Cold Blooded by Lisa Jackson Read Free Book Online Page A

class. Philosophy of Religion.
    Bul II wasn't the subject matter that interested her, or The curmudgeon of a professor--Dr. Zaroster. God, he was as ancient as the books he taught from, bul his T.A.
    Brian Thomas, a grad student. Now he was a reason to get up early and never miss a class. If Dr. Sutler or Dr. Franz hadn'T like Brian, maybe she wouldn't oversleep or skip class.
    Kristi smiled at the thought of Brian. He'd showed her special attention during a couple of discussion groups and she'd been flattered. Tall, with thick hair and a body to die for, he'd flashed a shy smile in her direction more often than not. She'd caught him watching her upon occasion during the lectures, then quickly look away when she glanced in his direction. As if he didn't want her to see him.
    Well, it hadn't worked. She hurried into the lecture hall and walked down the steps to take a seat in the front of the auditorium. Zaroster was just opening his book. The cranky professor shot Kristi an irritated glance.
    Big deal. So she was a minute or two late. She'd wanted to make an entrance. So Brian would notice ... only ... he wasn't in the cavernous room. Kristi pulled out her notebook and paper. Others were already writing furiously; a couple even had palm pilots and were furiously entering data. Zaroster's high-pitched voice started filling the cavernous room as he flipped through the pages of some musty old tome.
    She hazarded a glance around the room and then she saw him. At the back of the lecture hall, in the top row, handing out some kind of quiz. She must've missed that part by coming in late.
    Oh well ... she'd wing it. How tough could a quiz on the Buddha be?
    She looked over her shoulder and caught Brian looking at her. She smiled, and to her surprise, he smiled back.
    Oh, God. Her heart did a major flip. She felt the color rush up her face and she glanced down for just a second.
    Caught her breath. He was so much older than she was-- probably closer to thirty than twenty.
    So what? Who cared?
    And what about Jay?
    She felt a moment's guilt. Jay was her boyfriend. Or had been. But since she'd left New Orleans and started college, their relationship had turned rocky. She glanced at the ring on her finger. A promise ring. The kind you get before you get engaged. It seemed foolish now. Adolescent.
    She worked it off her finger as old man Zaroster droned on, then slipped the simple silver band into her pocket. Then she hazarded one last glance over her shoulder. Brian was only two rows above her, still handing out the tests.
    His eyes didn't meet hers again, but she wasn't worried.
    Sooner or later he'd ask her out. She'd bet on it.
    The air smelled bad.
    Smoky and damp, filled with the scent of wet ashes and charred wood.
    Bentz glowered at the crime scene where a burned-out shell of a house smoldered in the morning light. Roped off by yellow tape, saturated by the firemen's hoses, a few blackened timbers remained standing around the smokestack of a crumbling chimney. In the yard, half a dozen crepe myrtles and live oak trees had been singed, matching the seared siding and roofs of neighboring houses.
    Rubbing the back of his neck, he stared at the soggy, smelly mess. The
    crime scene staff were already working, carefully sifting through the rubble, a photographer and vidiographer scanning the site, preserving a visual image of the remains. Uniformed officers were keeping out the curious, and department vehicles, some with lights flashing, were parked across the street, closing access. One news crew was still filming; another was already packing up a van to leave.
    Good. The press was always a nuisance.
    The deceased had already been examined, photographed, and taken away in
    a bag. Bentz had taken a look and nearly lost the contents of his stomach. He'd witnessed a lot in nearly twenty years of being a cop, but what had happened to this woman was up there with the worst he'd seen.
    One fire truck remained. Several police cars and a police