She was tied awkwardly, but still breathing, although only shallowly. There was a faint smell of something chemical about her, and she had several bruises on her face and upper body. But she was alive. Nearly frozen, but alive. She had been left for dead and was miraculously still breathing. Hypothermic but definitely alive! Fiddlersbeck Police Department had summoned Scotland Yard who had directed Corbett to the site. There were not many clues, but the fact that this victim was still alive was surely not intentional. There were what appeared to be footprints, but they had been partially brushed away. Part of a heel was still visible, but not enough to indicate a make or size of shoe. The imprint told Corbett that the man probably had a weight of about 70 to 80 kilograms. Bernice Standen, who had been identified by her frantic mother and rather quiet, dough-faced stepfather, was taken to the emergency room at St Anne’s. She was in a coma, with several injuries to the head, and partial hypothermia from spending the night in temperatures not exceeding two degrees.
