Blood Game by Iris Johansen Read Free Book Online Page A

hovering, then touching down.
    And Bonnie was the eye of the tornado, calm, loving, a shimmering orb that vanished as the storm overtook them.
    She glanced back at the pine tree where Bonnie had been sitting and remembered those last cryptic words.
    I went away, but I don’t think she will.
    Uneasiness, again.
    She impulsively reached in her pocket for her phone and dialed Joe. She wanted to reach out, touch him.
    “I was just going to call you.” His tone was curt. “I’ve been busy as hell. This crime scene is a media circus. We have to cordon off the entire area to keep the journalists from sneaking past the tapes.”
    “Why?”
    “That’s right, I didn’t tell you. The victim is Nancy Jo Norris. Her father is Ed Norris. He’s flying down from Washington now, and we have to get the forensic investigation done and Nancy Jo moved to the morgue before we have him coming here and causing more uproar from the media. I’ll be late getting home.” He paused. “After I leave here, I want to stop by the precinct and take a look at that goblet. We should have a preliminary report on the blood by that time.”
    “Nancy Jo Norris.” Eve felt sick. “I saw a photo of her in the newspaper last month. She was playing soccer in some tournament. She was smiling, and she looked positively radiant.”
    “That’s one of the reasons the media is hyped. A 4.0 student, popular, good at sports, on the student council . . . and a daddy who might run for president someday.”
    “Poor girl. Everything to live for . . .” She shook her head. “I’d be out there on top of you too. Any clues as to who did it?”
    “One.” He paused. “Schindler thinks it may be a ritual killing.”
    “What do you think?”
    “Maybe. I’ll talk to you about it when I get home tonight. Do me a favor. You and Jane stick close to the cottage today. Is the squad car there?”
    “Yes, he’s parked down the road.” She was silent a moment. “I thought I might be overreacting. You’re really worried about that goblet.”
    “Damn right. And you’re not overreacting, Eve. Just stay close to the house, okay?”
    “Okay. Jane and I have some catching up to do anyway.”
    “I’ll be home soon as I can. By the way, why did you phone me?”
    Joe was so blessedly normal Eve felt foolish that she had yielded to the temptation to call him. “I just wanted to talk to you. Is everything all right with you?”
    He didn’t answer directly. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
    “No reason. I’ll see you tonight.” She hung up. Lord, she was relieved. He sounded much better than he had earlier. She had told Megan that she and Joe talked, but she had slid away from telling Joe about Megan’s call. He would have just laughed and made some kind of derogatory comment about Megan’s voodoo.
    You were afraid, Mama.
    But there’s nothing to be afraid of, baby. Joe is doing just fine.
    “I’M ON MY WAY BACK TO THE precinct,” Schindler said as he watched the M.E. vehicle pulling away from the curb carrying Nancy Jo Norris to the morgue. “You too?”
    Joe nodded. “Right away. I want to take a look at that goblet they pulled from her hand.” He was moving toward Johnson, who had placed the goblet in a clear plastic bag and was sealing it. “I won’t be long.”
    “Better not. They’re going to want our reports in a hurry. Everything is going to have to be in a hurry. The captain will need answers.”
    “She’s not going to get them. Forensics is swearing that the killer didn’t leave much for them to work with. He cleaned up the site.
    “Except maybe that goblet . . .” Joe took the plastic bag from Johnson and held it up to the light. The sun was going down, but the rays pierced the plastic, and he could make out the carving. It looked like an ancient dining hall, a long table at which sat several men. All the men had goblets sitting in front of them, and one man was standing with a goblet raised in his hand.
    “I’ve got to get that to the lab,