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the necessary fingertip search of the quarry and its surrounds. When that was complete, both teams should meticulously examine the machinery within the farm buildings, and the buildings themselves, either for the instrument which had caused her death, or for a spade, shovel, pick-axe or other gravedigging tool. Those implements did exist, consequently they must be somewhere – and that being so, they could be traced. The footpath must be searched too, along with the surrounding vegetation, for any items of thrown-away evidence, while the barbed wire on top of the roadside fence near the stile must be examined for fibres and other possible evidence.
    Pluke told his officers that the press would be informed of the death, but in the event of any journalists speaking to officers other than Pluke or Wayne Wain, then they must be told the girl had died from a head injury. The precise nature of that injury must not be given to anyone not involved with the investigation.
    ‘And now,’ said Pluke, ‘I shall radio the control room at Crickledale to give a brief situation report for onward transmission to interested parties such as the Chief Constable and Headquarters CID, and to formally request the establishment of an incident room. Then Detective Sergeant Wayne Wain and myself will interview our first witness – a local farmer called Brian Preston – and this evening at 6 p.m. I shall arrange the first formal briefing. That will be in the incident room. Our priority is to get the deceased identified as soon as possible and for that, Sergeant Tabler, I shall require you to take the fingerprints of the deceased and a photograph which is decent enough to be viewed by members of the public.’
    ‘No problem, sir, I’ll do that when the post-mortem’s finished. So can I treat this as murder?’ asked Detective Sergeant Tabler, the officer in charge of the Scenes of Crime officers, known as SOCO.
    ‘I am treating the case as possible murder at this stage,’ countered Pluke. ‘I am awaiting the pathologist’s report. Meanwhile, we are conducting a murder-type investigation.’
    ‘But with all due respect, sir, if the woman is suffering from a head injury which might have been caused by something from an agricultural implement, then she might have sustained it accidentally. She might have got caught in some moving machinery or something might have flown off at high velocity and struck her.’
    ‘I am aware of that…’ began Pluke. 
    ‘Balers have very powerful flywheels, remember, and such occurrences are not uncommon in this part of the world. Agricultural accidents are a sad feature of country life during the summer months.’
    ‘Indeed they are,’ agreed Pluke.
    ‘I have dealt with many such accidents,’ continued Sergeant Tabler. ‘Some were caused in the most unbelievable manner… bizarre really… but deadly.’
    ‘Precisely, Detective Sergeant Tabler, I have that very point under active consideration,’ agreed Pluke. ‘But if the death was the result of an accident, why arrange a secret burial? And why dispose of the object which caused the death? And why not summon medical help? In the absence of any substantial answers to those questions, I must consider murder to be a possibility until the contrary is proved. A possibility, but no more. You and your colleagues must consider this a murder-type investigation for the time being – no more and no less.’
    ‘Point taken, sir,’ acknowledged Tabler. ‘I just need some authority for my involvement and my teams’ expenses.’
    ‘Once we get a name for her, sergeant, I feel sure her mode of life and her personality will produce some sensible answers, but in the meantime I want a full investigation. So as your teams undertake their work at the scene, Detective Sergeant Wain and myself will visit a Mr Brian Preston at Hollins Farm. He owns those rounded bales which line the edge of the quarry. From there, I shall return straight to my office, sergeant; if