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

‘What is it, Dom?’ he asked.

‘That’s the same lipstick that the Sheffield Strangler used on his victims and left at the crime scenes. He has Ruth.’

Of course. She’d heard the lipstick name in the interview with Dominic.

He was trying to get out of the garage. Russ had hold of him by his arm trying to keep him calm. But Dominic was on the verge of losing it. ‘He has Ruth, we have to do something.’

Claudia indicated to Russ that they could move out of the garage. She bagged the lipstick and followed them into the kitchen. Dominic was wound up tight.

‘If he left the lipstick with the bodies, why leave it here in your garage when there isn’t a body?’ she asked him. ‘Have you known him to do that before?’

Dominic shook his head, his focus scattered. ‘I don’t know. And no, though we haven’t always known the site where the women have been abducted from so maybe the lipstick is left at the scenes and we haven’t known about it. Maybe he wants to play with me. Let me know he has her.’ He spun on the spot. ‘Jesus, Claudia, what the fuck am I going to do?’

He was distraught as he contemplated who could have his wife. Claudia couldn’t bear to see him like this. Discomfort clawed in the pit of her stomach as a cold chill shrouded her shoulders and down her arms. Could the Sheffield Strangler really have Ruth? It didn’t bear thinking about.

Claudia moved closer to him. It was against protocol but nothing could stop her now. He was breaking right in front of her and she had to comfort him. She couldn’t stand by and watch him crumble. The lipstick implied so much. So much that they both feared. They both loved Ruth. Regardless of what Claudia’s role in all this was she had to help him. She reached out and took hold of one of his hands. Held him still. He was shaking and was cool to the touch. She tightened her grip on his hand. She had never seen him like this, in all the years she had known him. It unnerved her a little to see him so fragile. He was always strong, always someone she would look up to, turn to for advice. He had never looked away and now she wouldn’t look away from him.

She handed the exhibit, the House of Maven Velvet Berry lipstick, to Russ and fished in her pocket for the handcuff keys, pulling them out with her fingertips. Dominic stared at her but didn’t say a word. Their eyes locked. The grief they endured was raw and palpable between them. It was shared and personal.

Tears filled Dominic’s eyes as he moved his gaze to the keys as Claudia pushed the key into the first lock and the bar came away and his hand dropped free and then did the same with the other hand.

He stared down at her, bewildered. ‘Claudia . . . I didn’t.’

Tears filled Claudia’s eyes now. She couldn’t take this anymore. It was too much. She was so scared for Ruth and didn’t know what was happening but how could she believe this man was responsible? How had they got into this position? She should have refused. She should never have had anything to do with this from the start. She should have walked away. No one would have blamed her. But it wasn’t just Dominic, it was Ruth, and she loved Ruth as much as she loved the man in front of her. She made him a promise. One she never issued to anyone else. But this was different. She owed them both so much. ‘We’ll sort it out, I promise. We’ll find Ruth and we’ll get to the bottom of it. We’ll find out the truth. I don’t know what’s happening, Dad.’

Chapter 24

Dominic

Five months ago

It was only three weeks until another body turned up. Dominic had been in the office an hour; they had been getting nowhere with the Julie Carver case but the team were still working hard on it. Talking to people, viewing CCTV, running press conferences to jog people’s memories. It was full steam ahead.

Kapoor walked up behind him, placed a hand on his shoulder. Dominic turned. Kapoor stepped back. This wasn’t good.

‘What is it?’ Dominic presumed something was wrong with the case. That maybe Jonathan had put a complaint in because it was going so slow. Jonathan and Helen wanted answers. Answers they hadn’t been able to provide. They had never been able to locate Julie’s phone, never identified the dating app she had been on and no amount of asking the public identified the male she had been on a date with. No one knew where she met him or what he may have looked like. All they had was that he was a Caucasian male. Gender and race. In three weeks. And that had been obtained on the first day.

Kapoor was starting to look tired. He was getting pressure from above, but right now he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. It was as though he was shrivelling in on himself. ‘There’s another one.’

Dominic heard him but couldn’t take in what he was saying. ‘What?’

‘Another body’s been found, this time in woods at the side of Hathersage Road. From initial reports it looks to be the same MO as Julie Carver.’

It hit him. ‘Fuck.’

‘You went out to Julie, I want you to go out to this one, see if there are any similarities or differences.’

‘Fuck. Are we sure?’

‘No. That’s why I want you to go, Dom. It’s not great news either way. If it is then we’re on the verge of having a serial killer loose