Bloody Bones by Laurell K. Hamilton Read Free Book Online

asked.
    â€œMissouri State Highway Patrol has this one. Sergeant Freemont is the investigator in charge. She doesn’t think it was a vampire because the bodies are cut up. Pieces of the bodies are missing. I had to do a lot of tap dancing to get that much information out of her. Sergeant Freemont seems convinced that RPIT is going to come in and steal all the glory. She was particularly worried about our headline-stealing pet zombie queen.”
    â€œIt’s the pet part that I mind the most,” I said. “But she sounds charming.”
    â€œI’ll bet she’s even more charming in person,” Dolph said.
    â€œAnd I get to meet her?”
    â€œGiven the choice between a large chunk of the squad coming down later and just you right now, she chose you. I think she sees you alone, without us to back you up, as the lesser evil.”
    â€œNice to be the lesser evil for a change,” I said.
    â€œYou might get upgraded,” Dolph said. “She doesn’t know you too well yet.”
    â€œThanks for the vote of confidence. Let me test my understanding here. None of you are coming up to the scene?”
    â€œNot right away. You know we’re shorthanded until Zerbrowski gets back on duty.”
    â€œWhat does the Missouri State Highway Patrol think about a civilian helping them in a murder investigation?”
    â€œI made it clear that you are a valuable member of my squad.”
    â€œThanks for the compliment, but I still don’t have a badge to flash.”
    â€œYou may if that new federal law goes into effect,” Dolph said.
    â€œDon’t remind me.”
    â€œDon’t you want to be a federal marshal?” His voice was very mild. Nah, amused.
    â€œI agreed they should license us, but giving us what amounts to federal marshal status is ridiculous.”
    â€œYou could handle it.”
    â€œBut who else? John Burke with the power of the law behind him? Give me a break.”
    â€œIt won’t get passed, Anita. The pro-vampire lobby is too strong.”
    â€œFrom your lips to God’s ear. Unless they revoke the need for court orders of execution, it won’t make killing them any easier, and they won’t do that. I’ve already gone out of state to execute vamps. I don’t need no stinking badge.”
    Dolph laughed. “If you run into trouble, give a yell.”
    â€œI really don’t like this, Dolph. I’m out here investigating a murder without any official status.”
    â€œSee, you do need a badge.” I heard him sigh over the phone. “Look, Anita, I wouldn’t leave you solo if we didn’t have problems of our own. I’ve got a body on the ground here. When I can, I’ll send somebody. Hell, I’d like you to come take a look at our corpse. You’re our resident monster expert.”
    â€œGive me some details and I’ll try to play Kreskin.”
    â€œMale, early twenties, rigor hasn’t set in.”
    â€œWhere’s the body?”
    â€œHis apartment.”
    â€œHow’d you get there so soon?”
    â€œNeighbor heard a fight, called 911. They called us.”
    â€œGive me his name.”
    â€œFredrick Michael Summers, Freddy Summers.”
    â€œHe got any old vampire bites on his body? Healed bites?”
    â€œYeah, quite a few. Looks like a damn pincushion. How’d you know?”
    â€œWhat’s the first rule of a homicide?” I said. “You check the nearest and dearest. If he had a vamp lover, there’d be healed bite marks. The more of them, the longer the relationship has gone on. No vamp can bite a victim three times within a month without running the risk of killing them and raising them as a vamp. You can have different vamps bite somebody, but that would make Freddy a vampire junkie.Ask the neighbors if there were a lot of different guys or girls going in and out at night.”
    â€œIt never occurred to me that a vampire could be