The Altered Case by Peter Turnbull Page B

taller than both his brothers and he has to bow his head when he stands up in this room to avoid cracking it against the ceiling. Huge boy. He’s at Newcastle University now.’
    â€˜Good for him,’ Carmen Pharoah replied, ‘he’s on his way in life . . . but the forensic pathologist then noticed a slight difference in the shape of the skulls.’
    â€˜You can do that?’ Clough sounded surprised. ‘They have all looked the same to me. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.’
    â€˜And to me.’ Carmen Pharoah grinned in reply. ‘But it was explained to me that, apparently, there are minor differences from skull to skull which get accentuated by the layers of muscle and skin and which make human faces appear different from one another.’
    â€˜I see, that is interesting.’ Adrian Clough raised his eyebrows. ‘So skulls are not all the same after all. You still learn things even at my time of life.’
    â€˜Yes, sir, seems so.’ Carmen Pharoah continued to speak in a soft, reverential tone. ‘Anyway, the forensic pathologist was able to discern a difference in the skull of the tallest skeleton, which indicated to her, prior to tests being carried out, that we were looking at a family of four plus a fifth victim who is . . . or was . . . of the same age group as the daughters. Tests will confirm it, of course, but the missing person report of a family of four and the press coverage at the time seems to confirm that the fifth victim was not related. She was probably an unconnected victim who was murdered at the same time and whose wretched body was dropped into the same grave which had been dug for the Parr family.’
    â€˜How convenient,’ Adrian Clough growled.
    â€˜Yes,’ Carmen Pharoah agreed, ‘convenient. Her skeleton probably has a wholly different tale to tell, could be linked in some way . . . but, equally, it may be wholly unconnected.’
    â€˜Only time will tell,’ Adrian Clough wheezed.
    â€˜Yes.’ Carmen Pharoah began to feel uneasy about visiting a man who was in such clear discomfort. ‘So far we have yet to identify a likely victim from the missing person reports of about thirty years ago, but the mis per report on the Parr family leapt out at me.’
    â€˜As it would do.’ Adrian Clough smiled. ‘As it would do.’
    â€˜Yes, as it would do . . . hence my phone call,’ Carmen Pharoah explained. ‘I felt it necessary to follow it up with the interested police officer at the time.’
    â€˜Yes, seems a sensible thing to do.’ Clough once again took a difficult breath.
    â€˜I am sorry, Mr Clough, is this a good time?’ Carmen Pharoah enquired. ‘I can return later.’
    Adrian Clough grinned. ‘No, it’s not a good time but it’s the only time you’ll get; you had better gather ye rosebuds while ye may. I was given six weeks, seven weeks ago.’
    â€˜I am sorry . . .’
    â€˜Thank you . . . but you won’t escape, so ask away.’
    â€˜Thank you.’ Carmen Pharoah held eye contact with Adrian Clough. ‘It is very generous of you to give your time . . . very courageous.’
    â€˜One last useful thing,’ Adrian Clough replied. ‘It will make me feel better about myself this evening.’
    â€˜If you are sure . . .’ Carmen Pharoah pressed.
    â€˜Sure.’
    â€˜So tell me what you found out about the Parrs?’ Carmen Pharoah asked. ‘It sounds like an old name . . . it rings a bell.’
    â€˜One of Henry Tudor’s wives perhaps, Catherine Parr? The sixth and final one, I think. She was the last one.’
    â€˜Of course, English history lessons.’ Carmen Pharoah beamed. ‘And yes, you are correct, she was the last one. She survived him and lived to tell the tale.’
    â€˜English history?’ Clough enquired. ‘We just had history.’
    â€˜I grew up in St