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HAS HAPPENED SO FAR. K.
    Weird? I didn’t like the sound of that. I didn’t like the word. I could think of a few words I’d have preferred. Like ‘okay.’ Or ‘don’t worry.’ My watch said 4:30 A.M . That didn’t look too nice either. I’d been half hoping that this whole stupid business was going to have disappeared. That I’d been hallucinating or something. Having a nightmare. But no. I lit a cigarette and started reading.
    Charlcombe Archaeological Dig.
    Work contracted out by archaeological society and the area council. The society and the council have effectively no control over the dig and expect only to be served with resulting data and any significant finds. Contract awarded to Kelley Historical Services. KHS have no website and are not listed at Companies House. KHS also awarded contract for a dig at the Circus in 1993. Data from that one is unavailable and there were ‘no significant finds.’ Other archaeological work contracted out to KHS consists of what’s termed a ‘minor’ dig at lod gate (?), this latter completed in 2000. Again there was no data available from the database. Significant finds include Roman ‘curse tablets,’ partial Roman, Saxon, medieval, and more modern skeletons. The skeletons were found in different segments in different areas but were discovered to belong to only nine individuals. The most recent skeleton was dated at approximately 1900. They also found the remains of some elaborate saws of some kind, presumed to have a ceremonial function. This doesn’t sound much like a ‘minor’ dig to me. The only current excavation is at Charlcombe, where the stated objective is ‘continued research into Roman activity in the area.’ The work there commenced six weeks ago and is due to run another two weeks, after which the site will be restored to its previous use, which was farmland. There is no data for this dig, and as yet ‘no significant finds’ according to the sources I searched.
    CCTV in the city has been run previously by a number of commercial concerns including Rentokil(!). It is now run by ScryTech, who describe themselves as ‘a data gathering service.’ They have a website which looks very cheap and contains no information of interest. I did find them in the Companies House database, but it was one of the most elusive entries I’ve ever seen. Again, their presence here is the result of a contract put out to tender by the area council. The most startling thing about their corporate objectives is that they aren’t pushing for more cameras (i.e., more money) unlike their predecessors. Interestingly, ScryTech also provide CCTV security for KHS excavations.
    I looked out of the window. I could see the rain running down the glass. I put the papers down on my desk, and had a little think about Karen Eliot. I wondered where she was. What she was doing. Sleeping, probably. Next to Barry, probably. I made another instant coffee and sat down again. 4:40 A.M . This was dead time. I started calculating the hours I had left. Christ. I still wasn’t sure whether this was a setup, or what. This all seemed too . . . detailed for Barry. Too clever. Too deep. I remembered what the girl in the Star had said.
    The head will be found on the east pediment. Staring up at the sky. The city will not shrug its shoulders. The city will demand a culprit. And you, Mister Valpolicella, will be the culprit.
    Dismantled skeletons. Bodies. Nasty . . . very nasty . . . .
    Okay. I picked up the sheets of paper again, even though I didn’t want to. I really didn’t want to.
    I also dug up something else on KHS. They ended up being responsible for moving all materials from the old city library buildings to a new site. Initially was to be done in-house by the area council. Due to unspecified administrative problems, work was contracted out to an outfit named as Kelley Historical Services(!). This was put to the vote at a council meeting. According to the recorded minutes from the meeting,