Vile Blood by Jack King

Author:Jack King [King, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: crime fiction, crime novel, mystery, murder mystery, 1980's, Cliff Husto
Publisher: Postmodern Publishing
Published: 2023-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 57

Lieutenants Meeks and Peterson and their teams didn’t turn up any new or useful information, as the week closed out.

Of the three recent carpet padding–related killings, Husto could only assume it was the same perpetrator in each case. Murdering his victims by strangulation. Meticulously careful to use a condom. Avoiding oral sex or any bodily fluid or skin contact. Obsessive (and successful) in covering his tracks. The bodies always wrapped in carpet padding afterward.

Too many exact circumstances to be…coincidence.

Perhaps it was a gang and not the work of a loner.

Well, if Max Robertson was the perp, the threat’s over now. Because he’s dead. But then, that begs the question. Who murdered him?

On Friday morning, Husto decided to place another call to the office manager, Deupree.

“Ma’am, this is Detective Husto. Sorry to bother you again. But I wonder if you can take a gander at the company records. This would be covering the period of the last thirty months, going back to, say, March of 2007.”

“And what would I be looking for, Captain, pray tell?”

“Checks or credit card payments made to any carpet cleaning or installation company, or payments to a home improvement retailer or wholesaler where the items purchased were itemized on the attached receipt. I’m especially looking for carpet padding as a line item.”

He could almost see her body stiffening on the other end of the line.

“For the last time, De-tec-tive”—she angrily stretched out the word—“Max did not kill Anna Perez. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“But will you do what I ask?”

There was a pregnant pause.

“Of course!” she snapped. “TSI has always been a law-abiding firm. As are its employees.”

Husto raised an eyebrow but made no reply. With Max gone, the company was down to one full-time employee, Remy, and one part-time accountant. Max had literally been the heart and soul of Tu Servicio de Inmigración.

He got a call back shortly after lunch. No, Remy hadn’t found anything remotely…suspicious. Her tone was smug. And brusque.

He hadn’t really expected her to uncover anything.

But it was worth the small effort to check. Of course, Max could have used his personal bank account or credit card. In which case, Husto would never know. There just wasn’t enough evidence linking Robertson to the murder to get a subpoena or court order or search warrant to examine the deceased man’s personal financial records.

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