Blood Rock Read Online Free Page A

scene now.” McGough twitched and frowned, looking less like Mr. Wizard and more like an angry garden gnome, and Rand just raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you going to be a dick about this?”
    McGough raised his little hands. “No, no, Homicide gets first crack at a body.”
    “Thank you. I’ve called ident, but the Black Hats obviously can have the scene when the coroner pronounces,” Rand said. “Look, Dakota, seriously, McGough’s not trying to be a dick, we just need to get you physically off the crime scene. If you could wait by the car—”
    “ Not until he apologizes.”
    “What, about the pet witch crack?” McGough said, laughing. “Look, babe, if your skin’s that thin you shouldn’t have scribbled all over it—”
    “To Cinnamon,” I said coldly.
    McGough looked down at my daughter. “Hey, little lady,” he said, a little of the kindly wizard creeping back into his features. “Sorry I called you a cat—”
    “I am a cat,” Cinnamon said, hissing. “but don’t be calling me a pet. ”
    McGough stared blankly at her a moment, then forced the twinkle back into his eyes. “Sorry, little lady,” he said, “I was just kidding around—”
    Cinnamon smiled, then suddenly barked, “Fucking toad—”
    “Cinnamon!” I said.
    “What?” she said, looking away. “See how he likes bein’ called a name.”
    McGough straightened. “Rand,” he said. “I ain’t trying to tell you your job, but clear the site—and take some separate statements before they’re completely cross-contaminated.”
    “I know, I know,” Rand said, running his hand over his bald head. “I’ll take care of it. You get on the warrant for me. I don’t want this fucked up, not for any reason—”
    “Why do you need a warrant?” I said, as Rand began herding us away from our improvised tent and the foul black smoke billowing out of it. “We all saw—”
    “ That was a public safety operation. This is a crime scene,” Rand said. “Technically we could get by on the permission of Oakland Cemetery—”
    “What aren’t you tellin’ us?” Cinnamon said, stopping so suddenly I ran into her.
    “Cinnamon, Dakota,” Rand said, motioning to a sandy-haired female officer. “I’m … going to need to split you two up for a minute. Just long enough to take the statements.”
    “Fuck that—” I began, then put my hand to my head. “Let me guess, it’s—”
    “Just standard procedure,” Rand finished for me, staring at me and Cinnamon cautiously. Then he grinned. “You’re not going to be a pain about this, are you, Kotie?”
    “No, we’ve been around the block,” I said. The female officer smiled at us, through a dozen little white tape bandages on her face, and I nodded at Cinnamon to go with her.
    Rand walked over to his cruiser, sat down on the hood, and motioned for me to join him. I did, and for a few minutes we just watched the swarm of police activity. I folded my arms over my chest: I was still trembling with adrenaline and the crisp air felt good against my hot skin.
    After a few moments, instead of working the case, Rand surprised me by touching a sore spot. “Look, Kotie … you are going to see your Dad, aren’t you?”
    “Yes,” I snapped. “This Saturday, in fact.” Then I softened. “Look, I know Dad and I don’t get along … but you’re right. He deserves to meet his granddaughter.”
    “Yeah,” Rand said, and then fell silent.
    Instinctively, I looked for and found Cinnamon, talking with Officer Lee next to a distant grave. But ultimately my eyes were drawn back to that horrible smoke, now just trailing wisps. Revenance was gone, burned up before our eyes, and I couldn’t believe it. “We saw it. You really need to go through all this?” I asked sadly. “A warrant, separating the witnesses—”
    “Absolutely,” Rand said grimly. “A robber opened up on your Dad and me in a crowded store, but the evidence—spent casings, slugs, even the gun with prints—got thrown