Unholy Murder

by Lynda La Plante

  ‘I have an excellent memory, Dr Pullen,’ Rogers replied pompously. ‘I first observed adipocere a few years ago, in a case Professor Martin was dealing with.’

  ‘What’s adipocere?’ Boon asked.

  Pullen explained. ‘Adipocere is Latin for fat wax . . . adipo, meaning fat, and cire, wax, though pathologists generally refer to it as grave or corpse wax. Although rare, you are more likely to find it on females and the obese, due to their higher fat content.’ She looked at Jane. ‘Adipocere looks similar to mummified flesh, but it’s actually quite different and varies in colour from dirty white to light brown or grey. It’s also what causes that rancid cheesy smell DC Boon dislikes so much.’

  ‘What causes the adipocere to form?’ Jane asked.

  ‘Basically, after death, fat tissue in a corpse starts to break down. Bacterial enzymes from the intestine and the environment convert unsaturated liquid fats to saturated solid fats, which causes the development of a soft waxy, soap-like material on the body. Adipocere acts as a barrier against the usual process of decomposition and in turn preserves features of the body.’

  ‘But the hands look dry and shrivelled, not waxy or soapy,’ Boon observed.

  ‘Recent adipocere tends to be white, yellow or reddish brown. The older it is, the greyer and more solid it will become . . . as on this body. We’ll need to be careful when we remove it as dried adipocere can crumble and split.’

  Jane was pleased Pullen described the condition of the body in layman’s terms, unlike Professor Martin who, she knew from experience, loved to play to the gallery during a post-mortem and use obscure medical jargon.

  Pullen crouched down and looked at the rim of the coffin. ‘I think this coffin’s been opened recently.’

  ‘How can you tell?’ Jane asked.

  ‘There’s fresh indentation marks on the rim, possibly from a jemmy, plus the sealing glue has been stretched and separated . . . which would also explain why we were able to remove the lid so easily. It looks as if someone has used a crowbar to prise it open.’ Pullen pointed to the marks. ‘The state of the body suggests this coffin was previously airtight, and yet there are some beads of water on the rim and inside.’ She dabbed her finger in a droplet and showed it to Jane. ‘It could be recent rainwater.’

  Jane turned to Boon. ‘Do you know anything about this?’

  Boon looked offended. ‘No, I don’t! You said not to open it, so I didn’t. I also know for a fact no one went near it after you left the building site.’

  ‘Well, someone’s opened it since it was dug up,’ Pullen said.

  ‘What about the undertakers?’ Boon suggested. ‘I nipped to the hospital canteen to get a drink and a Mars Bar when we got here.’

  PC Rogers shook his head. ‘No way. I watched them unload the coffin and leave, as did Jack, who then had a cup of tea with me.’

  ‘Dermot the builder said his mate Barry wanted to open it, so it could have been him before we even got to the building site,’ Boon recalled.

  ‘Good point,’ Jane said. ‘It may also explain why Barry was in a hurry to leave when we got there.’

  Pullen pointed to the nun’s habit. ‘There’s some distinct marks here that look like the outline of a crucifix . . . and two faint lines that run up towards the neck, which could be from the chain.’

  ‘Whoever opened the coffin might have taken it, especially if it was silver,’ Boon suggested.

  Jane frowned. ‘I think we need to have a word with Barry.’

  ‘He’s not that bright if he thought we wouldn’t notice the coffin had been opened,’ Boon added.

  As Pullen wrote her notes, Jane asked if adipocere could help to determine how long a person had been dead.

  ‘To be honest, this is the first time I’ve actually seen it in the flesh, so to speak. From my pathology training, I know adipocere can take weeks if not years to form due to different factors such as temperature, embalming, burial conditions, and materials surrounding the corpse. It’s even been found on bodies that have been dead for hundreds of years. When I do a closer examination of the corpse on the mortuary table, I might be able to give you an approximate idea of physical age, though it might be worth consulting an anthropologist for a more exact—’

  Rogers was quick to interject. ‘I don’t think an anthropologist will be necessary, Dr Pullen.’

  ‘Why not?’ Jane asked.

  ‘Now we know it’s the body of a nun, I don’t see a lot of point continuing.’

  ‘Are you telling me to stop my examination, PC Rogers?’ Pullen frowned.

  ‘The coroner will want the body handed over to the Catholic church for reburial,’ he said.

  ‘You can read his mind, can you?’ Jane retorted.

  ‘I’ll phone him and seek his opinion,’ Rogers replied smugly, then left the room.

  ‘He really is an objectionable little prick,’ Pullen remarked.

  ‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Jane added, surprised but also pleased with Sam’s candour.

  ‘Is that dried flower petals on the chest and forehead?’ Boon asked, pointing to the body from across the room because of the smell.

  ‘They look more like shreds of fabric,’ Pullen replied, using tweezers to lift a piece off for closer examination. ‘I’d say they are bits of satin . . .’ She noticed something odd. ‘Jane, could you pass me the magnifying glass from the table, please.’

  Pullen held the magnifier over the piece of satin. ‘There appears to be a tiny fragment of a fingernail embedded in it.’ She put the satin and nail in a small container before delicately lifting the left hand of the body. ‘Thankfully, the adipocere has preserved the hands and the fingernails are still attached,’ she said, examining one of the hands with the magnifier.

  Jane noticed a look of concern on Pullen’s face. ‘Is there something wrong?’

  ‘The fingernail on the left index finger is broken . . . same on the third finger . . . and there appears to be a tiny bit of satin attached to a broken nail tip.’ Pullen moved round the coffin to examine the right hand.

  Jane was pretty sure she knew what Pullen was thinking. ‘Boony, help me turn the coffin lid over,’ she said, grabbing one end.

  ‘What are you looking for?’ he asked.

  ‘I want to see the condition of the satin lining.’

  ‘The right hand on the body has a broken fingernail and the others are worn down to the fingertips,’ Dr Pullen informed them as they gently turned the lid over.

  The mouldy white satin lining was torn and hanging loose at the head end. Jane gently brushed it to one side, revealing deep fingernail scratch marks on the interior metal.

  ‘Oh my God, she was buried alive!’ Jane exclaimed. ‘Her mouth must be wide open because she died gasping for air.’

  Pullen looked closely at the scratch marks and torn satin, then pointed to a strand. ‘There’s a bit of fingernail just there.’ She used the tweezers to pick it up then looked at Jane. ‘I’d like to treat this as a suspicious death and carry out a full post-mortem.’

  Jane nodded. ‘I agree, and I’m sure the coroner will concur when he hears what we’ve found.’

  ‘I don’t mean to sound silly, but could she have been buried alive by mistake?’ Boon asked.

  ‘It’s possible but highly unlikely,’ Pullen said. ‘There was a case from my medical studies which has always stuck in my mind. In the early 1900s Essie Dunbar, who was thirty, suffered a severe epilepsy attack. It was so bad she passed out and everyone thought she was dead. Even her doctor couldn’t detect a pulse. For religious reasons the funeral was arranged for the next day and the body was put in a burial coffin. Essie’s sister, who lived out of town, arrived after the coffin had been covered in soil, and demanded the body be removed so she could see her sister one last time. When the coffin lid was opened, Essie sat up and smiled at everyone around her . . .no doubt frightening the crap out of them at the same time.’

  ‘No way,’ a disbelieving Boon grin
ned.

  ‘Apparently it’s true, and then she lived for another forty-seven years.’

  ‘So, if our body was deliberately put in the coffin when she was alive, murder could be hard to prove,’ Jane remarked.

  ‘As strange as it may sound – and excuse the pun – but the hand of God might help us here,’ Pullen replied.

  ‘I didn’t take you as the religious type, Sam,’ Jane said.

  Pullen laughed. ‘I’m not. The last time I was in a church was at my sister’s wedding, eight years ago. It’s the adipocere that might help us. It sometimes preserves the soft tissue and internal organs, thus allowing a pathologist to identify internal injuries on the body. She may have been attacked, knocked unconscious and then sealed in the coffin, so I want to do some X-rays on the body and skull for any fractures before we remove it for a full examination.’

  Jane looked at Boon. ‘Go tell Rogers what we’ve found and make sure he tells the coroner and asks for a full post-mortem.’

  ‘It will be my pleasure, sarge.’

  ‘I think it may be advisable to have a lab liaison sergeant present and take photographs before the body is examined any further,’ Pullen said, removing her latex gloves.

  ‘I’ll call the lab sergeant after I’ve deflated Rogers’ ego,’ Boon smiled.

  ‘See if you can get DS Paul Lawrence to attend,’ Jane said.

  ‘Any particular reason?’ Boon asked, clearly wondering if she had a soft spot for Lawrence.

  ‘I’ve known him since I joined the Met and he’s the best at what he does when it comes to forensics and murder. Something tells me this case isn’t going to be straightforward, so his knowledge and experience may prove invaluable.’

  ‘Looks like a dull day at Bromley just got exciting,’ Boon remarked as he hurried out of the room.

  ‘You’re right about DS Lawrence being good at his job,’ Pullen said. ‘I’ve met him a few times whilst assisting Prof Martin, who also rates him highly. Paul is a very nice man.’ She hesitated. ‘Do you know if he’s single?’

  Jane wasn’t sure what to say as Lawrence had confided in her he was gay and lived with his boyfriend. ‘Paul’s not married, but he’s in a relationship with someone.’

  ‘Is it serious?’

  ‘As far as I know . . .’

  Pullen sighed. ‘That’s a shame. I was thinking of asking him if he’d like to go for a drink sometime.’

  *

  A smug-looking PC Rogers was on the phone as Boon entered his office.

  ‘I’ve some new info for you about the—’

  Rogers put his hand over the mouthpiece. ‘Can’t you see I’m speaking to the coroner?’ he growled, before resuming the conversation. ‘Yes, sir. I’ll write the death up as natural causes on my report and contact the Catholic archdiocesan office in Southwark so they can arrange a reburial of the nun.’

  Rogers was about to put the phone down when Boon grabbed it from his hand.

  ‘Sir, it’s Detective Constable Boon from Bromley CID—’

  Rogers reddened. ‘What do you think you’re doing!’

  Boon ignored him. ‘Dr Pullen has found evidence that suggests the nun was alive in the coffin, which means she might have suffocated to death. DI Tennison would like your permission to treat the death as suspicious and also asked if Dr Pullen could carry out a full forensic post-mortem examination.’

  As Boon informed the coroner of Pullen’s findings, Rogers’ face turned pale and he slumped back in his chair. Boon handed the phone to Rogers, whispering, ‘He wants a word with you . . . and he don’t sound happy.’

  As Jane walked in, a glum-looking Rogers was putting his raincoat on. ‘I take it DC Boon has updated you?’

  Rogers said nothing as he trudged out of the room and Jane looked to Boon for an explanation.

  ‘Coroner said he wanted to see him pronto in his office.’

  ‘I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes, but he’s only himself to blame. We OK for a full PM?’

  ‘Yeah, and he’s happy for Dr Pullen to do it as long as Prof Martin agrees. Shall I give him a call first then ask for a lab sergeant to attend?’

  ‘Yes, please, and I’ll update DI Stanley,’ Jane said, lifting the phone receiver on another desk.

  ‘Do you think he’ll form a murder squad?’ Boon asked.

  Jane shrugged. ‘Depends on the outcome of the full post-mortem and X-rays.’

  ‘Surely the coroner will want further inquiries made to ascertain who she is and when she died,’ Boon suggested.

  ‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be making them,’ Jane said.

  ‘Why not? We were assigned the investigation so surely we should continue it.’

  ‘I agree, but more senior officers may not. If there’s no other post-mortem evidence to justify a murder investigation the coroner may NFA the case, and return the body to the Church.’

  ‘I hope it is a murder,’ Boon said.

  ‘Well, don’t get your hopes up. Like I said, even if it is you may not be on the investigation.’

  ‘I know I’ve not been a DC long, but this would be a good case for me to gain more experience,’ Boon said, looking hopefully at Jane.

  Jane remembered the excitement she had felt on her first murder investigation. ‘If they do form a squad, and I’m on it, I’ll recommend you be part of the team.’

  His eyes lit up. ‘Thanks, sarge.’

  Jane then rang DI Stanley.

  ‘We found the body of what appears to be a nun in the coffin . . .’

  Stanley was quick to interrupt. ‘Well, no surprise there then.’ He sounded like he was in a bad temper. ‘Hand the case over to the coroner’s officer then get back here pronto. I need you to deal with an indecent assault allegation against a local councillor and take a statement from the victim.’

  ‘I’m sorry, but I’m tied up here at the mortuary,’ Jane told him. ‘The coroner wants the death treated as suspicious and a full post-mortem done.’

  ‘On what grounds?’ Stanley retorted.

  ‘The death may not have been from natural causes,’ Jane said, then recounted her observations and Dr Pullen’s comments.

  ‘She was buried alive? Bloody hell, I wasn’t expecting that. What about the body – any idea how long she’s been dead or who she is?’

  ‘No to both at present, but the Church might be able to help us. The full PM should tell us more about her age and when she died, and we might find something in the coffin to give us an indication of who she is.’

  ‘So, you haven’t started a full PM yet?’

  ‘No, we’re waiting for a lab sergeant to attend and Prof Martin’s permission for Dr Pullen to do the PM.’

  ‘I thought you said a pathologist was already there?’

  ‘Yes, but . . . she’s not quite fully qualified yet.’

  ‘Then her initial conclusions could be wrong.’

  Jane was getting irritated by Stanley’s attitude. ‘She explained her suspicions to me and pointed out visual evidence to back it up. I think she’s right and the nun may have been murdered.’

  ‘You’re not a pathologist, Tennison . . . and Pullen is a rookie. Personally, I think it best if Prof Martin does the PM.’

  She sighed. ‘You’re beginning to sound like PC Rogers.’

  ‘Who’s he?’

  ‘The coroner’s officer dealing with the case.’

  ‘Oh, so he agrees with me?’

  Jane waved her hand at Boon who was still on the phone. ‘Have you spoken to Prof Martin yet about Dr Pullen doing the PM?’ she whispered.

  Boon nodded as he put the phone down. ‘Yep, he’s happy for Doc Pullen to do the PM and said to ring him if she needed his assistance or advice. DS Lawrence is already working on a murder in North London, so another lab sergeant will be allocated this case and be with us shortly.’

  Jane smiled and did a thumbs-up. ‘Prof Martin is happy for Dr Pullen to . . .’

  ‘I heard what Boon said,’ Stanl
ey interrupted.

  Jane smiled. ‘Well, the Prof obviously has faith in her ability and judgement . . . unlike some people.’

  ‘I’ll be with you in half an hour. Don’t start the PM without me,’ he added and banged the phone down.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  While Boon went to the hospital canteen to get a sandwich, Jane looked in the Yellow Pages for Father Floridia’s phone number and called to update him about the discovery of the body, but there was no answer. She was about to return to the mortuary examination room when Pullen walked in. Jane told her that the coroner wanted a full post-mortem and Professor Martin was happy for her to do it, and if she needed his assistance to call him.

  ‘Thanks, Jane,’ she replied nervously.

  ‘You don’t look pleased.’

  ‘I know it sounds silly,’ Pullen sighed, ‘but I feel like a schoolkid about to do my first recorder solo on stage.’

  Jane smiled. ‘You’ll be fine. Believe me, Prof Martin wouldn’t let you go solo if he didn’t think you were up to it. Plus the audience will be much smaller.’ Jane added, ‘Are you going to do the X-rays in the hospital radiography department?’

  Pullen shook her head. ‘For health reasons they won’t let me, due to the state of the body. But it turns out they have a mobile X-ray machine on site and the radiographer is doing them as we speak. I had a quick look in the nether regions of the body and can definitely say it’s a female. I also measured her height and she’s only five foot two.’

  Jane frowned. ‘That’s a small body for a big coffin.’

  Pullen nodded. ‘The coffin is just over seven feet long.’

  ‘Father Floridia thought a nun would normally be buried in a wooden coffin,’ Jane said.

  ‘The plot thickens,’ Pullen said, raising her eyebrows.

  The more Jane engaged with Sam Pullen, the more she liked her down-to-earth attitude and affable personality. Jane told her about PC Rogers’ faux pas with the coroner and Sam said he had it coming and deserved no sympathy.

  Jane was making a coffee for the two of them and had her back to the door when she noticed Pullen look towards it. Thinking it was Boon she put a teaspoon of instant coffee in another cup.