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Back The Last Drop of Blood
Chapters (60)
  1. Cover
  2. INTRODUCINGKATIE MAGUIRE
  3. ALSO BY GRAHAM MASTERTON
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright
  6. Epigraph
  7. Contents
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. About the Author
  60. An Invitation from the Publisher

‘I’m sorry, Katie,’ he croaked. ‘I don’t know what got into me there. I’m so sorry.’

‘No, you’re not,’ said Katie. Her heart was thumping painfully and she was breathing hard. ‘If you thought I might forgive you, Brendan – Mother of God, you’ve blown any chance of that now. Blown it sky-high.’

Brendan said nothing, but lowered his head, dabbing at his face with his fingertips. Katie took a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her thigh, wrinkling up her nose in disgust.

‘Evidence,’ she said, holding up the tissue before she tucked it back into its plastic wrapper. ‘In case you ever deny it.’

She pulled up her tights and straightened her skirt, and then, still shaking, she took out her phone and took photographs of Brendan kneeling on the floor, nursing his bloody cheeks.

‘What are you going to do?’ he asked her.

‘Go back to my office and wash off any trace of you. Then – I don’t know. But I can swear to you, Brendan, you won’t get away with this. This is you finished.’

He stayed where he was as she walked to his office door. She was so dizzy and disorientated that she stumbled and almost fell over before she reached it, but she managed to steady herself. When she reached the door, she found that when he had closed it behind her, he had locked it. She turned the key, opened it and went out, and after she had stepped out into the corridor, she slammed it with a bang behind her.

Detective Sergeant Begley was passing, and he gave her a startled look, as if to say Jesus, what was all that about? But when he saw the expression on Katie’s face he simply gave her a nod, and an uneasy little grin, and left it at that.

13

Katie was tempted to plead that she was suffering from a migraine and drive home. She could take Barney and Foltchain for a long walk along by the harbour, so that the salty sea breeze could fluff away her anger and her total disgust – not only for Brendan, but for herself.

What really clawed at the inside of her mind was that she had held back on reporting Brendan for raping her when he had driven her back home on the night that Conor had died. She could understand now that his motive had only partly been sexual. His overwhelming need had been to show her that he was dominant, and that he could have her whenever he wanted her, whether he found her attractive or not – just like he had today. He was supposed to be commanding this Garda station and he couldn’t tolerate having a woman working for him who was cleverer and stronger than he was. It was crucial for his masculinity to crush her.

‘You’re back quick, ma’am,’ said Moirin, when she returned to her office.