P N Elrod-The Vampire Files 11 by Song in the Dark

Author:Song in the Dark [Dark, Song in the]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-10-09T17:57:26+00:00

“No knife, or I’d have sme—seen the blood.”

He backed out. “Look, Fleming, you got a half-assed reason against Mitchell, and I’ll admit it’s a possibility. Who else is on your shit list?”

“A guy named Hoyle. We’ll find him before the night’s out.”

“There must be others. From what you’ve said there could be a hundred people all wanting Caine dead. You said he owed markers?”

“To this club, maybe others. The money was coming out of his pay. He was more valuable alive.”

“Not to one person.” From where he stood Kroun took another look at the room, a long one, then shut the door.

“That’s all it takes.”

“Figure the cops are going to go in big on this,” I said. “Caine was popular. Catch his killer fast, and they get approving headlines. We gotta hand them someone. Preferably the right someone.”

“His ex-wife or girlfriend? There’s usually a dame behind these things.” I told him why I didn’t think they were likely prospects.

He was unimpressed. “Maybe you haven’t seen how worked up a woman can get when she’s mad enough. I have, and it’s damned scary.”

Actually I had seen a small woman take on two grown men and nearly win before the handcuffs were safely in place and we could call the cops on her. Escott still had the scars. Mine had healed. “I don’t get that feeling here.”

“Feeling. Uh-huh.” Kroun clearly didn’t think much of my instincts, and he was probably right. Just because I liked Jewel and thought Evie was cute was no reason to take them out of the running.

“Okay, they’re on the list. Might as well add in the chorus girls and the band.”

“The band was performing the whole time. Listen, let’s just go find these two dames, have a talk, and settle it.”

“Why are you so lathered to find the killer?” I asked.

More of the deadpan stare. “Why not?”

Couldn’t think of a reply to that one. I’d rather have Kroun stay out of the way, but he was the big boss, and I still had to listen to him. It rankled not being able to influence him to my way of thinking. I’d gotten too used to the luxury of being able to order people around.

Derner came back to say arrangements were in hand, and he also had addresses for Jewel, Evie, and Hoyle. “I’m sending some of the boys for Hoyle. You want him alive?”

“Yes. Even if he didn’t kill Caine, he owes me for those damn tires. What about Ruzzo?”

“They move around a lot. Landlords keep kicking them out.”

“Lemme know when you bring ‘em in. I need a car, too.”

“Gordy’s is back, but Strome took off to fix things. I can get another driver.”

“I’ll drive myself. You check everything on everyone who was backstage. Make up whatever story you need for cover and make it reasonable; don’t leave them room to guess what really happened.” Derner nodded, then reached in again from the hall to shut the light off before locking up. Apparently he didn’t like putting himself any closer to the dead man than the rest of us.

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