Cambridge Blue - Alison Bruce [27]
Two anglepoise-style brackets projected downwards from the ceiling. On one, a camcorder was mounted, and on the other, a rectangular lamp which would act as a floodlight for illuminating Sykes’s close-up work.
When he spoke, it was slowly and clearly for the benefit of the recording, but in a tone which didn’t alter when he turned to address Marks or Goodhew.
‘Body 8926. Unidentified female.’ He wheeled a side trolley into shot, on which was a collection of clear plastic bags, each one sealed and labelled. He took them one by one and held them up to the camera. ‘Already removed and bagged are: item 8926-01 black leather left shoe, size four, item 8926-02 black leather right shoe, size four, item 8926-03 black skirt, item 8926-04 black bra, item 8926-05 black T-shirt, item 8926-06 black roll-neck woollen sweater, item 8926-07 hallmarked gold ring, item 8926-08 gold earring set with small white stone removed from left ear and item 8926-09 matching earring removed from the right ear. Each of these items was found on the body. These were the only items discovered at the scene—’
‘No knickers?’ interrupted Marks.
‘These were the only items discovered at the scene, but in isolation this does not indicate sexual assault.’
Sykes pushed the trolley to one side and turned to the body.
‘Body 8926. Unidentified female, early to mid-twenties, Caucasian. Height 156 centimetres, weight 112 pounds. External examination of the body. . .’ Sykes paused to position himself at her ankles.
Goodhew guessed it was just procedure, but he wondered why Sykes always started at the feet, especially when, in this case at least, the more interesting information was obviously concentrated at the other end.
Sykes inspected the soles, then spread the toes, checking the skin between. He pointed to the dark colouring of the feet and ankles. ‘That’s not bruising.’
‘It’s post-mortem lividity,’ Goodhew replied.
‘Sorry, I forget who knows what.’ Sykes took samples from under each of the toenails. ‘The feet are both of normal development and they show no visible signs of injury.’
And so he continued, inch by inch, up towards her armpits, then down her arm to her fingers, where he again took samples from under her nails.
He pointed to a small bruise in the middle of her upper left arm. ‘The contusion here appears to be recent and, while it is only small, there is a similar mark on the other arm, possibly consistent with an assailant gripping her and leaving thumbprints.’ He lifted each arm and examined it. ‘On both arms there are a number of smaller contusions to the rear of the limb. These are, in my opinion, bruises made by fingertip pressure. The distance between the thumb and finger marks, and the clarity of them, suggest a person with largish hands and a strong grip. There are no other signs of soft-tissue damage to the arms or hands.’
‘No defence wounds, you mean?’ Goodhew queried.
‘Exactly,’ Sykes replied.
Marks was also keen to get down to the key detail. ‘What about her head and neck?’
‘Yes, well, I’m coming to that next.’ Sykes pulled the inspection light in closer and scrutinized the puckered skin around the victim’s throat. ‘Already bagged are items 8926-10 and 8926-11, a black carrier bag and a length of black bias binding.’ He felt up and down her windpipe, pressing gently with his finger and thumb. ‘The marks around the neck could imply strangulation, but with the majority of manual strangulations the use of excessive force causes damage in the larynx area. At first examination, neither the thyroid cartilage nor the hyoid bone feels damaged, and a more likely use of the bias binding seems to have been to secure the bag, and therefore cause asphyxiation.’
Marks interrupted. ‘Is the ribbon itself significant?’
‘You mean,