Rapture Falls Read Online Free

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                  DI Brendon McCullum stood amongst the filth and tried to firmly button his coat of detachment, he was a man who stood apart from his surroundings and his colleagues. An educated man who took pride in his appearance and held himself with a pride that was more often than not taken for an aloofness and arrogance amongst his subordinates and superiors. A police detective who was happy in his own company and who had no desire to spend he evenings watching his paycheck being spewed out of both ends behind nameless, faceless bars in the city centre. These are characteristics that are not conducive for a transferred detective to settling in and being accepted within the close knit bosom of a new station. Transferred as part of his promotion to Detective Inspector, McCullum had little in common with his new surroundings, he did not drink heavily, he was not divorced, he was not interested in socializing and he committed the cardinal sin in the Welsh capital, he was not interested in sport especially rugby. He had only been in Cardiff for a little over three weeks and was already regarded with suspicion and scorn in equal measures. He stood at around six foot three with broad shoulders and a thick chest that seemed to strain even the most personally tailored suits; he was a powerful man with a stare that seemed to deter more trouble that his sheer powerful bulk ever did. At thirty six McCullum considered himself to be an amalgamation of policemen, he liked to think that he combined the aggression and hardness of a lost era with the intelligence and detective skills of the modern day. He now found himself stood amongst the dirt and decay of a deserted warehouse in a less than reputable area of the city staring at a naked and ruined male body sprawled across a ratty old desk, his watch read 9.36am and his stomach informed him that it was way too early for this type of activity.
    “Hey Mac”, McCullum cringed at the nickname, a voice echoed toward him emanating from a short and spotty PC who’s name he had not registered and remembered yet. McCullum walked across the large room toward the prone body and the eager officer, the scene had been secured and forensics were awaited, the flashbulbs of the photographers bounced off of the walls as the gruesome image was imortalised. PC Eager was positively bouncing with excitement, oblivious to the reality of the situation, McCullum knew that this was a man, probably a husband and a father, this was no video game or Hollywood movie, the burrowing flies testified to that.
    “Son, calm down and step back before you contaminate the scene” McCullum’s voice was hard and stern, the young PC’s enthusiasm was suitably punctured.
    McCullum leaned in closer, the body had been severely beaten, the swelling was horrendous, the figure’s face was distorted to such a grotesque degree that he could immediately tell that ID was going to be difficult without relying on either fingerprints or DNA. The size and shape of the blows did not seem to indicate that any sort of weapon had been used, McCullum found this deeply puzzling as the force that had been inflicted was such that the use of bare hands could not possibly have been the root cause as it would have taken an extraordinary amount of strength. The sound of the forensic vans arriving outside bringing the procedural investigation pulled McCullum from his thoughts; he took a last look at the dead man,
    “For your sake my friend, I hope you deserved it” he muttered under his breath.
                  Baine entered his sanctuary, the expensive penthouse was minimally furnished, the floor of the main living area was a dark hardwood, and three large hand woven Egyptian rugs punctuated the hardwood sea. The walls were a neutral coffee colour; the right hand wall was dominated by an expansive bespoke bookcase that spread over the long walls expanse. The far end of the room was almost entirely glass holding