Alien Blues by Lynn Hightower Read Free Book Online Page A

wrong place.”
    â€œFound it in Dyer’s car, between the door and the seat. Looks like it fell down the crack last night.”
    Mel gave it a second look. “Maybe it’s some kind of artist’s brush.” He turned it over in his hand. “No writing or anything on it.”
    â€œLet’s take it down to the precinct. Maybe somebody down there knows what it is.” David dropped it back in his pocket. “Mel?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œDyer’s got to be dead, don’t you think?”

EIGHT
    David and Mel stopped at the café on West Main, and were late to the staff meeting. Della Martinas, Pete Ridel, and Dawn Weiler, the FBI liaison, were already at the oval table in the captain’s office. An Elaki stood between the table and the wall.
    â€œThat’s him .” Mel grabbed David’s sleeve. “The one that crashed our crime scene.”
    â€œShhh.” David peeled Mel’s fingers off his wrist. “Take it easy, will you? This is a different one. Pinker in the middle—see?”
    â€œWhat’s he doing at a staff meeting?”
    â€œHell, I don’t know.”
    â€œI ain’t working with that guy.”
    â€œYou won’t have to. Halliday wouldn’t just spring something like this.”
    David opened the door and Mel followed him into the office.
    Dawn Weiler was talking. David nodded at her, smiling gently. Mel stood behind his chair, looking from the Elaki to the captain. Halliday frowned at him. Mel sat.
    The Elaki swayed ever so slightly back and forth. David wished it would be still.
    He tried to concentrate on what Dawn was saying. She was a slender brunette, freckles across her nose, green-eyed. Her fingers were long and bony, and she tended to wear longish skirts and tailored blouses with Peter Pan collars. She absently twisted a strand of hair around a pencil.
    â€œMaybe it’s just me. No . Something’s way off. This one is atypical weird.” She frowned and wrinkled her nose.
    Halliday smiled. His teeth were very white. He had high, sharp cheekbones and a thin, angular face. His hair was lank and brown, and his clothes studiously nerdy.
    â€œDawn, can you get a little more specific?” Halliday glanced at the Elaki.
    Dawn Weiler blushed. “Okay. What we know. The killer is white and male. Well, big deal, most of them are. What bothers me?” She chewed the pencil eraser. “The last attack was an old lady. Caucasian. Before that—male, Oriental, early twenties. Before that—young woman, Caucasian. The other two victims—black man, fifties. White woman—forties. Absolutely no pattern whatsoever. That’s so frustrating. Even Henry Lee Lucas …”
    â€œIt’s the same guy doing it,” Ridel interrupted. “DNA match on all sperm samples.”
    â€œOh, I agree,” Weiler said. “Same guy. But he absolutely won’t type out. These killers fall in two groups.”
    The Elaki edged forward, closer to David than he liked. Mel blew air through his teeth. Dawn frowned at him.
    â€œFirst bunch,” Dawn said, “is stalkers, planners. These are the older ones, the smarter ones. Twenties, thirties. They like to control and torture—they’re sexual sadists. Then there’s the impulsive ones. Usually they kill quickly, because they feel threatened. Then they mess around with the corpse. Sometimes they cover it up, like they’re ashamed. Usually they’re younger, often live near the victim.
    â€œThis guy we got—he stalks, gets absolute control. Then kills quickly, first blow. The victims are dead before he takes off the fingers and hands, et cetera, et cetera. That surprises me.”
    â€œI think for the best they are dead first.”
    Everyone looked at the Elaki.
    â€œSure.” Dawn looked annoyed. “It just bugs me. I mean you add that to the incredible range of victims. And there’s no pattern to when