Alien Blues by Lynn Hightower Read Free Book Online Page B

he hits. He does the first three in a two-week period. Bizarre. Then he stops for three months! Then another, six weeks later. Usually, these things build. Start slow and work their way up. That two-week blitz—that kind of stuff usually happens when a guy is spooked and on the run. Nothing to lose.”
    â€œMaybe he was in jail during those three months,” David said.
    Della shook her head. “I’ve run the known felons, misdemeanors … only a few Iikelies and we interviewed those.”
    Dawn shrugged. “Normally I could say to you, hey, this guy is twenty-three to thirty-three years old. He probably works in a hospital, has a girlfriend, lives with his mother, et cetera. Your boy, I don’t know. I’m afraid to type him. I don’t want you looking one way, when you should be looking another.”
    â€œPlease explain the significance of typing him. You say that twice. Type people? This is to be desirable?”
    â€œSee,” Mel said. “There used to be this thing called a typewriter. Started out little, so they could fit on a desk, but some genius cop gets the idea to roll the perps on the platen, kind of like tattooing—you know what tattoo means?”
    â€œMel, I want you to stay after the meeting,” Halliday said. He looked at the Elaki. “What Detective Burnett means …”
    David tuned Halliday out. He rubbed his eyes. This was going to be a bad one, very bad. Careers would make or break on this one. Most sociopathic killers were caught by accident, a lucky break. David wasn’t feeling lucky. And meanwhile, Machete Man was going through a lot of people.
    The phone rang and Halliday picked it up.
    â€œHalliday. Yeah, Mark. No, I’ve never been to one of them places. I don’t suppose you got any idea which? How about the blood? All right. You know about Dyer. You know what we’re dealing with.” Halliday hung up.
    â€œThat brush you found, David. Came from an Elaki restaurant. They give ’em out—Elaki get crumbs embedded in their skin—”
    â€œScales,” the Elaki said.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œScales. Not skin.”
    â€œWhyn’t you just wear a bib?” Mel said.
    â€œWhat is the bib?”
    â€œOh, see …” Mel said.
    Halliday looked at him.
    â€œWe’ll talk about it later,” Mel promised.
    â€œSounds like Dyer was off on something else entirely,” Della said glumly. She gnawed a blueberry muffin. David glanced through the glass walls of Halliday’s office to his own desk. The bag from the café was gone.
    â€œWhat you got on the break-ins?” Mel asked.
    Della wiped crumbs off her mouth. “Guy is a pro.”
    â€œEx-cop maybe?” Ridel said.
    Dawn shrugged. “That, or worked security. Lots of these boys are police groupies. Take a look at the ones who tried to hire on with the police, but got turned down. Or maybe ones who got fired after a few months on the job. Particularly if they’ve got a rent-a-cop background. And look for past enrollment at EKC—anywhere there are law enforcement classes. Or law school. Mainly the ones who didn’t make the grade, or didn’t stick with it.”
    â€œPete,” Halliday said. “Cover that, okay? Della, you stay on method of B and E, account for things missing. He may take souvenirs—a lot of them do. Keep trying on some kind of connection between the victims. Maybe they all order from one pizza place, I don’t know. Might be a good idea for you and Pete to go back through arrest records, right when that three-month calm started.
    â€œDavid, you and Mel stay with this Dyer business. It may be a whole other case, but check it out.”
    â€œAnd how may I assist?”
    â€œPardon?” Halliday said.
    â€œI would be pleased to help.”
    â€œMr. String, your offer is appreciated. But your function is strictly advisory. You’ll leave the investigation to