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empty. Might have just been a prop something that the killer bought but was careful not to touch." He frowned and wrote something in a notebook. "Move to the next one." Hank duckwalked two steps forward, touched down in the center of the second square. "Girl talking. Laughing. Very excited about being in a movie. The killer's touch is stronger here than the presence of the victim, but this isn't a lust killing. This is& strange. There's no hint of violence in this scene. The girl is laughing. Happy. And then she isn't there anymore." file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%...y%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20G irl%20Dancing%20(v1.0).html (313 of 435)8-12-2006 22:49:20 file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20Girl%20Danci...20Dancing/ Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20Girl%20Dancing%20(v1.0).html "What about torture? Rape? Fear? This girl was murdered . Almost identical to the MO we have on the other four." Charlie wasn't looking at Hank when he asked. He was staring down at the little chalked squares, seeing what had been there before the police bagged the evidence and hauled it off. "Inside her own head, the victim wasn't murdered," Hank said. "She was there, and then she just went away. The last thing I have from her is excitement about her career." "But you feel the killer here." "Strongly. Same killer. Completely different motive. This is just& " Hank closed his eyes. "Just& shit. Confusing as hell. Let me try the third spot." All three of them moved again. Hank put down his hand, said, "Impressions on square three nothing whatsoever on the girl. The killer is clear here. Putting down something that is supposed to send the police in the wrong direction. He thinks it's funny as hell. The girl is dead for the same reason. Because she doesn't fit. Because he thinks someone may be getting close to the truth, and this is a game he's not quite ready to end yet." He opened himself to more of that touch, and at the back of it, he found Jess again. Jess, who was the real target. The one the killer was waiting for, working toward. In the back of the monster's mind, Jess already lay in a grid of six by six, file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%...y%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20G irl%20Dancing%20(v1.0).html (314 of 435)8-12-2006 22:49:20 file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20Girl%20Danci...20Dancing/ Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20Girl%20Dancing%20(v1.0).html brutally murdered. Page 136 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "Omega& and alpha," he said suddenly. "What?" "He thinks of Jess as Omega. And& alpha. But not." And then it hit him. "Oh, hell." He stood and wiped sweat out of his eyes. "Alpha isn't Jess. Alpha is her twin sister, Ginny. That's why the killer wants Jess. She's been working her way toward this bastard since she became a cop, only he spotted her first. And he wants to make her the closing act of his current collection." "It's got to be Lenny," Jim said. "Got to be. He was the sister's boyfriend way back then. And here he still is, same business but a different name, hitting on Jess, following her home. Closing out a chapter." Hank said, "I've read Lenny. The person I'm feeling isn't him." Jim said, "No. No. I would have agreed with you before, but no. Not now. Things are clicking with Lenny. We have two fingerprints on one of the victim's shiny blue patent leather shoes this time, and I'm betting that Lenny rings our bell." "Not going to be Lenny," Hank said. "Tech was supposed to run the prints first," Charlie said. "If it's Lenny, we have several complete sets of prints on file for him since he stepped up from juvie crime. We should have a hit by now." file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%...y%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20G irl%20Dancing%20(v1.0).html (315 of 435)8-12-2006 22:49:20 file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20Girl%20Danci...20Dancing/ Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20Girl%20Dancing%20(v1.0).html Jim made sure Hank was looking at him, and cut his eyes sidelong at Charlie, and Hank saw a flash of worry cross Jim's face. Jim plastered on a cocky grin and said, "Going to be Lenny. I'm in for ten," and he stared at Hank. Willing him to get this fake jocularity. And Hank did get it, because he could see Charlie sinking fast. This bet, this black humor, was about getting Charlie's mind off what they were doing, this hell they were in the middle of, where Charlie was dealing with girls the age of his oldest kid pretty girls like her, only badly dead and dumped like garbage. Hank said, "All right. Ten. I'll go more if you want. It isn't going to be Lenny." Charlie looked at them both. Gnawed the inside of the corner of his mouth. "I'm not betting on this one. But I like Lenny for this whole thing. He fits. Hank seems too sure, though, and I'm saving every penny I get for retirement, which cannot get here fast enough." "Bullshit. You're a cheap bastard is all," Jim said. "But since you're the guy with nothing to lose, you make the call." Hank watched Charlie call in to HSCU, heard him say, "Charlie here. We got a positive ID on those prints?" He grinned a little, looked at Jim, then Hank, then back to Jim. "Got it. Thanks." He cut the call. "We have a winner." "It was Lenny," Jim said. "Ha!" file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%...y%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20G irl%20Dancing%20(v1.0).html (316 of 435)8-12-2006 22:49:20 file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20Girl%20Danci...20Dancing/ Holly%20Lisle%20-%20Last%20Girl%20Dancing%20(v1.0).html Hank waited. Jim glanced from Hank to Charlie. Charlie said, "We also have a positive ID on the prints." Jim said, "Charlie, you prick, get it out or I will not be responsible for my actions." Charlie managed a small grin in Hank's direction. "You hear what he did to me the last time he wasn't responsible for his actions." Page 137 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "Habanero sauce in your sandwich." Hank turned to Jim. "It's that sense of humor, incidentally, that has earned you three divorces." "I guess news travels fast." Jim had managed to kick Charlie out of that dark place where too much death and too much horror would send a man. He'd provided a distraction, thin though it was. Hank had to admire Jim for pushing Charlie away from the edge of the pit. Charlie actually smiled as he said to Jim, "It's not Lenny. You owe Hank ten bucks, you arrogant know-it-all. But& you remember the computer millionaire whose hot little housekeeper charged him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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