Today I'm part of Katerina Diamond's blog tour for her FAB new novel The Teacher! Here is an exclusive extract of the story Katerina wrote especially for this tour!
Imogen had barely pulled the handbrake on before Miles jumped out of the car and rushed to the house opposite his. The door was open and he rushed inside. Imogen jumped out and followed after him. There was blood in the corridor and leading into the flat. She could hear Lucy crying in the lounge, but it was muffled, she walked into the room to see her with her face buried in Miles’ chest. Miles shrugged at Imogen.
“Where’s the body? What happened?” Imogen said.
Lucy turned quickly, tears stopping almost immediately. She was angry. She looked back at Miles.
“What’s she doing here?”
“She’s my partner, I told you. Now what happened? Where is he?”
She put her bloody hand on Miles and pulled him towards the kitchen. He shot Imogen a look of helplessness.
“I just got home from work and he was like this! I tried to save him!” She started to cry again and threw herself at Miles. Imogen sighed and looked down to see the cat in the middle of the rug. It had obviously crawled there after whatever had happened to it, happened. Its once shaggy white fur was pink and red with varying degrees of intensity. Judging by the look of the blood around the flat this had happened fairly recently, the blood was still wet. She looked around the floor for a weapon but she couldn’t see one. Lucy was covered in blood.
Imogen looked at Miles hoping that he would be able to tell what she was thinking. This woman, this Lucy, had killed her own damn cat to get Miles to come over. She was escalating. God only knows what she would do next.
“Will you do something now?” Lucy cried. “I’m not safe here! I need protection.”
“We’re going to call the forensic team and they are going to come and check for fingerprints. They will need your phone, to check for any spyware, your laptop, too. They can tell a lot these days just by the wounds on the cat, like the height and weight of the person who committed the crime.”
Lucy’s sniffling slowed down.
“They can do all that?”
“Oh yeah, they will check your phone records too. We’ll have to take your phone now.” She picked the phone up from the table and put it in her pocket. Lucy didn’t try to stop her. “A team will be put on your house to watch who goes in and out. One of the uniformed officers will probably have to come with you to work.”
“Not you?” she turned to Miles. “You won’t be assigned to look after me?”
“No, that’s not my job I’m afraid.”
Imogen pulled out her phone and took a picture of Lucy in her scrubs.
“What was that for?” She had calmed right down now. Imogen could see the cogs in her mind turning, this wasn’t working out the way she wanted it to.
“Just for our records. We’ll start an investigation into Mr Kwan’s death when we get to the station.” Miles said to Lucy reassuringly. “Don’t touch anything, someone will be along soon.”
Imogen mouthed the words Mr Kwan to Miles quizzically, suppressing a smirk. He rolled his eyes.
“Where’s the body? What happened?” Imogen said.
Lucy turned quickly, tears stopping almost immediately. She was angry. She looked back at Miles.
“What’s she doing here?”
“She’s my partner, I told you. Now what happened? Where is he?”
She put her bloody hand on Miles and pulled him towards the kitchen. He shot Imogen a look of helplessness.
“I just got home from work and he was like this! I tried to save him!” She started to cry again and threw herself at Miles. Imogen sighed and looked down to see the cat in the middle of the rug. It had obviously crawled there after whatever had happened to it, happened. Its once shaggy white fur was pink and red with varying degrees of intensity. Judging by the look of the blood around the flat this had happened fairly recently, the blood was still wet. She looked around the floor for a weapon but she couldn’t see one. Lucy was covered in blood.
Imogen looked at Miles hoping that he would be able to tell what she was thinking. This woman, this Lucy, had killed her own damn cat to get Miles to come over. She was escalating. God only knows what she would do next.
“Will you do something now?” Lucy cried. “I’m not safe here! I need protection.”
“We’re going to call the forensic team and they are going to come and check for fingerprints. They will need your phone, to check for any spyware, your laptop, too. They can tell a lot these days just by the wounds on the cat, like the height and weight of the person who committed the crime.”
Lucy’s sniffling slowed down.
“They can do all that?”
“Oh yeah, they will check your phone records too. We’ll have to take your phone now.” She picked the phone up from the table and put it in her pocket. Lucy didn’t try to stop her. “A team will be put on your house to watch who goes in and out. One of the uniformed officers will probably have to come with you to work.”
“Not you?” she turned to Miles. “You won’t be assigned to look after me?”
“No, that’s not my job I’m afraid.”
Imogen pulled out her phone and took a picture of Lucy in her scrubs.
“What was that for?” She had calmed right down now. Imogen could see the cogs in her mind turning, this wasn’t working out the way she wanted it to.
“Just for our records. We’ll start an investigation into Mr Kwan’s death when we get to the station.” Miles said to Lucy reassuringly. “Don’t touch anything, someone will be along soon.”
Imogen mouthed the words Mr Kwan to Miles quizzically, suppressing a smirk. He rolled his eyes.