Chapter 62
Plex Moss Lane had surely seen better days. A wild guess at 1980 would probably not have been outrageous. Popular with Sunday cyclists, who could weave around its potholes, it was a challenge for car drivers. If they misjudged the width of the narrow verge when negotiating an oncoming fellow traveller, they could easily find themselves in the drainage ditches that ran along each side. Occasionally, a misdirected coach party would discover that, for them, it was the world’s end; you could get into it but you weren’t going to get out of it, at least not without a tow truck.
The barrier pole that normally prevented vehicle access to the woods, along its little lane that doubled as a public footpath, had been removed by the first patrols attending and Degsy parked on the hard standing at the entrance to one of the adjoining fields, walking to the scene, 160 metres away.
“That road’s ... erm... interesting to say the least,” he said as he sidled up to the DCI.
His colleague grinned. “It’s even more interesting if you think you’re being clever and come in from the other end. Ruddy sat navs.”
Chalkie briefed him then pointed to a man holding a fishing rod and a wicker basket with a small seat strapped to it who was chatting to a uniform. “We’ve not long discovered this chap lurking in the woods. He was fishing in a little pond in there and thought he was going to get into trouble. It seems he’s been there all morning and didn’t hear a thing. It’s only fifty metres. He says he’s been here previously and could hear people firing shotguns a couple of fields away. Anyway, the search team has strimmed the fuck out of everything next to the pathway, sawed a crap load of bushes down and run a metal detector over it and we’ve found nothing. Looks like they used a silenced revolver.”
He wiped the sweat off his forehead. “And we still don’t know who he is but we’ve taken fingerprints and some samples for DNA profiling so hopefully we’ll find out within a couple of days. In the meantime can you set up the Incident Control at Ainsdale nick and get everything up and running for me. And thanks, for doing this at short notice. I appreciate it.”