LustUndone Read Online Free Page B

you say that?” one of the detectives
demanded.
    “How about you look at what we brought and see for
yourself.” Sophia pulled the pictures from her briefcase and began laying them
out. “I think these speak for themselves.”
    There was dead silence while everyone studied the shots.
Finally Bobby stood up at the head of the table, his folder open in front of
him. “Sophia, why don’t you walk us through the information you’ve brought.
Then we’ll give you the full briefing on Darrell Franklin’s death.”
    She nodded and rose. “Let me begin,” she started, “by
explaining exactly what you’re looking at.”

Chapter Two
     
    Sophia was exhausted, all her energy gone. They were all in
the same state of utter fatigue. The meeting had been intense, the pictures and
details gruesome. They had talked it to death for two hours. Back and forth, up
and down. Every detail of every gruesome crime scene had been rolled out on the
table, both by the detectives and the Night Seekers. But the worst part had
been the icy politeness and the blatant distrust.
    Sophia kept coming back to the fact that the victim had been
found on his porch wearing nothing but long johns and jeans, not an outfit one
wore outdoors in Maine’s freezing winter temperatures. The CID people wanted to
insist he’d gone to the door to let someone in but there had been no trace of
anyone approaching the house. And none of the detectives had a plausible
explanation for why every bit of blood had been drained from his body.
    “He must have heard something,” one of the men said over and
over. “We found his shotgun lying close to him.”
    Patiently Rebecca and Logan had detailed the scenes the
Night Seekers had pictures of, exactly like this.
    About all they’d agreed on was that it was too late tonight
to do anything. Dark came early in winter and anyway, snow had covered
practically everything at the scene.
    Finally, with no conclusion reached except they needed to
visit the scene and start over again, most everyone from the CID had filed out
of the room with orders to gather again at eight in the morning. Only Bobby,
Rebecca, Logan and Sophia were left.
    “Nobody believes us,” Rebecca said in a flat voice. “They
didn’t before and they don’t now.”
    “You have to admit,” Bobby pointed out, “it’s a pretty
farfetched scenario.”
    “No one else had a better explanation,” Rebecca reminded
him. “And the serial killer theory won’t wash unless you believe someone’s
running all over the world killing randomly in this inhuman way. With some kind
of bizarre instrument. Come on, Bobby. Give me a break.”
    “Why don’t we give it a rest for tonight.” He looked at the
other three. “I’m sure no one has much of an appetite after all that, but I’m
pretty sure you guys haven’t eaten in a while. We need fuel for the body if
we’re going to get through this.”
    “You’re right,” Sophia agreed. “Those photos are a quick
appetite killer, but my body is telling me it wants something.”
    “Bobby, why don’t you go on home?” Rebecca said. “You’ve had
enough late nights on this already with more to come. Take advantage of some
time with that new wife of yours when you can. I’ll see that my sister and
Logan get fed and watered.”
    The man gave her a grateful smile. “I’ll take you up on
that, if you’re sure. Jan’s a good cop’s wife and very understanding, but—”
    “But you’re still on your honeymoon,” she grinned. “Go on.
I’ll take them over to The Crown. They can kick back before we dig into all
this tomorrow.”
    “Thanks. I owe you one.” He nodded at Sophia and Logan. “See
you here at eight a.m.”
    “Hopefully with a more open mind,” Sophia called after him.
    “The Crown?” Logan raised his eyebrows. “Is that high class
or low class?”
    Sophia laughed. “Neither. Remember how I told you the county
is called the Crown of Maine? The bar takes its name from that. It’s a