BLOOD STAINED an unputdownable crime thriller with a breathtaking twist (Detective Claudia Nunn Book by Rebecca Bradley (whitelam books .txt) 📗

claustrophobic. Claudia wanted to claw at her throat but tried to focus on the job at hand. Kane unwrapped the discs the interview would be recorded on. The seconds dragged by as Kane loaded the disc into the machine, then they were ready.

Claudia made the introductions. When it was time for Harrison to talk for the recording and give his own name and address she gritted her teeth. Her body told her that Sharpe and Connelly were wrong. They were way out on a limb and she was not the best person to be doing this. She reminded Harrison that he was entitled to free and independent legal advice and cautioned him again, explaining the caution to him in plain speak, even though it was something he had done himself many a time, so understood the caution back to front.

Harrison never said a word throughout it all. He just looked at her as she walked through the initial procedures. Then it was time to remind him of his reason for arrest and she stumbled. Her words fell over themselves as they came out of her mouth. ‘You’ve been arrested on the murder of — the suspicion of the murder of Ruth Harrison at some point between yesterday afternoon, when she was last seen, and today.’

A drop of sweat slid down her spine. She wriggled in her seat in an attempt to get her clothing away from her skin. Damp patches were an obvious sign she was struggling and she would not give him the pleasure of seeing that from her.

Opposite her, Harrison was sitting back in his chair. He could have been the interviewing officer for how calm he was. Kane gave her the briefest half-smile. He was here for her and had her back. She could do this.

‘You’ve already explained about last night and how you didn’t see Ruth when you got home from work, Dominic. Tell me what you think has happened to her,’ she said, proud that her voice came out calm and level.

Harrison scratched his head, his eyes dark. ‘I’ve told you, I think it’s the Sheffield Strangler, the case I’m investigating. I think he has something to do with this and in taking her he might even have decided to set me up.’

‘I’m not working that case. Why don’t you tell us about it?’

Chapter 10

Dominic

 

Six months ago

The team were parked a little away from the scene. It was the closest the car could get. They would have to make the rest of their way on foot.

Dominic had seen a couple of large lamps inside one of the CSU vans. These were in preparation for the darkness that was already threatening to descend. It was the start of October — it would be dark by seven and they needed to be organised. The sky was already overcast and gloomy, the wooded area adding to the feeling of being penned in. They had to work quickly to prepare the ground for where they wanted to place the equipment and make sure they weren’t covering evidence with the base of the lights.

Further down the road was an ambulance with its rear doors open and sitting on the back step was a man holding onto his dog on a lead. His shoulders were slumped, his grip on the lead loose, but the spaniel lay quietly at his feet. ‘Krish, go and talk to the caller, make sure he’s okay and if the ambulance let him go, take him back to the station for a CSI to do an examination and seize his clothing. If they take him to the hospital go with him and do everything you need to do there. I take it you brought a change of clothes in case he hasn’t got anyone who can bring him a set?’

DC Krish Dhawan pulled his notebook from the car. ‘Yes, all organised before we left. The fact that he’d fallen onto the body gave me a clue. I imagine he doesn’t want to be in those clothes any longer than he has to be.’

‘Let’s hope he hasn’t transferred too much evidence onto himself because until we take those clothes off him he will be shedding it as he moves. We need to get this done as quickly as possible. Maybe do it in the back of the ambulance if they’ll allow. The change of clothes at least.’

Dominic was conscious of losing evidence. As there was no life to save, his priority was to preserve evidence so they could advance the inquiry and bring the case to a conclusion with a prosecution. And for that to happen they needed to be alert. They needed to take every step with careful precision and consider all scenarios.

Krish grabbed a bag out of the boot and headed towards the ambulance.

It was off one of the wooded footpaths that the body had been found and the uniformed officers guarding the crime scene had done as Kapoor had requested and kept the cordon wide. CSU had beat them there. Suited up, they were approaching the scene slowly and methodically under the canopy of the trees which was casting a dark gloom over proceedings.

There was no need for all of them to enter the scene so Dominic pulled on the white Tyvek suit, provided his details to the uniformed officer guarding the cordon, and followed the CSIs on the silver plates they were laying down.

It took them about five minutes to reach the woman’s body. The officers had cordoned off the footpath to stop people coming to look. There was also a small cordon closer to the woman.

She was in a shallow grave with parts of her body above the soil. Dominic swallowed, not happy about what he was about to see, but he steadily approached the unsettled ground.

Her blonde hair was a matted tangled mess in the shrubbery and soil on