Sleepyhead Page 34

  Thorne took half a minute, let his breathing return to ­normal, then bellowed for Woodley. He told her to contact ­Lothian and Borders police and get someone to deliver the death message to the Coopers’ son in Edinburgh. He told her to find out if the dead couple had any other children, and, if so, to make sure the message was delivered to them wherever they were. He told her to stay put until the on-call Coroner’s officer arrived.

  ‘Try not to disturb anything in this room though,’ he said. ‘Not just yet.’

  Woodley raised an eyebrow. ‘Guv.’

  Thorne took one last look round, grabbed his raincoat and cap then hurried downstairs and out to the car. No more than a few minutes with the blues and twos to the Kidbourne and if things were still lively he really felt like wading in. There was every chance he would find himself on the end of a smack or two, but it could not make him feel any worse.