Death Delights by Gabrielle Lord Read Free Book Online

and Staro walked. Since then, he’s lived the narrow, anxious life of an addict informer, looking over his shoulder, never knowing whether it would be the cops, the crims or the gear that’d finally do for him.
    ‘Have you heard anything about under-age girls around the traps?’ I asked him after we’d exchanged the usual pleasantries.
    Staro shrugged over his double vodka while I watched him through my raised soda and bitters. ‘You can get anything you want,’ he said, ‘if you’ve got the dough. And you don’t even have to have much of that round here. There are plenty of under-age addicts who’ll do anything for what they need.’
    ‘We had a tip-off. The House of Bondage. My daughter’s name was mentioned in connection with that place.’
    He shook his head. ‘Nah. I haven’t heard anything about that. I’ll keep an ear out for you.’ Staro tossed back his vodka and ordered another. ‘How come you never drink?’ he asked, poking his head forward between his hunched shoulders, looking puzzled.
    I picked up my glass. ‘What do you mean?’ I was teasing him a bit. ‘This is a drink,’ I said, swishing the fluid around in the glass.
    ‘You know what I mean,’ he said. ‘A proper drink.’ His blond hair was almost gone from the top of his head, his face an unhealthy tan that must have come out of a bottle because it was very rare that he was awake, let alone out, during the hours of sunshine.
    ‘It’s a very long story, Staro,’ I said.
    ‘You could tell me,’ he said. ‘Maybe I’d understand.’
    ‘Maybe you would,’ I said.
    ‘But I’m on the ’done now,’ he reminded me, ‘to replace what I used to use. What do you use instead?’
    I considered. It was a good question, better than Staro realised. ‘Clean hands and a clean heart,’ I said. ‘And a job I enjoy. If you hear anything,’ I added, ‘about under-age girls…’
    Staro picked up his new double and actually touched the back of my hand. He must have seen my look of amazement at this familiarity, because he pulled his hand back fast. ‘You know,’ he said quickly, ‘if I heard anything, I’d let you know asap.’
    I felt bad that I’d been so transparently startled by Staro’s breach of protocol and, looking away, I noticed a fellow nearby reading a paper with “ New Mutilator Murderer Fears ” heading the page. Staro followed my line of sight and also saw what I was reading. ‘What about this character who removes the three piece suite?’ I asked, changing the subject. ‘Is there anything going around about that?’
    Staro’s eyes widened. ‘There’s a lot of talk,’ he said ‘about the DNA result.’ He shook his head. ‘You know, it’s not right to go tampering with nature. It starts off with soya beans and then you get something like this happening.’
    I knew Staro had done himself a lot of brain damage over the years, but I was getting more irritated by the minute. ‘Staro,’ I said sternly, ‘what are you talking about?’
    ‘The DNA result on those two murders you just asked me about. You’re a scientist. You should know. What killed them?’
    I leaned back in my chair. ‘A human being killed them,’ I said. ‘I’m working with that investigation.’
    ‘Jeez, are you? I’d be careful if I were you.’
    ‘Let me put you straight, Staro,’ I said. ‘I presume you’re referring to the report about non-human DNA in connection with the first of the killings?’ Staro nodded, reddened eyes wide.
    ‘It was a dog,’ I said.
    Staro paled. ‘My God. That’s horrible. Some sort of human and dog mix?’ He was looking at me in an accusatory sort of way, reminding me of how these sorts of conversations often go with Staro. When Staro fastens onto something, getting him to unfasten was a bit like turning the Queen Mary around. It could take a nautical mile or two.
    ‘Just plain dog,’ I said. ‘Not human. Before Gumley’s body was found, it seems a dog had licked the