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

a stiff drink right about now. But what about Ruth? She’d be at home expecting him. He could text her, let her know it had been a tough day and he was taking the team out to boost morale. She’d accept that. He liked to keep his team ticking over and not let them be pulled too far down in difficult investigations.

‘Come on, Dom.’ Hayley pushed her chair under her desk. ‘We’re all going, it won’t be the same without you.’

He pulled his phone out of his pocket. ‘Yeah, okay. The first round is on me.’

There was a small cheer as they jostled past him towards the door.

‘It’s the only reason you ask me to come with you,’ he moaned.

‘We like you really,’ Hayley laughed.

Rhys nudged her. ‘We have to tell him that to keep him onside, obviously.’

‘I can hear you, you know.’

‘Oh, really? Did I say that out loud?’ Rhys feigned shock.

Dominic moved with the group to the incident room doors. Waved to the rest of the homicide team who were at their desks. They wouldn’t stay long. A couple of hands went up in response. He tapped out a message to Ruth letting her know where he was going. He got a response straight away letting him know there was some food in the oven should he want it when he got home. She didn’t have anything too serious on at work at the moment so was getting home at a reasonable hour and that meant they were getting proper food inside them instead of the crap they tended to eat when they were both working long shifts. Right now though he would rather be with his team than at home. Ruth couldn’t understand this case and he was tired of trying to pretend everything was okay when it was far from okay. All he wanted to do was work the case and be with the people who understood that feeling. Anything else was irrelevant.

Home was simply a place to sleep. To put his head down. Right now Ruth was irritating him. He couldn’t cope with the constant bickering. The barrage of inane questions. How had they got to this place when they’d started with such passion and love? Now the love seemed like a distant star. Unimaginable and so very far away. Dominic couldn’t see a way back. But it wasn’t something he was willing to share with his team or with anyone. It was private, between him and Ruth.

This case was consuming his team and it was crucial they have this release together. It was also essential he went with them. His reputation within the team was important to him. What others thought of him and the work he was doing meant so much. It didn’t really matter if Ruth was upset that he was late from work. He pushed his phone into his pocket.

The Church House was a Grade II listed building that once used to be — as the name suggested — a church, but which had been converted into a pub about thirty years previously. Dominic liked the vibe in the bar. The dark blue of the ceiling and some of the walls, along with exposed brickwork, gave him a comfort he could settle in.

Dominic bought a round of drinks, buying a whiskey for himself. He needed it. It was mid-week so they managed to find a table fairly easily and gathered around it. Once settled Dominic took a slug of his drink, the familiar warmth of it spreading through him. He tipped his head back, resting it lightly against the wall and savoured the feeling.

‘That good, eh?’ Hayley leaned in close to his ear.

Dominic smiled. He didn’t think anyone would be paying him any attention. He thought he could have a minute alone with his drink and his thoughts before he had to engage with the rabble of the team. Obviously he was wrong. ‘It’s been a long day. I needed this.’

Hayley raised her glass to him. The clear gin swirling round the ice piled up high inside leaving a transparent slick against the edge of the glass in its wake. ‘A lot of grief from Kapoor?’

Dominic shook his head. ‘Not really. He vented a little, but that’s only to be expected. He has a lot on his plate.’

‘Don’t we all.’ She brought the drink up to her nose.

‘Yeah, but the higher up the food chain you go, the worse the pressure you’re under, from those above you and from the general public.’

‘Ah, our beautiful public.’ Rhys leaned in. ‘Our job would be great if it wasn’t for people.’

Paul laughed. ‘They do rather have quite a lot to do with how our day goes.’

‘Do you think we’ll get anything from tonight’s press release?’ Hayley asked.

Dominic pursed his lips. ‘I don’t know. I hope so. I hate to think the poor woman is laying in Nadira’s fridge unclaimed, especially after such a brutal death. Everyone should be claimed by someone.’

Hayley took a sip of her drink. ‘That’s very sentimental, Dom. I didn’t know you had a deep and meaningful side.’

He swirled the amber liquid in his own glass. ‘I think this case is getting to me if I’m honest.’

Krish leaned forward. ‘It is pretty dark. A bit different to the domestic assault murders that usually come through the door.’

Dominic looked around him, he didn’t want any of the pubs clientele to overhear their conversation. Krish took note, lowered his voice. ‘I usually talk about work when I go home but with this one, I can’t tell her anything. There’s nothing I feel is suitable or safe.’

‘What do you mean by safe?’ asked Rhys.

‘Well, I don’t want to give her nightmares, do I? She gets enough information from the press and when she asks me about the job I tell her it’s as bad as