The Keeper (60 page)

Authors: Luke Delaney

Tags: #Fiction, #Mystery & Detective, #Police Procedural, #General, #Thrillers, #Suspense

BOOK: The Keeper

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‘Such as?’

‘They’ve probably been having a drink, but there are no glasses anywhere. Can you remember dealing with a domestic murder where alcohol wasn’t involved?’

‘Maybe he cleaned the place up a bit?’ Donnelly offered. ‘Washed the glasses and put them away.’

‘Why would he bother cleaning a glass when his blood and fingerprints must be all over the place after a struggle like this?’

‘Panic?’ Donnelly suggested. ‘Wasn’t thinking straight. He cleaned up his glass, maybe started to clean up other stuff too before he realized he was wasting his time.’

‘Maybe.’

Sean was thinking hard. The lack of signs of alcohol was a small point, but any experienced detective would have expected to find evidence of its use at a scene like this. An empty bottle of cider. A half-empty bottle of Scotch, or a champagne bottle to fuel the rage of the rich. But it was the image he was beginning to visualize that was plaguing him with doubt – the image his mind was piecing together using evidence that was missing as much as evidence that was present. The image of a figure crouching very deliberately over the victim. No frenzy, no rage, but evil in a human form.

‘There’s something else,’ he told Donnelly. ‘The killing obviously took place in the living room. We know he must have gone out the front door because everything else is locked up nice and tight. But the hallway is clean. Nothing. The carpet is light beige, yet there’s no sign of a bloody footprint. And the door handle? Nothing. No blood. Nothing.

‘So our killer beats and stabs the victim to death in a frenzied moment of rage and yet stops to clean his hands before opening any doors. After killing a man who may have been his lover, he’s suddenly calm enough to take his shoes off and tiptoe out the place. That doesn’t make a lot of sense.’

Donnelly joined in. ‘And if our boy did stop to clean himself up before leaving, then where did he get clean? He had two choices. The sink in the bathroom or the sink in the kitchen.’

Sean continued for him. ‘We’ve seen both of them. Clean as a whistle. No signs of recent use. Not even a splash of water.’

‘Aye,’ Donnelly said. ‘But it’s probably nothing. We’re assuming too much. Maybe forensics will prove us wrong and find some blood in the hallway we can’t see.’

Sean wasn’t convinced, but before he could reply the uniformed constable at the front door called into the flat. ‘Excuse me, sir, your lab team is here.’

Sean shouted a reply. ‘Coming out.’

He and Donnelly walked from the flat carefully, keeping to the route they’d used on entering. They walked to the edge of the taped-off cordon where they knew Detective Sergeant Andy Roddis would be waiting with his team of specially trained detectives and scene examiners.

DS Roddis saw Sean and Donnelly approach. He observed their forensics suits but was not impressed. ‘I take it you two have already been trampling all over my scene.’ He was right to be annoyed. The book said no one into the house except the scene examination team. ‘Next time I’m going to seize your clothing as exhibits.’

Sean needed Roddis on his side.

‘Sorry, Andy,’ he said. ‘We haven’t touched a thing. Promise.’

‘I hear you have a dead male for me in flat number sixteen. Yes?’ Roddis still sounded irritated.

‘I’m afraid so,’ said Donnelly.

Roddis turned to Sean. ‘Anything special you want from us?’

‘No. Our money’s on a domestic, so stick to the basics. You can keep the expensive toys locked away.’

‘Very well,’ Roddis replied. ‘Blood, fibres, prints, hair and semen it is.’

Donnelly and Sean were already walking away. Sean called over his shoulder. ‘I’m briefing my team at eight a.m. Try and get me a preliminary report before then.’

‘I might be able to phone something through to you. Will that do?’

‘Fine,’ said Sean. Right now he would take anything on offer.

If you want to find out more about DI Sean Corrigan, try this short story:

Redemption of the Dead

A chilling short story taking us back to DI Sean Corrigan’s days as a newly minted detective …

1993. The Parkside Rapist has been terrorizing the women of South London, and Detective Chief Superintendent Charlie Bannan is in need of a secret weapon if he’s going to catch this particular monster.

When fresh-faced PC Sean Corrigan is transferred to join the team, Bannan immediately spots his potential. Soon Sean will find himself exploring the scars his own dark past has left him in the race to help his new mentor catch their quarry before he goes on to commit more, and worse crimes …

Click here to buy
Redemption of the Dead

Copyright

Harper

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First published by HarperCollins
Publishers
2013

Luke Delaney asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

Extract from
Cold Killing
© Luke Delaney 2013

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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Source ISBN: 9780007486090

Ebook Edition AUGUST 2013 ISBN: 9780007486106

Version: 2013-08-01

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