Victim of Innocence: A DCI Matilda Darke short story

As promised, Adele Kean performed the post mortem on Caitlyn Brown first thing in the morning. When it was over, she and Matilda changed out of their scrubs and sat in her office with a cup of tea and a packet of chocolate HobNobs to go through the briefing.

‘There were some old scratches on her arms and legs I didn’t like the look of. I’ve taken a few close-up shots. I doubt we’ll get any samples though.’

‘Shit, sorry, I should have said, she worked as a veterinary nurse. Could they have come from animals?’

Adele smiled. ‘Very probably. They looked like claw marks. I did wonder what she’d been up to. However, my estimation at the scene was confirmed. She died from massive internal bleeding in the brain. The skull was severely fractured.’

‘Would she have suffered?’

‘As she was found in bed I’d say not. She was either knocked unconscious and carried to bed, but that doesn’t explain the blood smears on the wall of her living room, or, she was hit and, while dazed and confused, decided to lie down and died in her sleep.’

‘Poor girl. Any sign of sexual interference?’ Matilda asked.

‘None. She hasn’t had sex for a while by the look of it. She was raped, wasn’t she?’

‘Apparently, yes.’

Adele shook her head. ‘Why do some men think they have the right to demand sex from whoever they like?’

‘I’ve no idea,’ Matilda said, reaching for another chocolate biscuit.

‘I’ve sent blood samples off to the lab. As soon as I get everything back I’ll send you my full report.’

‘Thanks.’

‘No problem. So, your night out was interrupted, then?’

‘Typical isn’t it? I was looking forward to a night away from the caravan.’

‘Don’t let James hear you call it a caravan,’ Adele said with a smile. ‘When I was there last week he pointed out many times that it’s a static home.’

Matilda rolled her eyes. ‘He promised me a state of the art Winnebago. The only reason I gave the go-ahead on the house renovations was because he said I’d be living in luxury at the bottom of the garden while they were carried out. I’m in a condemned prefab that shakes every time the wind blows.’

Adele laughed. ‘How much longer is it going to be?’

‘Nothing has been done on the house since mid-January, so I think we’ll still be at the bottom of the garden when the rapture comes.’

‘You’re more than welcome to come and stay with me and Chris,’ Adele said, referring to her son who was at college.

‘I may take you up on that. I never thought I’d miss things like brick walls. The romance in a marriage sort of dies when you can hear your loved one’s bowel movements in the next room.’

Tall, dark, brooding DC Aaron Connolly knocked on Matilda’s office door and walked in. His joy at being a newlywed had quickly faded. ‘Ma’am, I’ve heard back from forensics. The bloody fingerprint on the wall in the living room matches Caitlyn Brown.’

‘Thanks.’

‘There are a few other prints we can’t match.’

‘They could belong to her parents. Is her mother in a fit state to be interviewed?’

‘I don’t know. Anna’s still at the hospital.’

‘Right. Also, PC Kesinka Rani was Caitlyn’s SOLO. Her prints will probably be in the flat. You may need to talk to her.’

‘Will do.’

Aaron left the office and Matilda followed him out into the main open-plan suite where members of the Murder Investigation Team were busy at work.

‘So,’ Matilda began, clapping her hands together to get everyone’s attention. ‘It seems that Caitlyn was attacked in the living room. The blow to her head was from behind so she was facing away from her attacker. She stumbled to the bedroom which is where she died. How are we doing on the door-to-door?’

‘Everyone’s given us a statement,’ Rita Morgan said. ‘Nobody heard or saw anything that troubled them until Diane Brown started screaming.’

‘How do you gain access to the building?’

‘There’s a door entry system. You have to be buzzed in.’

‘And, just to confirm, there was definitely no sign of a break-in to Caitlyn’s flat?’

‘No.’

‘So, either Caitlyn knew her killer and let them in, or her killer lives in the apartment block.’