An Unconventional Murder by Kenneth L. Levinson Read Free Book Online Page A

growled. "We have more important things to think about."
    "What about me?" GP purred, her lower lip thrust into a sensuous pout. "Aren't I an asset
to this organization?"
    "GP, you've got enough assets to fill a balance sheet," Upton assured her. "I'm sure you
can be of service."
    "Thank you, Art," she cooed with a feline smile. "I was beginning to feel
unwanted."
    "Not a chance."
    Cameron noticed that Rena Oberhaus was scowling during Upton's interchange with GP.
He wondered, was the ex-cop completely oblivious? That wasn't a good sign. He shifted his
attention back to the problem at hand, his brain working furiously, as he weighed his
options.
    He had to admit Upton was making sense. There was just too much for one man to
handle alone. But conduct a murder investigation by committee? Ridiculous. He would never
live that down at work, especially once word leaked out that he was the one who brought the
murder weapon into the building in the first place.
    And then carelessly let someone steal it.
    It made him feel sick all over again, particularly when he thought of the other missing
weapon, the nine-inch stiletto, still floating somewhere around the hotel.
    He let out a deep sigh. "All right," he told the group, "for the time being, I'm going to
take you up on your offer. At least, to a very limited extent. But let's make something clear: I'm
in charge of this investigation, and none of you are to do anything--I repeat, anything--without
consulting me first. Agreed?"
    The response was an eager chorus of yesses.
    "Our first order of business is safety. Yours, mine and, especially, the other people in the
hotel. We don't know whether the murderer is still in the building or not. Given the weather
outside, the odds are that he or she is." He gestured meaningfully toward the dead man in the
corner of the room. "And we know we're dealing with someone who won't hesitate to kill,
especially if he gets backed into a corner. Understood?"
    The five authors indicated their agreement.
    Feeling a pang of guilt, Cameron decided to give them a more specific warning. "He
could have any type of weapon. A gun or a knife, or anything else. You need to be extremely
careful. If you stumble across anything you even suspect is significant, I want to know about it
immediately. Don't try to be a hero. Tell me about it, and I'll decide what to do. This isn't 'CSI
Miami' . " With a glance at Randy Callahan, Cameron added, "And none of you are
Walker, Texas Ranger. Okay?"
    "Hell, he's a pipsqueak, anyway," Randy muttered. "Even with all that karate stuff, he'd
get his ass kicked big time if he ever tangled with a real gang of rowdies."
    Rena was nodding eagerly. "We understand."
    "All right," Cameron said, "I'm going to need a camera."
    "What about my cell phone?" Rena said. "It has a built-in camera."
    Cameron considered. "That won't work. I'd have to confiscate the phone after I shot the
pictures. Otherwise, there would be chain of custody issues. Also, it probably only holds a dozen
pictures. The best choice would be a digital camera with lots of memory, if you can find
one."
    GP volunteered, "I know of at least two cameras we can borrow. I've seen a couple of
people running around, taking pictures. I'm sure they'd be willing to contribute to the cause."
    "Perfect," Cameron said. "Although, for the time, being please don't tell them what the
cause is. The fewer people who know about this, the better."
    "That makes sense," GP said. She headed toward the door. "I'm on my way." She paused
long enough to address the group. "See? I'm not just another pretty face."
    As she glided out of the room, Cameron said, "I'm going to need a list of everyone
attending this convention."
    "For what purpose?" Royce Fontaine said with a frown. "I don't see--"
    Upton said, "The list might help us identify the dead man."
    A flicker of understanding passed between Cameron and Upton as their eyes briefly met.
If they had to stop and explain every step, they'd never get