The Perfect Corpse

by Giles Milton

  ‘Jack - ?’

  Tammy’s voice came from behind him. ‘Sorry. I was running late.’

  ‘No problem,’ he said. ‘Just got here.’

  She suggested a table in the corner and called over to the bar, motioning for the menu. The waitress brought it over, along with a tray of condiments.

  ‘Can we get iced water,’ said Tammy. ‘And a bottle of Switchback red.’

  ‘Not for me,’ he said.

  ‘Oh, a glass or two, surely?’

  He held out his hands in a vague gesture of refusal, but the waitress had already nodded and was making her way back to the bar.

  ‘Listen,’ she said, lowering her voice to a whisper and abruptly changing the subject. ‘Bad news. Just heard this evening, before I left work. Luke told me. They’re bringing Ferris Clark forwards by a day. We’ve only got two days left.’

  Jack nodded slowly. Two days. It was not long.

  ‘I’m heading for Vegas in the morning,’ he said. ‘First thing. I need to see the archives. I want to go to the Family Search Center, the one where Tom found the military stuff. He might have missed something. And you never know – ’

  He paused.

  ‘Never know what?’ she said.

  He shrugged. ‘Just want to see it for myself.’

  ‘But tomorrow’s Saturday.’

  ‘It’s open. I checked. Closes at two.’

  ‘Can I join you? I mean, only if – ’

  He smiled. ‘Two brains are better than one. We’ll go in my car, but we need to start early, soon after six.’

  ‘No problem. Fran and Elsie are at Bill’s this weekend. That’s their dad. As long as I’m back by evening.’

  He nodded. ‘I’ll need to get a new place to stay. Any ideas? I’m checking out of Logan’s Corner in the morning.’

  She reeled off a list. ‘Plenty of places. I’ll call tomorrow when we’re on the road.’

  Jack reached across for the menu and was about to open it, but she held it shut with her hand and pointed to the blackboard.

  ‘Daily specials,’ she said, and started to read them out. ‘Pan-Fried Oysters. They’re good. Southern Fried Catfish. Not bad. Or an eight-ounce New York Steak. The steak’s great.’

  ‘You choose. You know the place.’

  Tammy turned to the waitress who’d reappeared with the bottle of wine. ‘Steak, fries, salad, times two, please.’ She looked back at Jack. ‘Sound okay?’

  He nodded and took the bottle from the waitress, pouring wine into Tammy’s glass and water into his own. Then, when the waitress had gone again, he asked her more about ZAKRON. ‘Your granddad really founded it?’

  ‘Yeah. That’s why it’s like home. And if I’m honest it’s how I got my job in the first place. But like I said earlier, it’s starting to feel like Tom’s taken it over. I’m becoming a stranger there, and a stranger in danger of being fired.’

  She told him how her grandfather established the company in the nineteen forties, how he’d spent the war years working at Hanford military base.

  ‘Not even sure what he was doing there. All kept secret. Even gran never knew. Only thing I remember is her telling us how he slept with a gun under his pillow.’

  ‘But where did cryonics come from?’ said Jack. ‘I don’t get the leap from working for the army to freezing human bodies. He was some sort of war scientist?’

  She shrugged. ‘Guess so. Science was always his thing. But I have no idea how cryonics fits in. He was hooked for years, that’s for sure. One of our good old fashioned American pioneers. And Hanford has been cutting edge science since Christ knows when. Before the war, during the war, after the war. And even today. It’s not just ZAKRON. There’s all the aeronautics stuff on the north side of town. This place is so teched up it makes Silicon Valley look like it’s got stuck in the eighties.’

  ‘He worked alone? Granddad, I mean.’

  She shook her head. ‘No, there was a whole team of them. Colleagues from the base. They stayed on in Hanford after the war, became the founders of ZAKRON. It was a huge success. All medical stuff in those days. They made a lot of money. And then, wind the clock forwards a few years and I get my job.’

  ‘But cryonics in the nineteen-forties - ?’

  ‘Just a dream. But then along comes liquid nitrogen and the whole thing becomes a reality. Money was already trickling in by then. And then, in sixty-eight, ZAKRON gets its first patient. Steve Waller. A multi-millionaire many times over. Died of lymph cancer. We’ve still got him on ice.’

  She paused, smiled. ‘But hey, what’s this got to do with Ferris Clark?’

  ‘Nothing I guess. Just interesting.’

  He abruptly changed subject, telling her everything he’d discovered about Greenland, Camp Eggen, the German weather stations.

  ‘Jesus you’ve been productive. Can’t believe you’ve done all that from your laptop. I searched for Greenland, Ferris Clark and frozen corpses and all I came up with was you.’

  ‘Me - ?’

  ‘Yeah. Frozen corpses led me to Mallory and Mallory led me to you. Mallory’s the one to blame for bringing you here.’

  ‘We’ll drink to Mallory then,’ he said. ‘There’s few places I rather be right now.’

  ‘Lucky you. I can honestly say, cross my heart, there’s few places I’d rather not be. I don’t mean right now, here in Taylors, with you. I mean the whole Ferris Clark business.’

  She paused.

  ‘I sometimes think I’m the only person left in the world with a conscience.’

  ‘Conscience! Christ, Tammy, if you got your way we’d still be in the Dark Ages, groping around looking for acorns to eat.’

  He looked at her and realised he’d overstepped the mark. He changed subject, running through the various scenarios that could have cost Ferris Clark his life. Suicide. Murder. Or capture by Nazi commandos.

  ‘Only theories,’ he said. ‘And I hate theories. But this Ferris Clark’s so strange -’

  ‘But I still don’t get how he fits into it all,’ she said. ‘You’re saying he attacked one of the Nazi weather stations? And then somehow gets himself captured and dumped in a crevasse?’

  ‘I don’t know. But why else would his body end up in the middle of Greenland?’

  He fell silent for a moment, still thinking it through.

  ‘The Allies must have known about the Nazi weather stations,’ he said. ‘The radio signals would have been intercepted by Bletchley Park. Enigma, you know, the code-breakers.’

  She gave a nod. She’d heard something about code-breakers.

  ‘But they couldn’t have attacked the German base from the air. A few cabins, a radio antenna and a snow-field the size of a country - you can’t see a small cabin from ten thousand feet up, especially when it’s buried under snow. So what do you do? You alert Washington. Washington sends an expedition. And Weather Station Edelweiss is attacked. Cue Ferris Clark.’

  He unfolded his map and pointed to the various stations he’d identified. They were marked with red dots. And then he showed her the most direct route to Edelweiss, one that would have taken them straight up the coast. Two hundred miles in a line, due north.

  ‘But I’ve looked into it,’ he said. ‘This coast here is choked with glaciers and ice. You can’t even get husky dogs up there. When Greenlanders head north for hunting they take this route here.’

  He pushed his finger away from Camp Eggen, sweeping inland by more than a hundred miles before tracing a route north-east towards the dot that marked one of the German weather stations.

  ‘They harness their huskies, load their sledges and then they’re off. It’s bitterly cold. Minus twenty. Thirty, even. Your breath crystallizes in that sort of cold. The hairs in your nose freeze.

  ‘They travel three hundred miles north. Then they turn east, towards Edelweiss. And at this point here -’ his finger came to a halt at the spot where Ferris Clark’s body was found - ‘something went wrong.’

  ‘What -?’

/>   ‘That’s exactly what I want to look for in Vegas. Maybe the Germans picked up some intelligence. They know they’re going to be attacked so they go on the offensive. Lead their dog teams out across the ice.’

  ‘You sure spin a good story,’ she said.

  *

  The door to Taylors opened and they both looked up.

  ‘Oh shit,’ said Tammy under her breath. ‘What the hell’s he doing here?’

  It was Tom Lawyer.

  The expression on his face was one of sly surprise as he approached their table. ‘Farewell dinner?’ he said. He turned to Jack. ‘Hope it’s on her.’

  Jack nodded. ‘It really is farewell,’ he said. ‘I’m off to Vegas tomorrow.’

  Tom smiled. ‘Good, good, you’ll enjoy it. Although there’s more point to it all if you gamble. Caesar’s Palace and all that.’

  ‘Only got a day,’ said Jack. ‘And there’s a few things I’d like to check out.’

  Tom stood with his arms resting on the empty chair at their table.

  ‘Well I won’t join you,’ he said, waving his arm towards the bar. ‘Meeting some folk.’ He looked around the place and pulled a disapproving face. ‘Haven’t been here in years. Hasn’t got any better.’

  He was about to make some sort of parting jibe when the waitress cut him short by serving them their steak.

  ‘Best get to the bar,’ he said. ‘There’s drinks need drinking.’

  ‘What the hell’s he doing here?’ said Tammy when he was out of earshot. ‘Mighty strange coincidence. I picked this place precisely cos I thought there’s no way we’d meet anyone from ZAKRON.’

  She picked up the bottle and refilled her glass.

  ‘You’ve got to try it,’ she said, hovering it over his glass. ‘Go on. You can’t eat steak without wine.’

  Jack hesitated.

  ‘And it’s from just over the hills. California.’

  ‘Well – ’

  ‘And I’m certainly not going to drink an entire bottle by myself. Jeez, you’d have to take me out on a stretcher. Here -’

  Jack held the filled glass to his nose and inhaled. Similar to the reds in Tuscany. Montepulciano. Rich, like alcoholic jam. He took a mouthful. It was good. And Tammy was right, it was perfect with the steak.

  ‘So -’ she said, suddenly hesitant.

  He looked up.

  ‘I wanted to ask - your wife - Alice, you said? I love that name. And it’s just too goddam tragic. What happened? D’you mind me, like, asking? It’s been on my mind ever since last night.’

  Jack was silent for a moment. Then he looked up at her.

  ‘She was my muse,’ he said. ‘Pretentious, I know, but it was for real. We met at evening class. Drawing. She was good. Better than me. And I asked her to model – ’

  Tammy raised an eyebrow then gave a smile.

  ‘Nothing like that,’ said Jack. ‘We were both totally into painting. I still am. And it went from there. Married in eight weeks.’

  ‘Eight weeks! You don’t mess around.’

  ‘Couldn’t see any reason why not to. Love at first sight and all that.’

  ‘And then?’

  ‘Four happy years. Didn’t realise you could be so happy. We’d have had kids but then – ’

  He drained off his glass. ‘And then it’s like I told you.’

  ‘So sudden. It’s terrible, Jack. Tragic. I can’t even begin to imagine -’

  ‘Yes. Sudden. That’s all there is to tell. End of story.’

  ‘But – ’

  He raised his hand.

  ‘Sorry - I’m always sticking my nose in. One thing you need to know about me is that I’m up-front. Jesus, you have to be if you work at ZAKRON. Only way to survive.’

  ‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘Really. I don’t mind. And it’s my fault for bringing it up in the first place.’

  He refilled his glass then looked back at Tammy. Her profile was caught in the glimmer of candlelight and her huge eyes looked just like Karin’s.

  ‘If I had a pen and paper I’d draw you right now.’

  She laughed. ‘That’s too kind. But why would you want to draw me? Besides, I couldn’t sit still for long enough. Too impatient. Always have been.’

  She got up and went to the washroom. When she returned, she did so with the restaurant owners in tow.

  ‘Dane and Elida, Jack Raven.’

  They shook his hand, all smiles, welcomed him to Hanford. ‘Tammy’s been telling us all about you.’

  ‘Sounds ominous.’

  ‘All good. And it’s not always like that with her.’

  The steakhouse had filled up in the hour since they’d arrived. Now, most tables were occupied and a group of men were clustered around Tom Lawyer, drinking beer at the bar.

  ‘I recognize some of them,’ said Tammy when Dane and Elida had gone back to the kitchen. ‘Bill’s mates. Had no idea they also knew Tom.’

  ‘Bill’s the ex?’

  ‘Yep. Bill’s the ex. And he doesn’t come here any more, which is one of the reasons why I still do. Dane told him he wasn’t welcome.’

  One of the men put money into the jukebox. There was a clunk of a coin and Marvin Gaye burst into play. Jack finished his wine in a single slug and helped himself to some more. Each time he glanced at Tammy he noticed she was already looking at him.

  ‘Problem about having dinner with a forensic archaeologist,’ she said with a dry laugh, ‘is that I get this feeling I’m under the spotlight.’

  ‘You are under the spotlight. It’s shining full on you, right now.’ He smiled. ‘It’s like I told you. I like to draw, paint. So I end up imagining how I’d paint people. And places too. And people in places. I mean, in their own environment, if you see what I mean. Like you, here.’

  ‘I think I get it.’

  ‘It feels –’ he cast his gaze around the restaurant - ‘so exotic. After London, I mean.’

  ‘Exotic! That’s definitely the wine speaking! It’s Taylors for Chrissakes. In Hanford. It’s about as exotic as a cheeseburger and fries.’

  ‘No, I mean being here. Getting away. Enjoying life after all the crap.’

  ‘Yeah – getting away’s important. Unwinding. Good food and wine.’

  ‘Shall I get another bottle - ?’

  ‘Bad idea. I mean I’d happily stay here all night. But – ’ she glanced at her watch – ‘if we’re really heading to Vegas in the morning, I need my beauty sleep. When I’m tired I snap.’

  ‘Wouldn’t want that,’ he said. ‘You’re right. The voice of reason and all that. Something I have in short supply. And tomorrow’s going to be a long day.’

  He paid the bill and then Tammy offered him a lift back to Logan’s Corner. ‘Don’t worry. I only had two glasses. And I didn’t even finish the last one. It’s fine.’

  Jack settled himself into the passenger seat and gazed idly out of the window. He hadn’t felt so mellow in ages. In fact he hadn’t felt so good since - ? The last time he’d had a drink seemed to belong to a different planet. And the last ten days of his life, Christ, had been a diet of coffee and sleeping pills.

  They passed the ZAKRON building on the other side of the highway. It was in near darkness. The only light came from Kingston’s office. A few minutes later they were pulling into Logan’s Corner. Tammy put the car into neutral then silenced the engine. Jack looked at her for a moment, her face perfectly illumined by the lamps outside.

  ‘So – ’ he said abruptly. ‘D’you want to come upstairs - ?’

  Her eyes widened.

  ‘Wow. Thought you Brits were meant to be reserved!’

  There was an awkward silence and then Jack folded his head into his hands.

  ‘Can’t believe I just said that. Forget it completely. Erase it from your mind. It never happened.’

  She turned to face him, only this time with a smile on her face. ‘But if you’re – ’

  He didn’t hear. ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry. It was the wine. Two glasses – or was it
three? – and I’m inviting you to my room. That’s – ’

  ‘My fault,’ she said, holding up her hands in a gesture of surrender. ‘Totally my fault. The wine was all my idea. I didn’t realise at all. I’m real sorry. And besides, I need to get home. Really. Another time. We’ve got an early start.’

  ELEVEN

  Karin -

  Hello. Day 12. So I’m breaking my rules and emailing you. It’s late and I’ve been out and now I’m back and lying here in my crap hotel room after a long day’s work and wondering how your filming’s going.

  I’m in Nevada – yes, Nevada. Two days after you left I got an email. A corpse found in the Greenland ice. No idea how it got there. And naked. Make of it what you will. Anyway, just what I needed in the circumstances. I’ve been re-reading your phone messages. Nevada’s a long way from Germany, if you stop to think about it. There, that’s it.

  Keep well,

  Jack.

  He received a reply almost immediately.

  Jack,

  What a total surprise (nice) to hear from you! That’s one thing I wasn’t expecting at all! It’s not drink that caused you to email, is it? Tell me it’s not.

  Great you’ve got a case to be working on. I’ve been worried about you, if I’m honest, but didn’t think you’d want me to call. Tell me more about your naked man. Probably a German naturist. Is he fat? Maybe there’s a documentary in it???

  I’ve got news for you, too, but I’ll tell you another time. In fact, I’ve got something to show you, but only if you’re interested…

  (love, if allowed) Karin.

  *

  Karin – what news? I want to hear everything. As for me, nothing more to report. The corpse isn’t a German naturist. It’s a 2WW soldier. Should find out more tomorrow.

  BTW - not drink that caused me to email you!

  *

  Well I’m glad you haven’t been drinking. Don’t!

  Truth is I need your advice. We’ve been filming and I think it went well. We found the woman we were looking for and she agreed to be interviewed and I was the one that did it on camera. I’ve attached it as a video file.