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‘He agreed completely, although he did admit to being a little biased. He was very close to Teresa’s ex-boyfriend, Curtis. No one will measure up to that boy.’
‘I noticed the scarring on her wrist.’
Jackie’s face tightened as she used the teaspoon to squeeze colour from the teabags. ‘A tattoo. Curtis’s name. I’m pretty sure that was the proviso to the engagement.’
Kim remembered Eric’s name had been on Teresa’s lips in connection to the tattoo when her parents had walked in the door. ‘Do you think his controlling behaviour went beyond that?’ Kim asked.
‘You’re asking if he was ever violent?’
Kim nodded.
‘I won’t say it hasn’t crossed my mind.’
‘Did you ask her?’
Jackie shook her head then nodded back towards the living room. ‘If there’d been anything like that going on, it wouldn’t have been me that she’d have told.’
SEVEN
Penn was met at the doors to the morgue by something he’d never seen before: warning signs printed and taped to the wall – AUTHORISED ENTRY ONLY.
Keats’s second assistant, Andy, a man rarely seen, was standing in front of the double doors that led into the anteroom. From what Penn knew of him, he was a dour, humourless man who perhaps spent too much time around dead bodies.
‘Doctor Keats instructed me to advise you this one is full protection.’
‘Okay,’ Penn said, following him through the doors. He normally wore the disposable white suit and goggles so what more protection did he need? And what exactly was he being protected from?
Two piles of PPE were laid on the countertop to the right of the sink.
‘Follow my lead,’ Andy said, reaching for the white suit.
‘You’re going in as well?’ Penn asked. He could already see Keats and Jimmy in the room.
‘For this one, yes,’ he said, stepping into his white suit.
Penn did the same. Next, he put on the protective shoes and then a second pair.
‘Double shoes and double gloves,’ Andy instructed.
‘Is this really…?’
Andy’s look was delivered straight from Keats. It left him in no doubt that if he didn’t comply, he’d be made to leave.
Andy reached for a roll of tape and dropped to his knees. He wound the tape around the point where the boiler suit met Penn’s protective shoes.
‘Arms?’
Penn slid on the gloves then held out his arms, and Andy repeated the process around his wrists before passing the roll of tape to him.
Penn returned the favour, now wondering if he was being pranked.
He laughed as Andy reached into one of the units and produced two respirators.
Andy pushed one towards him while putting the other on himself. He indicated for Penn to pull up the hood of his protective suit. A quick glance into the room showed Keats and Jimmy donning their respirators.
If he was honest, he could feel his bum cheeks starting to clench a little bit. He’d never before attended a post-mortem fearful for his own safety.
Andy pushed the door open for him to enter, came in behind him and stood in front of the doors. No one else was getting in.
