Part 18 (2/2)

Darrow nodded. ”This la.s.s, if I'm not mistaken, has been here for centuries.”

”Centuries!” Toni heard herself say.

”So I believe.”

”And you know if s the body of a woman? If it's been here centuries, how do you know?”

Darrow smiled dryly. ”Well, there are remnants of clothing left, even now. Don't think we had too many drag queens back then, eh? Then there are the medical reasons, as well, Jonathan, the pelvic bones of a woman being entirely different from those of a man, the delicate nature of the facial bones, stature, breadth of the ribs... Don't worry, we'll do all the proper procedures back at the morgue, but I think I'm safe in referring to our poor corpse as a la.s.s! I'm going to try to excavate a bit here, rather than just remove the corpse. And we'll have to have a forensic anthropologist in. This is really most remarkable. She must have been buried deep in the muck to be as preserved as she is. Oddly enough, the la.s.s's means of death is rather apparent.”

Toni and Jonathan both stared at him blankly.

Darrow nodded, using a stick to point to the corpse.

”See there? It's a scarf, ascot, handkerchief...something of the like, used as a ligature. Poor wee thing was strangled.”

Toni wasn't sure that she saw, but then, Darrow certainly knew this business better than she did.

Jonathan sighed. ”At least it's not Annie O'Hara, though I don't know whether that's good or bad.”

Darrow looked at him sharply. ”I thought you'd searched the woods for Annie O'Hara? You might have discovered this old grave site.”

”We did search for Annie O'Hara,” Jonathan said flatly. ”As you'll note, this is a dark area. And I'm certain that only the recent rains could have caused this-- these remains--to suddenly rise to a point of discovery. And Miss Fraser reported that she only discovered the bones when the branch was moved. h.e.l.l, Daniel, I'd need more men than I have here to move every branch in this forest!”

Torti was impressed with Daniel Darrow. Details had gone into his recording, and, despite the fact that it seemed she had found an ancient corpse, he made a point of keeping everyone else out of the immediate area.

She had no idea how long they had been at the site when Bruce MacNiall came striding to it with a grave fellow in a suit that identified him immediately as a professional lawman of some variety.

The men stopped at the yellow tape stretched around the immediate area. Bruce looked as imposing in the forest as ever, and yet somewhat haggard. His eyes pinned first on the cordoned area where the remains lay, then on Jonathan. Then he looked around until his gaze fell on where she stood by the trees.

”Toni!” His voice was harsh, yet there was an underlying emotion to it that she found gratifying. His long strides brought him to her in seconds. His hands fell on her shoulders; steel gray eyes a.s.sessed her with pointed concern. ”Are you all right?”

She nodded, glad of him there, wis.h.i.+ng that his presence didn't make her feel a sense of tremulous weakness again. ”Of course,” she told him.

”I'll get you out of here,” Bruce told Toni. ”Can you give me another minute?”

”Bruce, I'm fine,” she said. ”I'm the one who came upon the remains, and I've seen quite a bit already, as you can imagine. And Bruce, this isn't a recent victim of a serial killer. Dr. Darrow says that she's been here for centuries.”

His brow furrowed and the muscles in his face tightened in confusion.

She nodded. ”Centuries,” she repeated.

He turned away from her, striding toward the others.

”Bruce,” Jonathan said, his tone wary. ”I'm here. Daniel is here. And now Robert is here, as well. You don't need to be.”

”Aye, I do,” Bruce said harshly. ”The castle is the closest location to this forest. This corpse is ancient?” he asked, looking at Darrow, both incredulous and relieved.

”I believe. I'm not an expert, but I'd wager she was put here hundreds of years ago,” Darrow told him. ”I told Jonathan, what we really need is an excavation.” He glanced at Toni, and she wondered if she had been staring at him with horror or dismay, because he quickly added, ”We'll not be leaving her here. No, we'll see that she is brought out intact--as intact as possible--with the muck, as well, so that the experts will have all this to help them determine just what happened.” He offered Toni a smile. ”Miss Fraser, you've given a hand to history here today. This la.s.s was strangled, that's a fact.”

”Annalise!” Jonathan said suddenly, staring at Bruce. He seemed almost pleased. ”Looks like the hero of many a Royalist battle might have strangled his wife after all!”

”Maybe, and maybe not,” Bruce said evenly.

”Centuries old, so Dr. Darrow says,” Jonathan persisted.

”Aye, but that doesn't mean the laird did her in, even if it s possible to prove that this is Annalise. The autopsy will take place in Edinburgh,” Robert said.

”This is my jurisdiction,” Jonathan replied testily.

”And it's a national situation,” Robert reminded him.

”You're not the one to make that call,” Jonathan said.

”Now, Jonathan, it's the right call, and we all know it,” Daniel Darrow said evenly. ”This really is a piece of old history we've found here. Naturally, with what's been happening.. .well, we all thought that Miss Fraser had stumbled upon someone else. And even though this pathetic wee one isn't who we thought, it's pretty evident that we have something very serious on our hands.” Darrow's voice made it clear that no one could fault Jonathan for being frustrated--or for a lack of investigative technique. Everyone involved had been tense, certain that the discovery would be a recent victim of violence. But Jonathan apparently felt under the gun, nevertheless.

”For now,” Darrow continued, ”I'll get the boys to help me dig her out and get her to the morgue. Perhaps, Jonathan, Robert, y'll both give me a hand. We need to see to it that an expert is brought here.”

Toni didn't know much about the laws regarding jurisdiction over a corpse--especially a centuries old corpse, or the remains of one--but Darrow's solution seemed to satisfy everyone. In fact his calm approach somewhat soothed all tempers--if only as far as professional and outward appearances went.

Bruce didn't go past the tape, but he hunkered down at a distance again, looking at the remains.

Toni's own gaze was drawn to it then, and her stomach catapulted.

Death was never kind. The angle of the skull made it appear as if the neck had been broken, as if she had been left in pieces, as if the violence done to her had continued--even after death.

She couldn't help but look, though empty eye sockets stared back at her.

”How is that she is in pieces, and yet there are bits of flesh and bone?” Bruce asked.

Darrow hunkered down next to him. ”I'd say that she was buried deep. The muck preserved her.”

”'Tis a pity it didn't do so for our more recent victims,” Jonathan said.

Darrow looked around. ”The air is what often causes decay. If the recent rains s.h.i.+fted an old grave, she's not been exposed long. Aye, poor la.s.s! Certainly looks as if she met her end by strangulation. The marks and--” He produced a small flashlight. ”There! Y'can see how this was tied about her.” He flicked off the light. ”Pity! I can tell more on this la.s.s already than we've gleaned at autopsy on the girls killed within a year or so!”

Bruce stood. Whatever he had seen, it had been enough. ”I'm getting Toni out of here,” he said, looking around to adamantly defy anyone who might protest. No one did.

”Aye, good,” Jonathan said simply. Toni wondered if he really thought it was such a good idea that she be taken from the area, or if taking her out meant that Bruce would be out of his way, as well.

Robert turned to Toni then, offering her a hand. ”Robert Chamberlain. Detective Inspector Robert Chamberlain. Strange circ.u.mstances here, but it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Fraser.”

”Toni,” she murmured, taking his hand. ”Please. And yes, it's a pleasure, Detective Inspector.”

He offered her a wry smile. ”Robert, if you will.”

”Robert,” she murmured.

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