Read Online The Dead Place by Stephen Booth - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephen Booth
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Mystery Fiction, England, Police Procedural, Traditional British, Policewomen, Police - England - Derbyshire, Derbyshire (England), Cooper; Ben (Fictitious Character), Fry; Diane (Fictitious Character)
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to picture the position of the skeleton. The skull had been at the far end of the excavation, close to the roots of an ash tree; the arms had been
50 slightly bent at the elbow, so that the fleshless hands rested somewhere in the pelvic region, while the legs were laid out straight and close together, with the feet near to where he was standing now.
Cooper looked up through the canopy of trees to locate the sun. The cloud cover wasn't heavy, and a gleam of brightness was visible, despite the rain. Higher up, on the moors, he could always orient himself if he could see the sun. But down here, among the winding dales and shelving banks of woodland, it was easy to lose his sense of direction.
Most of the available sunlight seemed to be coming from beyond the trees to his left. Since it was morning, that should be approximately south-east. Cooper patted the pockets of his jacket. Somewhere here, he was sure . . . ah, yes. He pulled out a small Silva compass and swivelled it until he'd oriented the needle to the north. He looked at the grave again. Head there, feet here. He nodded. But it probably meant nothing.
'What are you doing?' said Jarvis.
Cooper had almost forgotten him. The man had been so silent and so still that he might as well have merged into the trees. He was standing under the boughs of an oak, with water dripping on to his sweater. He hadn't bothered to put on a coat before they came down to the stream. In a few more minutes, he'd be as wet as the ground he was standing on. 'Nothing important, sir,' said Cooper. 'Just checking some details.'
'Routine?'
Jarvis said the word as if it summed up everything that was wrong with the world. This was a world that wouldn't leave him alone to sit in peace on his porch with his dogs.
'What's on the other side of these woods?' asked Cooper, pointing across the stream to the east.
'It's part of the Alder Hall estate.'
51 'I've never heard of it.'
'It's not exactly Chatsworth - though they say it belongs to the Duke again now. The house has been empty for the last two years, anyway. This stream is the estate boundary.'
'But there's a fence up there above the trees. That looks as though it ought to be the boundary.'
'That fence is new. It marks the end of the access land.'
'Of course.'
The walkers who found the human remains at Litton Foot had been here only as a result of their new freedom under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. The so-called 'right to roam' legislation had opened up a hundred and fifty square miles of private land in the national park to public access for the first time. Otherwise, the remains might have lain undiscovered for years yet. In a different location, they'd probably have been found months ago, before they deteriorated beyond hope of identification.
'Bad business, it being a woman,' said Jarvis.
'Yes.'
'She doesn't know. The wife, I mean. She gets upset about stuff like that. Hates these ramblers coming across our land. But I suppose I'd better tell her.'
'It'll be in the papers anyway,' said Cooper.
'Aye.'
Cooper almost slipped on the stones, and put his hand on to the wall to keep himself upright. The moss covering the wall was thick and fibrous to the touch, like a cheap carpet that had been soaked in a flood and never dried out. It held water as effectively as a sponge, and no air could penetrate it. When he raised his hand from the wall, Cooper's fingers smelled dank and woody.
'Well, thank you for your time, sir,' he said. 'I think I've got what I need for now.'
'Aye? You don't need much, then.'
As they walked back towards the house, Cooper noticed
52 an enclosure next to the paddock. A row of old pigsties stood on a concrete apron surrounded by muddy ground and a stone wall, mortared to give it extra stability.
'Do you raise livestock, Mr Jarvis?' he said.
'No. These dogs are enough livestock for me.'
Cooper dug into an inside pocket for one of his cards.
'If you do happen to remember anyone, sir - I mean if the
50 slightly bent at the elbow, so that the fleshless hands rested somewhere in the pelvic region, while the legs were laid out straight and close together, with the feet near to where he was standing now.
Cooper looked up through the canopy of trees to locate the sun. The cloud cover wasn't heavy, and a gleam of brightness was visible, despite the rain. Higher up, on the moors, he could always orient himself if he could see the sun. But down here, among the winding dales and shelving banks of woodland, it was easy to lose his sense of direction.
Most of the available sunlight seemed to be coming from beyond the trees to his left. Since it was morning, that should be approximately south-east. Cooper patted the pockets of his jacket. Somewhere here, he was sure . . . ah, yes. He pulled out a small Silva compass and swivelled it until he'd oriented the needle to the north. He looked at the grave again. Head there, feet here. He nodded. But it probably meant nothing.
'What are you doing?' said Jarvis.
Cooper had almost forgotten him. The man had been so silent and so still that he might as well have merged into the trees. He was standing under the boughs of an oak, with water dripping on to his sweater. He hadn't bothered to put on a coat before they came down to the stream. In a few more minutes, he'd be as wet as the ground he was standing on. 'Nothing important, sir,' said Cooper. 'Just checking some details.'
'Routine?'
Jarvis said the word as if it summed up everything that was wrong with the world. This was a world that wouldn't leave him alone to sit in peace on his porch with his dogs.
'What's on the other side of these woods?' asked Cooper, pointing across the stream to the east.
'It's part of the Alder Hall estate.'
51 'I've never heard of it.'
'It's not exactly Chatsworth - though they say it belongs to the Duke again now. The house has been empty for the last two years, anyway. This stream is the estate boundary.'
'But there's a fence up there above the trees. That looks as though it ought to be the boundary.'
'That fence is new. It marks the end of the access land.'
'Of course.'
The walkers who found the human remains at Litton Foot had been here only as a result of their new freedom under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. The so-called 'right to roam' legislation had opened up a hundred and fifty square miles of private land in the national park to public access for the first time. Otherwise, the remains might have lain undiscovered for years yet. In a different location, they'd probably have been found months ago, before they deteriorated beyond hope of identification.
'Bad business, it being a woman,' said Jarvis.
'Yes.'
'She doesn't know. The wife, I mean. She gets upset about stuff like that. Hates these ramblers coming across our land. But I suppose I'd better tell her.'
'It'll be in the papers anyway,' said Cooper.
'Aye.'
Cooper almost slipped on the stones, and put his hand on to the wall to keep himself upright. The moss covering the wall was thick and fibrous to the touch, like a cheap carpet that had been soaked in a flood and never dried out. It held water as effectively as a sponge, and no air could penetrate it. When he raised his hand from the wall, Cooper's fingers smelled dank and woody.
'Well, thank you for your time, sir,' he said. 'I think I've got what I need for now.'
'Aye? You don't need much, then.'
As they walked back towards the house, Cooper noticed
52 an enclosure next to the paddock. A row of old pigsties stood on a concrete apron surrounded by muddy ground and a stone wall, mortared to give it extra stability.
'Do you raise livestock, Mr Jarvis?' he said.
'No. These dogs are enough livestock for me.'
Cooper dug into an inside pocket for one of his cards.
'If you do happen to remember anyone, sir - I mean if the
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