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Incubus Dreams :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 556 из 605Yeah, I’d like to say I was searching for a pulse, but that wasn’t really it. He was cold to the touch, but his arm moved when I pressed, oh so gently. Rigor had either not set in, or it had come and gone. Different things can affect that, but I was betting that he’d died earlier tonight. That they’d been killing him while we questioned Jonah Cooper at the Church of Eternal Life. Looking at the dead man, boy almost, he looked so young, I didn’t feel so bad about killing Cooper. Funny.
I stood up and fished in my jacket pocket for my cell phone. I dialed a number I knew by heart.
“Zerbrowski here.”
“I hope you’re not at home,” I said.
“Why?” and he sounded positively suspicious.
“Because I’m over the river and through the strip clubs, looking at another damn body.”
“No one notified us.”
“I’m notifying you.”
“Are you telling me that you found the body?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“Tell me what happened.”
I told him a short version. I didn’t leave out that the bartender had told Ronnie to get a ride home, just that she was shit-faced about breaking up with Louie. I left out the creepy couple, but that was it.
“Shit,” he said, “I’ve got to call this in. The Staties or the local sheriff are going to get there before we do. The sheriff didn’t like you much.”
“I remember,” I said.
I could almost feel him thinking on his end of the phone. “I’d almost say send your people home, but we’ll need them to corroborate your story.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I do, but I won’t be first on the scene, Anita. Do you understand?”
“I think so, I’m going to need an alibi to explain how I just happened to find the next murder victim when they’ve got people patrolling all the clubs. They’re going to think that someone tipped me to it.”
“Yeah,” he said.
“You believe me, Zerbrowski.”
“Yeah, but I know you. If any woman could go out to a strip club trolling for guys and accidentally find a murder victim, it’s you.”
“I was not trolling for guys,” I said.
“Oh, yeah, I’ll be sure and tell all the guys here at RPIT that you were just doing a favor for a friend.”
“You bastard, don’t tease me about this.”
“Would I do that?”
“Fuck you, Zerbrowski.”
“I’d say yes, but what would Katie say?” His voice got serious all of a sudden.
I stood up and fished in my jacket pocket for my cell phone. I dialed a number I knew by heart.
“Zerbrowski here.”
“I hope you’re not at home,” I said.
“Why?” and he sounded positively suspicious.
“Because I’m over the river and through the strip clubs, looking at another damn body.”
“No one notified us.”
“I’m notifying you.”
“Are you telling me that you found the body?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“Tell me what happened.”
I told him a short version. I didn’t leave out that the bartender had told Ronnie to get a ride home, just that she was shit-faced about breaking up with Louie. I left out the creepy couple, but that was it.
“Shit,” he said, “I’ve got to call this in. The Staties or the local sheriff are going to get there before we do. The sheriff didn’t like you much.”
“I remember,” I said.
I could almost feel him thinking on his end of the phone. “I’d almost say send your people home, but we’ll need them to corroborate your story.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I do, but I won’t be first on the scene, Anita. Do you understand?”
“I think so, I’m going to need an alibi to explain how I just happened to find the next murder victim when they’ve got people patrolling all the clubs. They’re going to think that someone tipped me to it.”
“Yeah,” he said.
“You believe me, Zerbrowski.”
“Yeah, but I know you. If any woman could go out to a strip club trolling for guys and accidentally find a murder victim, it’s you.”
“I was not trolling for guys,” I said.
“Oh, yeah, I’ll be sure and tell all the guys here at RPIT that you were just doing a favor for a friend.”
“You bastard, don’t tease me about this.”
“Would I do that?”
“Fuck you, Zerbrowski.”
“I’d say yes, but what would Katie say?” His voice got serious all of a sudden.