He paused and looked at Martha.

“Mrs.

Higgins, I strongly advise you to prepare yourself before looking inside.”

“I have been preparing myself for this moment for thirty long years,” Martha answered steadily.

The heavy lid was lifted open.

Inside lay a tall man wearing Christopher’s tailored blue suit, but the jacket collar sat far too loosely around the dead man’s thin neck.

A heavy silver watch was fastened to his wrist, and Christopher’s ring had been forced onto a swollen left finger.

The face had been heavily covered in cosmetics to hide severe discoloration along the cheek, and the hair had been dyed dark, but thick white roots showed clearly near the scalp.