Depth of Despair Read Free

miles past the village. A big place on the left. Wardle’s family have owned it for generations. He has cattle and pig unitsthere, keeps his sheep over this side. Be careful how you tackle Simon. He hasn’t much love for officialdom.’
    Nash waited, certain there was more. ‘It goes back to the foot and mouth epidemic. Wardle wasn’t intending to be a farmer. He was a professional soldier but his father had a heart attack after their livestock was destroyed. Wardle resigned his commission and returned to help out until his father was fit. But that didn’t happen. The old man was in Netherdale hospital for six weeks before he died. Simon’s mother followed six months later.’
    ‘That’s sad. I can see Wardle would be sensitive. How old is he?’
    ‘In his late thirties. He’s a real loner and if you’re planning to visit him, watch out. He’s got a sophisticated security system backed up by ferocious guard dogs.’
    ‘Is he married?’
    ‘No, he reckons he’s too busy. To be fair he’s done really well. Rumour was, the losses were so bad the farm was on the brink of having to be sold, but Simon turned it round. Like I say, it’s only rumour, but he persuaded the bank to let him run with a huge overdraft until the compensation kicked in. Since then he’s never looked back but I think the scars are still there.’
    Nash looked across at Mironova. ‘If he’s single perhaps I’d better send my sergeant.’
    Mironova got up to leave, ‘If I find out he’s gay I’ll come back for Viv.’
    ‘Returning to the matter of those keys. I need a list of your current members and any who have resigned or died. Say within the last ten years.’
    ‘It’ll take a lot of work.’
    ‘Then the sooner you start the quicker it’ll be done. I’ll get my constable to collect the list tomorrow morning, right?’
    He nodded, recognizing the inevitable.
    ‘One more thing; can you make a note of any members who might have lost their keys during that time? If they asked for a replacement set, for example.’
     
    The autumn afternoon was well advanced when the diving team recorded further success. The detectives emerged from the shelter of the bothy to supervise the handling of the latest find. The secondset of remains was as skeletal as the first. As Nash rounded the tarpaulin shielding the corpses he wondered why they’d bothered erecting it. There were no passers by to be shocked or to ogle or take photos. The screen didn’t even act as a windbreak.
    ‘What do you reckon, Professor?’
    The pathologist looked up in obvious irritation. ‘I think the sooner I get them to the mortuary and can examine them without the risk of hypothermia the better,’ he snapped. ‘But I don’t suppose that’s what you’re waiting to hear. Give me ten minutes and I’ll join you inside.’ He nodded towards Pearce, ‘That’ll be long enough for you to get coffee on.’
    Nash and Pearce returned to the bothy. The wind had strengthened , the chill factor increased. When Ramirez joined them he was almost blue with cold. He wrapped his fingers gratefully round the mug. ‘Both victims are female, no more than thirty years old.’
    ‘How do you know?’ Pearce was intrigued.
    ‘Because the flesh has been destroyed I was able to examine their spines. In neither case was there deterioration nor wear and tear in the discs as you’d find in an older person.’
    ‘Not mother and daughter then?’ Nash asked.
    ‘I’d need DNA confirmation to be certain, but it’s unlikely.’
    ‘Any chance of establishing the cause of death?’
    ‘I can tell you exactly.’
    ‘Already?’ Pearce exclaimed.
    Ramirez permitted himself a wintry smile. He held out his mug, ‘Refill, please,’ he demanded. ‘They were both shot in the back of the head where it joins the neck. Probably from above when they were kneeling. The reason I know,’ he explained before Pearce could ask, ‘is because the bullet, or bullets that killed them damaged the