Read Online Secret of the Dead by Michael Fowler - Free Book Online Page B

also records from when it was the West Riding. The oldest file I have seen is an undetected murder from nineteen-sixty-two.”
    Hunter pursed his lips in a silent whistle.
    “The case you’re after is the murder of Lucy Blake-Hall from nineteen-eighty-three is that right?”
    “Yeah. Well before my time. I didn’t join the job until nineteen-ninety-one.”
    “Well it’s all there.” Jamie Parker pointed to an array of cardboard file boxes stacked next to a metal cabinet.
    Hunter guessed there must be at least a dozen stacked boxes. He hadn’t expected that amount.
    “You’re in luck. We’ve had a quick scan through and it looks as though everything is there.” Parker pushed himself up from his seat and moved to the pile. Giving a cursory glance at its label he prised open the lid of one box and lifted out a thick file with both hands. “This is the summary, main witnesses evidence, and suspect interview file which was presented at the trial. In the other boxes are the house to house forms, original witness statements, scene of crime photographs and the Home Office forensic forms for the science labs. Oh, and in your case quite a few of the boxes contain the original index cards for the job.”
    “You got this quick. We only rang about this case a couple of hours ago.”
    “There was a message left on my voice-mail this morning from a Detective Superintendent Dawn Leggate. I got in at half-seven, so I was able to arrange a driver to pick up the case box-files first thing.” The DS handed Hunter the thick bound file.
    Hunter weighed it in his hands, turned it and fanned apart some of the pages with a thumb and glanced at the top typewritten sheet. It had the patina of ageing but was easily readable. He glanced at the strap-line, reading it off inside his head; Regina v Daniel Weaver.
    “You’re very lucky. Many of the really old case files have been destroyed. Forces have had to be ruthless because of the lack of space, and I know from experience that huge swathes of paperwork have been binned. I’ve had a cursory look inside the boxes of your case. There’s an inventory at the top of each one. And although all the paperwork appears to be there, I’m afraid there’re no exhibits. I don’t know yet if those have been destroyed or not.”
    Hunter pursed his lips and shot a quick glance at Grace.
    “No need to look downhearted. I do have some good news. Since I’ve been doing this job we’ve discovered that the forensic science labs, unlike the police, have kept files and samples from every job ever submitted to them. So somewhere in their system will be samples taken during the Lucy Blake-Hall investigation. Once you sort through the paperwork, if you let me know, I can set things in motion with an e-mail and go up to forensics with you, if you’d like?”
    Hunter mouthed “cheers” and returned the file. He cast his eyes along the pile of cardboard archive boxes.
    There’s certainly a lot of paperwork to go through , he thought. He set the lid back on the carton and heaved it up.
    “We’ll give you a hand to load it,” offered Jamie. He picked up a box from the pile and hoisted it mid-chest. “Listen, we have loads of experience now of dealing with cold cases, especially tracking down witnesses. We have found it can be tricky tracking down female witnesses. Many women get married, change their surname and also move away, but we have tried and trusted ways of finding them. Once you’ve gone through the boxes and sorted everything out, if you get stuck with anything just give us a bell.”
    Hunter cast him an appreciative smile.
    “Just a bit of advice as well. When the time comes for you to speak with the detectives who previously worked on the case, I know from experience that some of them get very nervous when you start going back over things, because methods that were used during their time were not always the right ones. Just remember that was then this is now! Your focus shouldn’t be