Gift Wrapped Read Online Free Page B

epileptic fit-inducing shimmer to reach the eyes of any person in the room.
    Dr D’Acre pulled down the anglepoise arm which was bolted to the ceiling, so that the microphone at the tip of the arm was level with her mouth. ‘Today’s date and the next serial number, please, Judith.’ She spoke for the clear benefit of the tape which would later, Hennessey knew, be transcribed by an audio typist who evidently knew which information to type and which to omit. Dr D’Acre then turned slowly to Eric Filey and said, ‘This might mean late working for you, Eric. I hope you don’t mind?’
    â€˜Not at all, ma’am,’ Filey responded with a ready smile and Hennessey noted he pronounced ma’am in the correct manner so as to rhyme with ‘calm’ and not in the incorrect manner so as to rhyme with ‘lamb’.
    â€˜Good man, thank you, I appreciate it.’ Dr D’Acre paused for a few seconds before she continued. ‘The subject is a skeletal male adult, over the age of twenty-five years, because the complete knitting of the skull sutures is noted. At first glance his teeth appear to be complete and so he will probably have been no older than his early middle years when he died.’ Again Dr D’Acre paused and turned to Eric Filey. ‘Can you please hand me the tape measure, Eric?’ And then added, ‘Many thanks,’ as Filey handed a yellow metal and retractable one over. ‘If you could help me, Eric?’
    Eric Filey promptly stepped forward and took hold of the end of the tape measure, holding it at the feet, while Dr D’Acre extended it towards the skull. ‘So,’ she announced, ‘five feet eight inches tall or about 173 centimetres in Euro speak. He was not a tall man in life, but neither was he particularly short. He was just of average height for the north of England where folk, it has been observed, tend to be a little shorter than their southern counterparts.’ Again, she paused. ‘In terms of racial extraction he is northern European or Asian, though I think he is too heavily boned to be Asian. The skulls of both groups can be somewhat difficult to distinguish but, having said that, the Asian skulls have a tendency to be more finely made than the Northern European skulls.’ Dr D’Acre forced open the jaw of the skeleton. ‘All the teeth are present,’ she confirmed, ‘and British dentistry is noted ... so likely a UK citizen ... in fact, he certainly will be a UK citizen.’
    â€˜So there will be a missing persons report in respect of him?’ Hennessey commented.
    â€˜Yes, I would think so. Almost certainly so.’ Dr D’Acre continued to examine the teeth. ‘He didn’t look after his teeth – we have fillings a-plenty, though at least that tells us he wasn’t a derelict, a down-and-out whom nobody would miss, but then we knew that because as a general rule down-and-outs don’t get buried in shallow graves.’
    â€˜They certainly don’t,’ Hennessey growled. ‘And the deeper the “shallow” grave the more important the victim. That is also as a general rule.’
    â€˜I’ll extract one of the teeth and cut it into a cross-section as I indicated I would do earlier today. That will give his age at death to within twelve months ... but ... all his teeth, looking after them ... I can tell you that he will have been nearer the beginning of his life than the end, a man with something behind him but also with plans for his future ... that sort of age.’
    â€˜I see,’ Hennessey replied.
    â€˜So let us turn to why we are also here, to determine the cause of death if we can. Noted is damage to the skull, a blow by a blunt object sufficient to be fatal but not in itself guaranteed to be fatal. No other injuries. Oh ... hello, what have we here?’
    â€˜Something?’ Hennessey responded.
    â€˜Yes, yes, we very well might