Read Online Dead on Demand (A DCI Morton Crime Novel) by Sean Campbell, Daniel Campbell - Free Book Online Page B

concern for his daughter was touching, but the good doctor wondered if this might simply be a ruse to distract the police.
    An hour later Edwin Murphy walked into New Scotland Yard, and took the lift down to the morgue. It was recessed in the basement, and the only foot traffic in the area was the coroner, his assistants and technologists as well as the occasional cop.
    He was led to a viewing window by the WPC who had phoned earlier, and could see a body underneath a cotton sheet on a gurney. Once he had assured the WPC he was emotionally prepared, the coroner's assistant pulled back the cover. He was careful to show only the face, and not the neck wound.
    'That's her. That's my Eleanor.' Edwin's eyes began to water, and he sank to his knees in a fit of sobbing.
    ***
    Most people cannot distinguish fact from fiction, as long as the deception is plausible. Dr Jensen was not most people. As well as being trained in forensic psychology, he had appeared on television as 'the human lie detector'. He was one of the rare individuals who could recognise micro expressions, visual clues that appear on the face for a fraction of a second.
    With the subject filmed, and the video played back in slow motion, this could become deadly accurate. He had been thrown out of court for trying to testify as an expert witness, it was true, but that didn't diminish the accuracy of his work. The police knew how valuable his opinion was, and so he spent his days locked up at Met HQ reviewing videos, audio recordings and even photographs to see if he could discern the truth contained within.
    'So what are we dealing with, Doc?' called a deep voice from behind.
    'I hate it when you sneak up on me, David,' Jensen said, but his tone was more welcoming than his words.
    Morton smiled. 'I know, Doc, but old habits die hard.' Prior to joining the Metropolitan Police the inspector had done a stint in the military police.
    'Well, the subject isn't being entirely honest with us. He either knew or expected she was dead. That isn't necessarily incriminating. It could just have been deep-seated fear, but I think the slight pauses were the giveaway. Watch him closely.'
    'We will, Doc. I'm on my way to question him right now.' Morton tipped an invisible hat to Dr Jensen, and left whispering a barely audible 'thank you' as he strode towards the door.
    ***
    The gold-embossed envelope fluttered onto the doormat while the Sugden family were still asleep. The maid brought it up with the paper, resisting the temptation to open it. Mr Sugden set it aside at first. Even in front of his staff he maintained an air of indifference. It had to look like gold-embossed envelopes were an everyday occurrence, rather than something to get excited about. After he had supped his coffee, Mrs Sugden passed him his letter opener. It too was embossed, a beautiful handmade antique. It was a relic of the Afro-Crimean war, and had been in his family for generations.
    He flipped the envelope over gingerly between his fingertips. It was addressed simply to Mr and Mrs Peter Sugden. That puzzled him at first. Usually when one goes to the trouble of using such an elaborate overture as gold-embossed silk envelopes, one takes the time to address the recipient in a more formal manner.
    The reverse had not been written on, though a wax seal had been applied to the seams. The crest imprinted in the wax was not a design that Peter was familiar with, and he was knowledgeable of such matters. His family was in Debrett's after all. The figure depicted was a famous imam, but Peter had subconsciously discounted the invitation possibly being from those sort of people and he didn't notice it.
    The envelope eviscerated neatly along the top edge; Peter tugged the invitation from the cotton and held it between his thumb and forefinger.
    'Dear Mr and Mrs Sugden,
    His Excellency Qadi Qumas and his exalted wife request the pleasure of your company on Saturday for the occasion of a Garden Party to be held in