Bloodstream Read Online Free Page B

back to whatever he was doing, leaving Murphy to move closer to the chairs.
    ‘At least a couple of days . . .’ Murphy said, under his breath.
    The bodies had taken on the pale pallor of death, the victims showing signs of discolouring as the process of breaking down began. The male victim was more marked than the female, but there was no doubt that both were decaying into obscurity.
    Murphy couldn’t see any obvious signs of violence on the female, but imagined it lurking beneath the surface of decomposition. The male was different. Bloodspots, illuminated by the beams of lights set up in the corners of the room, had dried dark brown in places.
    ‘Who called it in?’ Murphy asked, not turning round to face anyone in particular.
    ‘Their agent,’ came the response from DC Hale who had come closer to the edge of the back room.
    ‘Agent?’ Murphy replied.
    ‘Yeah,’ Hale said, hovering in the space where living room became dining room once upon a long time ago. ‘Looks after these celebrities and that. He got an anonymous phone call earlier this morning with this address. He came down but when he couldn’t get in, he rang the local station. They gained access through the back.’
    ‘They broke in?’ Murphy said, raising himself up now and backing away towards the doorway.
    ‘No, the panel on this window was only hanging by a thread. They saw the bodies through the window.’
    Murphy looked towards the window at the back of the room. Easy enough to see directly into the room and see what was inside once the steel covering was removed. ‘Uniforms must have shit themselves. Where’s the agent now?’
    Hale shouted over towards the front entrance to the constable in uniform still standing guard there. ‘Where’s our man?’
    Murphy didn’t hear the response, but followed as Hale left the open doorway. Rossi lingered a moment longer before following.
    ‘You ever get the feeling this sort of thing follows you round, Murphy?’ Rossi said as she caught up with him in the hallway.
    Murphy suppressed a laugh and smiled thinly down at her.
    ‘All the time,’ he replied looking towards where DC Hale was heading. ‘But then . . . I chose this bloody job, didn’t I? Let’s see what Mr Agent has to say and go from there. For all we know we’ll be done by the end of the day.’
    ‘Murder and then suicide?’
    Murphy shook off his coveralls as they left the house and didn’t reply at first. ‘They were both bound to those chairs, Laura.’
    ‘I know, but I’ve seen that kind of thing before. Guy doesn’t want to be known as a murderer – even after he’s gone – so he makes it look like someone else was there. It’s definitely happened in the past.’
    Murphy stared down at her, giving her the look he had to every now and again.
    ‘I know, I know,’ Rossi said, holding her palms up. ‘I’m just saying we shouldn’t rule anything out, that’s all I’m saying.’
    ‘We won’t,’ Murphy said, making his way to the end of the path which led onto the street. ‘Let’s cross our fingers and hope that’s the case, shall we?’

Chapter Three
     
    DC Hale was leaning on the side of the van, one dark shoe raised against it. Marked and unmarked cars were scattered across the road, some still blinking blue lights across the street. It was becoming busier. Hastily strung-up crime-scene tape was marshalled by constables in heavy uniform, their only job to keep a growing number of onlookers away from the scene as they held on to smartphones, updating Facebook and Twitter. Embellishing the nothingness of what they could actually see into something more tangible and interesting.
    Murphy was becoming used to the latest way news spread. Didn’t like it, but he assumed not many on his side of the tape did. He looked both ways as he crossed the road, before realising such an action was redundant.
    ‘How is he?’ Murphy said as he reached Hale. ‘Sounds quiet.’
    ‘Not sure,’ Hale replied, looking past