BLOOD STAINED an unputdownable crime thriller with a breathtaking twist (Detective Claudia Nunn Book by Rebecca Bradley (rooftoppers .TXT) 📕

‘He’s been arrested for the murder of Ruth Harrison . . .’

There was a quick intake of breath from Kirsty. Harrison looked up at her and shook his head sharply. ‘No, Kirsty, I didn’t.’

‘Be quiet, Dominic.’ She glared at him as tears filled her eyes. She turned to Claudia. ‘And grounds?’ she asked quietly.

This was the part where she had to tell Kirsty why they thought Dominic was the one who had murdered Ruth. Claudia couldn’t believe this was happening. ‘There was a broken glass at his home indicative of a struggle and a pool of blood which we’re having assessed to see if it is a match for Ruth, and also if someone could survive losing that much, but on first glance, we’re saying, no, no they couldn’t. Something bad happened at that address last night and we need to find out what that was.’

A tear slipped down Kirsty’s cheek. She tapped in the details Claudia had given her into the custody system. ‘You don’t know where she is?’ she asked.

‘No, not at this moment in time.’

Seeing Kirsty become emotional made Claudia’s own throat thicken. She tried to swallow past the pain and hurt inside her but she nearly choked on it. What had Ruth gone through? And where was she? Was she cold and shivering and bleeding out waiting for them to find her? The thought nearly brought Claudia to her knees. She grabbed hold of the custody desk and held on hard.

Kirsty continued to type into the system. Claudia could hear her giving Dominic his rights. It was vague and fuzzy, in the background. Words she had heard hundreds of times before. His rights to legal advice, his right to read the codes of practice, the book that said how cops had to work and also his right to have someone told that he was here. But who would he tell? The one person he might tell that didn’t know was probably dead.

The acrid taste of vomit hit the back of her throat. She swallowed hard and winced at the taste in her mouth.

‘I need a drink of water. Are you okay with him?’ she asked Kirsty.

Kirsty waved her away. ‘Yes, yes. Go. We’ll finish getting him booked in and then get him fingerprinted, photographed and his DNA done etc.’

They both looked at her with sympathy written across their faces. Though she couldn’t tell if Dominic’s was for himself or for her.

She stumbled away in the direction of the toilets, walked into a cubicle and locked herself in, pushing her forehead against the door. She couldn’t believe she had been the one to book him into custody. Sharpe had been cruel to put this on her. There were plenty of other people who could have done it. She turned around to the toilet basin. She wouldn’t vomit.

Claudia could see why Sharpe had done what she’d done. If it was unsettling her then it would damn well be unsettling him. With a deep intake of breath she steadied herself and unlocked the cubicle. In front of the mirror she could see the day was already starting to take its toll on her. Dark shadows were starting to form under her eyes. She twisted the tap on and held her hands underneath the running water until it was cold, then scooped it onto her face. It was time to take Dominic Harrison into interview and see what he had to say for himself. Ruth was out there somewhere and she needed to be found. Whatever state she was in.

When she came out of the ladies her DS, Russell Kane, was waiting for her. Russ was a hulk of a man, with broad shoulders from his spare time playing rugby. He had a proper rugby player’s nose that had been broken several times and was bent out of shape, but for all his bulk and threatening appearance, he was one of the most loved members of her team and she was glad she had him with her today.

‘Hey, Russ.’ She smiled up at him. ‘Thanks for today.’

‘No worries. How are you holding up?’

‘Oh, you know. . . Sharpe said this was the best play to find Ruth. Bearing in mind it’s the most important thing right now, I have to put my feelings aside and get on with the job. I hope we can find her before anything bad . . .’ She paused a minute, rubbed at her face. ‘Before anything worse happens to her.’ She looked Russ in the eye. ‘The blood needs to be tested. We don’t know that it was hers yet. I’ve seized a toothbrush and hairbrush so they can look for a match, but until then, we hold out hope.’ She didn’t know if she was saying that for factual accuracy or to keep herself going.

‘Got it.’ He’d do anything for her and if she needed for him to hold it together and keep this day ticking over like any ordinary investigation then that’s what he would do.

* * *

The offender interview room in the custody suite was not that different to the witness interview room they had left at Snig Hill — though this one held recording equipment and had a red emergency push bar running around the room.

Dominic had stated he did not want a solicitor. Neither did he want a Fed rep — a representative of the police federation, the police union, who could be present during the interview. He said he had done nothing wrong therefore he had no need of either of them. Those were for people who were guilty or had something to hide. He was neither.

Claudia and Kane grabbed their seats and lowered themselves down in front of him.

The room closed in on her. Small, suffocating and