Read Online Hold Hands in the Dark by Katherine Pathak - Free Book Online
Authors: Katherine Pathak
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pulled the sleeves of her sweatshirt down to cover her hands, turning to Sam. ‘Ever get the feeling you’ve stepped into a crime scene?’
‘Yeah,’ he muttered distractedly. ‘Best not to touch anything we don’t have to.’
Dani took a couple of long strides towards the sitting room door. She’d been to enough scenes of violent crime in her career to recognise the eerie stillness and the faintly metallic scent of death. There wasn’t an opportunity to reach the room, however, as with her last step, Dani’s foot slid unceremoniously in what felt like a deep pool of liquid on the floor. Her head struck the stone tiles as she fell. The DCI recalled no more after that except blackness.
Chapter 13
W hen Dani came to, she was lying on a sofa in a large kitchen-diner and could hear police sirens outside.
A sudden gust of cold air blasted her legs before a pair of paramedics rushed to her side. Dani glanced down then and saw the blood, which was streaked along the side of her jeans and sweater. It took the detective a couple of seconds to realise it wasn’t hers.
‘I’m fine,’ she said shakily.
‘How long were you unconscious?’
‘A few minutes perhaps, I don’t know for sure.’
‘Then you’ll need to come with us.’
‘What about the blood? What’s happened to Ms Kendrick?’ Dani tried to sit up but her temples throbbed like crazy.
The paramedic shook his head. ‘You’re a detective, right?’
Dani nodded.
‘Let’s just say that she doesn’t need our help any longer. Your people are taking it from here.’
*
It seemed like hours before Sam came into her room at the hospital.
‘What the hell’s going on?’ She demanded. ‘They won’t let me out of this ruddy place.’
Sam looked pale. He sat on the edge of the bed. ‘How are you feeling? I shouldn’t have let you go on ahead in the dark. The perp could still have been in the building.’
‘It’s fine. I am trained for this kind of thing. What about Vicki? I’m taking it she’s dead?’
‘Yeah, and it was nasty. Her body was strung up from the light fitting, not far from the entrance to the sitting room, hence the blood on the floor. Vicki had multiple stab wounds to the neck and torso. It wasn’t quick or painless. The doc reckoned she bled out.’
‘Who attended the callout?’
‘Phil and a young gal called Alice. She seemed very on-the-ball. And Phil was great. He didn’t waste any time assuming I was the killer, who’d incapacitated you with a blow to the head and then taken the time to call the cops.’
‘DI Boag is a sensible guy. He knows you.’ He must also have wondered what the hell Sam was doing here in Glasgow with his boss, Dani imagined, even if he didn’t ask.
‘Don’t worry, I explained everything, including the details of Dale’s murder back in Richmond and his connection to Vicki. I told them you were helping me out as a friend – nothing official.’
‘Well, it’s going to be official now.’
Sam creased his face. ‘There was no sign of a break-in and not much in the way of evidence indicating a struggle either. In fact, there were two glasses in the kitchen sink and a half finished bottle of wine on a counter.
‘We might get prints?’ Dani sat bolt upright, only to groan in discomfort.
‘The place was wiped clean, according to the scene of crime
‘Yeah,’ he muttered distractedly. ‘Best not to touch anything we don’t have to.’
Dani took a couple of long strides towards the sitting room door. She’d been to enough scenes of violent crime in her career to recognise the eerie stillness and the faintly metallic scent of death. There wasn’t an opportunity to reach the room, however, as with her last step, Dani’s foot slid unceremoniously in what felt like a deep pool of liquid on the floor. Her head struck the stone tiles as she fell. The DCI recalled no more after that except blackness.
Chapter 13
W hen Dani came to, she was lying on a sofa in a large kitchen-diner and could hear police sirens outside.
A sudden gust of cold air blasted her legs before a pair of paramedics rushed to her side. Dani glanced down then and saw the blood, which was streaked along the side of her jeans and sweater. It took the detective a couple of seconds to realise it wasn’t hers.
‘I’m fine,’ she said shakily.
‘How long were you unconscious?’
‘A few minutes perhaps, I don’t know for sure.’
‘Then you’ll need to come with us.’
‘What about the blood? What’s happened to Ms Kendrick?’ Dani tried to sit up but her temples throbbed like crazy.
The paramedic shook his head. ‘You’re a detective, right?’
Dani nodded.
‘Let’s just say that she doesn’t need our help any longer. Your people are taking it from here.’
*
It seemed like hours before Sam came into her room at the hospital.
‘What the hell’s going on?’ She demanded. ‘They won’t let me out of this ruddy place.’
Sam looked pale. He sat on the edge of the bed. ‘How are you feeling? I shouldn’t have let you go on ahead in the dark. The perp could still have been in the building.’
‘It’s fine. I am trained for this kind of thing. What about Vicki? I’m taking it she’s dead?’
‘Yeah, and it was nasty. Her body was strung up from the light fitting, not far from the entrance to the sitting room, hence the blood on the floor. Vicki had multiple stab wounds to the neck and torso. It wasn’t quick or painless. The doc reckoned she bled out.’
‘Who attended the callout?’
‘Phil and a young gal called Alice. She seemed very on-the-ball. And Phil was great. He didn’t waste any time assuming I was the killer, who’d incapacitated you with a blow to the head and then taken the time to call the cops.’
‘DI Boag is a sensible guy. He knows you.’ He must also have wondered what the hell Sam was doing here in Glasgow with his boss, Dani imagined, even if he didn’t ask.
‘Don’t worry, I explained everything, including the details of Dale’s murder back in Richmond and his connection to Vicki. I told them you were helping me out as a friend – nothing official.’
‘Well, it’s going to be official now.’
Sam creased his face. ‘There was no sign of a break-in and not much in the way of evidence indicating a struggle either. In fact, there were two glasses in the kitchen sink and a half finished bottle of wine on a counter.
‘We might get prints?’ Dani sat bolt upright, only to groan in discomfort.
‘The place was wiped clean, according to the scene of crime
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