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

holding quivered and the porcelain tinkled. His eyes shot down to look at his hands and he leant forward, placing the cup and saucer down on the low-slung oak coffee table in front of him. ‘Maddy’s dead?’

‘I’m sorry to have to inform you, but she was murdered.’ Dominic watched Chapman carefully.

His eyes misted up. ‘Our boy . . .’

‘Gwen is taking care of him.’

Chapman rose. ‘He’s my son. He belongs here.’

‘He’s sixteen, you’ll need to speak with him and Gwen.’

Chapman’s voice rose a level. ‘No. He’s mine. I want him here.’

Of course he would be concerned for his child, it was only natural, but he’d barely passed thought on his ex-wife. Dominic didn’t like the way this felt. ‘We’re not going to get involved when the child in question is sixteen. Talk to your son and if you feel it’s necessary then talk to a solicitor. Social Care will also be informed of Madelaine’s murder and will be in contact.’

Chapman glared down at Dominic.

Dominic wasn’t taking this aggression from anyone. ‘Please have a seat, Mr Chapman. We need to ask you some questions in relation to your ex-wife.’

Chapman opened his mouth as though he was about to speak, but then closed it, paused, looked to consider his options, then retook his vacant seat.

Dominic inclined his head. ‘Thank you.’

‘I don’t know what you want from me. Like I said, I don’t have anything to do with Maddy.’

Hayley took out her notepad and pen.

‘That’s really necessary?’ Chapman asked of her.

‘It’s so we remember the main points of the conversation and don’t repeat the questions,’ Hayley said.

Chapman lifted his head and looked down his nose at her.

Dominic bristled and quickly brought him back to the interview. ‘When did you last see Maddy?’

The man didn’t even try to hide his frustration. He let out a huge sigh.

Dominic waited him out. It didn’t look like Chapman was going to respond, so Dominic prompted him. ‘Mr Chapman?’

He sighed again. ‘I don’t even know. I’ve told you we don’t engage with each other because I contact my son directly. Maybe at the beginning of the year when it was his birthday? I wanted to take him out but his mother had already made arrangements. We had words.’

‘And that was the last time you saw her?’

‘I didn’t see her then. Yes, we had words, but it was by phone. I think the last time I saw her was at Christmas last year when I picked our son up from the house. She came out to wish me a happy Christmas. We’re not on the best of terms and that was unusual for her. She’s a flighty woman.’ Another sigh.

‘What do you mean by flighty?’

Hayley was taking notes as the two men spoke. Chapman glared at her as her pen moved across the page.

Then he waved his hands around in the air as though he was trying to grab the words he was searching for. ‘You know, she was emotional. Irresponsible. She’d always give our boy his own way when he needed a firmer hand. Rules make the man. She wanted to mollycoddle him. Made the excuse he needed love.’ He curled his lip. ‘He had everything he could ever need. How was he supposed to grow into a decent man if he didn’t know the rules of adulthood, I ask you? You would have less people to deal with in your job if more people taught their kids the rules of life and adulting.’ He puffed out his chest.

Dominic had an unreasonable urge to cross the room and punch the guy. He’d just been told his ex-wife had been murdered and here he was slagging her off and telling them what a bad parent she was because she wanted to show her son what love was. ‘Do you mind telling us where you were seven days ago?’

Chapman barked out a laugh. ‘Do you want to be more specific than that?’

Dominic stared at him.

Chapman stared back.

Dominic really did not like this man. ‘Seven days, Mr Chapman.’

‘You’re being serious?’

‘I’ve never been more serious.’

Chapman looked at his watch.

‘Are we holding you up from something?’

‘I just want to contact my son.’

That was not unreasonable. He might not care that his ex-wife was dead, murdered in fact, but, Dominic realised, he probably did care how his son was dealing with it. ‘Answer our questions and we’ll be out of your hair.’

Chapman looked up at the ceiling and rubbed at the back of his neck, then straightened. ‘I work and I come home. I haven’t been anywhere unusual. I haven’t seen my ex-wife.’

‘And what is it you do for a living?’ The house was beautiful. The man made a decent living whatever it was he did.

‘I work in banking.’

It explained a lot.

‘And your colleagues will be able to vouch for your movements on the day in question?’

‘Of course. But do you really need to bother them with this?’

Dominic ignored the question. ‘And what about the evening?’

Chapman sighed again. ‘I work late but then I come home and as you can see, I live alone. Though sometimes I do have female company.’ He smiled at them.

Dominic cringed. He could imagine how that comment made Hayley feel. It wasn’t so much the comment but the way he’d said it. ‘And what about that night?’

Chapman thought back then shook his head. ‘No, not that night. I was alone.’

‘Okay. Thank you.’

‘I can call my son now?’

As much as Dominic wanted to make Chapman’s life difficult, he didn’t want to harm his son. He agreed they were leaving and contact could be made.

However, he was more than eager to inconvenience the man and follow up with his colleagues to see where Chapman had been when his wife had been