waved in the general direction. ‘There’s a big overhang. Quite dangerous. They’ve put up a fence to try to stop people, make them think again, but …’
Lexi examined the photograph of Tiffany One’s meagre possessions and then said, ‘Let’s go and take a look, before we lose daylight altogether.’
‘Okay,’ Troy agreed. ‘But we’ll be back,’ he said to Spike. ‘If Hurlstone’s got a reputation, this place would appeal to someone after body parts for the black market. I want Lexi to put a camera in here.’
‘I don’t like the idea of spying on grieving …’
‘We won’t. We’ll monitor the cameras, spying on intruders, not people who’ve lost a friend or family member.’
‘Do I have a choice?’
‘Not really,’ Troy answered. ‘But you should be pleased. You’ll want to get this sorted out as much as we do. A tiny camera no one will notice is the quickest way. Then you’ll be back to normal.’
‘The sun’s going down,’ Lexi reminded her partner.
‘Back soon,’ he said to the troubled supervisor.
SCENE 23
Friday 11th April, Sundown
The remains of the sun sent a yellow beam across the sea from the horizon. It was just enough light for Troy and Lexi. Near the edge of the cliff, there were several notices giving details of organizations that could offer advice and help. There was also a wire fence and a warning notice. A long way below, there was nothing but vicious jagged rocks.
Troy checked out the fence. ‘That’s not going to stop anyone determined,’ he said.
‘You’re right,’ Lexi replied, stepping back and taking a short run at it. ‘I’m going over.’
‘You’re what?’
‘Going over the fence.’
‘Careful.’
‘I didn’t know you cared.’ Sprinting past him, she flew over the fence in one athletic leap.
‘Why are you …?’
Heading for the overhang, she pointed to a spot one stride away from the sheer drop. ‘Collecting evidence,’ she said, quickly putting on latex gloves. ‘See that bit of blue material on the gorse? If I’m not mistaken, it matches Tiffany One’s coat in the photographs.’
‘That’s thin ice you’re skating on,’ Troy called after her. ‘Watch out. Crumbly cliffs, remember.’
She stepped carefully towards the bush, the piece of fabric and the cliff. ‘One day, I’ll make an interesting fossil,’ she said as she peered over the unnerving rock face. She took a breath of sea breeze, plucked the material from the prickly gorse and immediately made for the safety of the cliff-top path. ‘But not yet.’ She clambered back over the fence and held out the small piece of fabric. ‘Hard to tell in this light but I’ll check the colour with the photo. If there’s a flake of skin, this is a shortcut to her DNA. Then we don’t have to find where she lived.’
SCENE 24
Saturday 12th April, Morning
‘That woman I found on the missing persons’ list,’ Lexi announced, ‘isn’t L4G#4. Her DNA profile is nothing like.’
‘What about Tiffany One?’ Troy asked, unwrapping a sturdy chunk of black pudding.
Lexi sat back and closed her eyes, just about to enter another period of meditation. ‘Waiting,’ she murmured. ‘Relax. Patience required.’
Twelve minutes later, her life-logger vibrated and she stirred slowly.
Troy called out, ‘Rise and shine.’
Refreshed, Lexi sniffed. ‘What is that?’ She looked at the remains of Troy’s breakfast and let out a groan. ‘Yuck.’
‘Black pudding. Shiveringly good.’
‘What’s in it?’ she asked. ‘Smells revolting.’
‘It’s a sausage made of pigs’ blood, onions and oatmeal. Or something like that.’
‘A sausage made of blood? Disgusting.’
‘At least it doesn’t crawl around like your insect food. It’s not a baked spider or whatever.’
‘Spiders and scorpions aren’t insects. They’re arachnids.’
‘All right. Let’s call them bugs, then.’
‘Or invertebrates,’ she replied, reaching for her life-logger, ‘but that
Lexi examined the photograph of Tiffany One’s meagre possessions and then said, ‘Let’s go and take a look, before we lose daylight altogether.’
‘Okay,’ Troy agreed. ‘But we’ll be back,’ he said to Spike. ‘If Hurlstone’s got a reputation, this place would appeal to someone after body parts for the black market. I want Lexi to put a camera in here.’
‘I don’t like the idea of spying on grieving …’
‘We won’t. We’ll monitor the cameras, spying on intruders, not people who’ve lost a friend or family member.’
‘Do I have a choice?’
‘Not really,’ Troy answered. ‘But you should be pleased. You’ll want to get this sorted out as much as we do. A tiny camera no one will notice is the quickest way. Then you’ll be back to normal.’
‘The sun’s going down,’ Lexi reminded her partner.
‘Back soon,’ he said to the troubled supervisor.
SCENE 23
Friday 11th April, Sundown
The remains of the sun sent a yellow beam across the sea from the horizon. It was just enough light for Troy and Lexi. Near the edge of the cliff, there were several notices giving details of organizations that could offer advice and help. There was also a wire fence and a warning notice. A long way below, there was nothing but vicious jagged rocks.
Troy checked out the fence. ‘That’s not going to stop anyone determined,’ he said.
‘You’re right,’ Lexi replied, stepping back and taking a short run at it. ‘I’m going over.’
‘You’re what?’
‘Going over the fence.’
‘Careful.’
‘I didn’t know you cared.’ Sprinting past him, she flew over the fence in one athletic leap.
‘Why are you …?’
Heading for the overhang, she pointed to a spot one stride away from the sheer drop. ‘Collecting evidence,’ she said, quickly putting on latex gloves. ‘See that bit of blue material on the gorse? If I’m not mistaken, it matches Tiffany One’s coat in the photographs.’
‘That’s thin ice you’re skating on,’ Troy called after her. ‘Watch out. Crumbly cliffs, remember.’
She stepped carefully towards the bush, the piece of fabric and the cliff. ‘One day, I’ll make an interesting fossil,’ she said as she peered over the unnerving rock face. She took a breath of sea breeze, plucked the material from the prickly gorse and immediately made for the safety of the cliff-top path. ‘But not yet.’ She clambered back over the fence and held out the small piece of fabric. ‘Hard to tell in this light but I’ll check the colour with the photo. If there’s a flake of skin, this is a shortcut to her DNA. Then we don’t have to find where she lived.’
SCENE 24
Saturday 12th April, Morning
‘That woman I found on the missing persons’ list,’ Lexi announced, ‘isn’t L4G#4. Her DNA profile is nothing like.’
‘What about Tiffany One?’ Troy asked, unwrapping a sturdy chunk of black pudding.
Lexi sat back and closed her eyes, just about to enter another period of meditation. ‘Waiting,’ she murmured. ‘Relax. Patience required.’
Twelve minutes later, her life-logger vibrated and she stirred slowly.
Troy called out, ‘Rise and shine.’
Refreshed, Lexi sniffed. ‘What is that?’ She looked at the remains of Troy’s breakfast and let out a groan. ‘Yuck.’
‘Black pudding. Shiveringly good.’
‘What’s in it?’ she asked. ‘Smells revolting.’
‘It’s a sausage made of pigs’ blood, onions and oatmeal. Or something like that.’
‘A sausage made of blood? Disgusting.’
‘At least it doesn’t crawl around like your insect food. It’s not a baked spider or whatever.’
‘Spiders and scorpions aren’t insects. They’re arachnids.’
‘All right. Let’s call them bugs, then.’
‘Or invertebrates,’ she replied, reaching for her life-logger, ‘but that
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