The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey Read Free Book Online

on the team. His voice was soft, smooth, and reassuring. Miriam’s eyes rolled around a bit in their sockets and settled back on the detective.
    Nicole opened up her case and set out some small envelopes and tweezers. She began with the victim herself, collecting small bits of evidence off her clothes and bedding. Meanwhile, Vince and Miriam continued to talk.
    “Let’s go back to the attack, Miriam. Why do you think he used the knife? Was there something you said, maybe, that got him angry?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “You remember what he was saying at the time?”
    “No. Like I told you, I think he felt like he was losing control.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know. I just think he needed to scare me, to show me he could use the knife. I think he could have killed me.”
    “Why didn’t he?”
    “I talked him out of it.”
    Miriam’s voice firmed up a bit. She looked around the room and returned to Vince.
    “I read about it in People magazine. If you’re being raped, the best way to survive is to talk to your rapist. Make him see you as a person. So that’s what I did. Told him about my life. About my brother’s visit. About T-Kat. Where is T-Kat?”
    “I don’t know, Miriam. We have an officer looking around the neighborhood.”
    “Oh no, T-Kat is here. He never leaves the house. Neither one of us likes to leave the house very much. Anyway, I told him about T-Kat and about my job. About the shows I watch at night. American Idol. Anything I could think of. After a while he put down the knife and just listened. Then he took me down the hall and into the bedroom.”
    “What did he do then?”
    “Well, he didn’t rape me anymore. He just lay down beside me.”
    Nicole touched Vince’s arm.
    “Hold on a second, Miriam.”
    Nicole and Vince conferred for a moment, then Vince returned to the victim.
    “Can you show me exactly where he was lying?”
    “Sure. Right here on the left side. I think he might have been crying at one point. That’s when I knew he wouldn’t kill me.”
    Vince’s PDA beeped again.
    “That’s the ambulance, Miriam. We’re going to take you to the hospital for the examination I told you about.”
    “Will I spend the night at the hospital?”
    “Probably.”
    “Where’s my brother?”
    “He’ll be at the hospital, too.”
    “Okay. But you guys have to find my cat. His food is in the kitchen.”
    “You got it, Miriam.”
    The ambulance rolled out five minutes later. Vince came back into the bedroom. Nicole was just finishing up.
    “I called in a couple more techs,” she said. “They’re going to process both bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and laundry room. They’re also going to take that carpet up.”
    “What do you think?” Vince said.
    “I think he probably used a condom. If he was wearing gloves, he probably didn’t cut himself. But it’s worth a shot.”
    “Yeah.”
    Nicole pointed to a set of rolled-up bedsheets.
    “The victim thinks he was crying. If so, we might have some tears.”
    Vince smiled.
    “And some DNA?”
    “Maybe. I’ll let you know. Okay, I gotta run. I’ll call you.”
    “Thanks, Nicole.”
    The two shook hands. Very proper and professional. Too much so. Vince turned my way.
    “Thanks for staying out of the way. Find it interesting?”
    “Very much. For what it’s worth, your guy’s a killer.”
    Nicole glanced up at that. Vince cocked his head and gave me a funny look.
    “What makes you say that?”
    “The way she described him. The guy was on his way. Almost there.”
    “You think he was going to kill her?” Nicole said.
    I looked at Vince.
    “I think it was a close thing. Not sure why he stopped, but you can bet it had nothing to do with Miriam or her stories.”
    “Or People magazine,” Vince said. “Come on out here for a second.”
    Rodriguez led us through the kitchen and into a small backyard. It was dark now. Pieces of light from the kitchen window cast the scene into silhouette. A clothesline ran off the back of