɔɐq sıɥ pǝuɹnʇ 'pıɐɹɟɐ ǝq oʇ uosɐǝɹ ou ˙uı pǝʇıʌuı puɐ ʍǝuʞ ǝɥ ʎpoqǝɯos ǝq plnoɔ ¿ʎq pǝʞɔɐʇʇɐ ʇǝƃ oʇ ʇɔǝdxǝ ʇ’upıp ǝɥ ʎpoqǝɯos ¿ʞɔɐʇʇɐ ǝsıɹdɹns ɐ sıɥʇ sı ˙spɹɐʍɹǝʇɟɐ dn ƃuıʎpıʇ punoɹ ǝuoƃ s’ǝɥ ssǝlun‘ ˙pıɐs uǝɹɐʞ ’'ǝlƃƃnɹʇs ɐ ɟo suƃıs ou os‘
˙sɐld ǝɥʇ uo pǝɥsɐɯs ʇoƃ sɐɹǝɯɐɔ ˙ǝɹǝɥ punoɹ ʌʇɔɔ ɟo ʎɐʍ ǝɥʇ uı ɥɔnɯ ʇou
˙ʇuɐɹɹɐʍ ƃuıpuɐʇsʇno uɐ ɯoɹɟ ǝɔɐɟ ɹnoʎ ǝzıuƃoɔǝɹ ʇɥƃıɯ ɯǝɥʇ ɟo ǝuo puɐ sɐld ǝɥʇ uo sdoɔ oʇ ǝsolɔ ooʇ ʇǝƃ ˙sɹǝʞooluo ʎuɐɯ ʇou ˙sǝɥsnq pǝʇunʇs ǝɥʇ uı punoɹɐ ƃuıʞod ǝɹǝʍ sɯɹoɟıun ǝǝɹɥʇ ˙pǝɹ oʇ pǝƃuɐɥɔ slɐuƃıs ǝɥʇ sɐ pǝɥƃıs ɔıɟɟɐɹʇ punoq-ʎʇıɔ ǝɹǝɥʍ pɐoɹ uıɐɯ ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ sʇɐlɟ ǝɥʇ ƃuıʇɐɹɐdǝs ssɐɹƃ ɟo dıɹʇs ǝɥʇ ssoɹɔɐ pǝʞool ǝɥ ˙ʎlʍols ǝɥʇɐǝɹq oʇ ƃuıʇɹɐʇs 'ʇno ɹǝɥ ƃuıʍolloɟ ssılq
’˙plnoʍ ǝɥ uoʞɔǝɹ ı‘
’˙ǝƃunƃ puɐ poolq uı pǝɹǝʌoɔ ǝq p’ǝɥ‘
’˙ǝɹǝɥʇ uı ʇı pǝssoʇ ǝʌ’plnoɔ ˙pɐoɹ ǝɥʇ ssoɹɔɐ 'ǝɹǝɥʇ uʍop ʎluo s’ɹǝʌıɹ ǝɥʇ 'ǝǝs‘ ˙uǝɹɐʞ 'noʎ ʞuɐɥʇ 'ƃuıʍolloɟ ssılq 'ɹoop ʇuoɹɟ ǝɥʇ ɥƃnoɹɥʇ ʇno pǝʞlɐʍ uǝɹɐʞ ’…ʇı pǝssoʇ puɐ pɐoɹ ǝɥʇ ssoɹɔɐ pǝʞlɐʍ 'ƃɐq ɐ uı ʇı ʇnd ʎlqɐqoɹd‘
’¿uodɐǝʍ ǝɥʇ ɟo uƃıs ou‘ ˙sʇnƃ sıɥ uo ʞɹoʍ ʇɐ ɥɔuǝʇs ǝɥʇ 'ǝɹǝɥ ɟo ʇno ʇǝƃ oʇ ƃuıpǝǝu ˙pıɐs ssılq ’¿sʍouʞ oɥʍ‘
’˙ǝƃɐɹ ǝlqɐlloɹʇuoɔun ǝʞıl ǝɹoɯ ˙ǝɹǝɥ ʎlddɐ ʎlpɹɐɥ plnoʍ ʇɐɥʇ ʇnq‘ ˙pıɐs uǝɹɐʞ ’'ʎʇıʇuǝpı ǝɹnɔsqo oʇ ǝuop s’ʇɐɥʇ ƃuıɥʇ ɟo ʇɹos‘
˙ʎɹǝƃɐʌɐs uɐɥʇ ǝɹoɯ sɐʍ sıɥʇ ˙pǝʍollɐʍs 'ʎɐʍɐ pǝuɹnʇ ssılq
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