Page 22 of First Blood

‘A case a few years ago in Stoke. Single stab wound to the heart but a right mess of the testicles.’

‘Any other similarities to our guy this morning?’ she asked.

‘Well, the man still had his head but I can’t remember every detail.’ He paused and let out a breath. ‘But I will take a look at my report later and see if there’s anything that jumps out.’

‘Thanks, Keats,’ she said ending the call.

Just like Stacey’s lead it was probably going nowhere but it didn’t hurt to check.

Chapter Seventeen

Darkness was already dropping by the time they were a mile away from the property in Amblecote that Stacey had called through to them.

‘So, you work with DS Dawson before?’ she asked idly.

‘No, thank God,’ he said and then turned her way. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t…’

‘It’s fine. Just wondered what you thought,’ Kim said. She’d form her own opinion on the detective based solely on his performance under her remit, but she was curious as to whether their paths had crossed. As Stacey was a new detective, she knew he wouldn’t have worked with her, and Kim’s opinion was already forming on that score.

‘Sorry, guv, but don’t like to speak ill of the brain dead.’

She hid her smile at his humour. ‘I’m gonna take that as a no.’

‘Didn’t realise quite how lucky I’d been,’ he said, pulling off the main road, leaving her in no doubt about his opinion.

‘Just up here,’ Bryant said, checking the satnav.

The house itself was one of four narrow properties that had been built on a plot previously occupied by a decent-sized bungalow, judging by the other properties along the road.

The empty frontage was a sliver of tarmac wide enough only for a medium-sized car, and Kim would not even have called it a driveway.

Bryant negotiated the waiting squad car and pulled in. There was no way of avoiding stepping on to the neighbouring property as they got out of the car.

‘You tried the door?’ Kim asked of the constables ready and waiting.

‘Locked, Marm,’ the guy on the left answered.

Kim glanced around at the prying eyes looking out of brightly lit windows, aglow with flashing fairy lights.

‘Okay, let’s do it,’ she said.

The officer nodded and headed for the squad car.

Anyone not yet looking probably would be shortly, she thought, as the PC returned with the big red key. Forensics had not informed them of any possessions found at the scene leaving them little choice but to force entry. His house keys had gone along with the rest of his stuff.

The PC offered her one final glance before getting the tool into position.

She nodded her instruction to proceed.

‘No car, guv?’ Bryant asked.

Strange, she agreed. No vehicles had been found at the scene either.

The door gave way on the first hit and bounced back off the internal wall with the force of the blow from The Enforcer which applied more than three tonnes of impact in its 16kg weight.

Kim pushed the door open and stepped into the narrowest of hallways, made more hazardous by a bicycle leaning up against a small radiator.

Kim carried on through past the stairs on her left. She’d entered many properties that were deceptively spacious on the inside despite the external appearance, but she quickly realised this one really was a poky little house just as it said on the tin.