7. The Absent Smile: Chapter One

For Carla Valentine, the mortuary has always been her place of sanctuary. The constant cold, the passing through of bodies, it can be a predictably ordered place.But sometimes, something a little different happens.A human jawbone, washed up on a shore near Dundee, has the locals in a state of confusion and concern. And the mortician eager to know more.Whose jawbone was it? And where was the rest of them? While forensic dentist Scheila Manica examines the jawbone for clues, the police call in forensic entomologist Clive Warsop to help them with another gruesome discovery. This episode includes references to death, decay and dissection, which some listeners may find distressing. Our victim is fictional, but the science and the scientists are very real.A Whistledown production for BBC Sounds.Presenter: Carla ValentineGeorge the Pathologist: Matt AddisThe Voice: Jude AkuwudikeLiam: Jamie QuinnProducer: Nina KruseCo-Producer and Sound Designer: Steve BondExecutive Producer: Deborah DudgeonWriter: Nina MillnsScript Editor: David K. BarnesOriginal Music: Aaron MayVocals: AlyssaProduction Team: Kate Holland, Mend Mariwany