DeathWeb (Fox Meridian Book 3) by Niall Teasdale Read Free Book Online

he had been sharp before making inspector, there was little sign of it now.
    ‘Meridian, what brings you down to the slums from your high tower?’ Cant asked the question with a hint of mock humour and a lot of dislike.
    ‘I don’t live in a tower, Cant.’ Fox settled into a chair opposite his desk, even if he had not offered one. ‘Same apartment block as before. You caught a case before you got shifted up a rank, Sandra Monarch, found dead near Lexington Tower. You linked it to another one, Alan B Barker–’
    ‘There were six of them. The guy had killed six. You pulled the files on those?’
    ‘The first one was Harper August’s granddaughter.’
    ‘Yeah, I was aware.’
    ‘August agreed to quit throwing obstacles in the way of his trial if I looked into his granddaughter’s murder. That death was why he went off the rails and formed Augustine Property Services, as a security organisation. He didn’t seem to know Patricia Randall’s murder was part of a sequence.’
    ‘The link was never made official, never put out to the media. Analysts said that it was not definitely the same guy. The pattern was insufficiently complete, the probabilities were too low. Usual statistics crap.’ Just briefly, Fox saw the fellow cop sitting in front of her. They both knew what it was like to have what seemed like obvious connections tossed aside because someone did not like the odds and the media noise that would hit because of the announcement. ‘I was allowed to make a note in the files for the last two cases suggesting that they were linked and that they might be connected to others. Then the guy stopped. I’d worked out he didn’t like doing his thing in the cold, but next spring there was nothing. Canard was pushing for my promotion, but he wanted the decks cleared. I had to put the case down as inactive in the summer.’
    Fox nodded. ‘He didn’t stop. He moved to Cape Town.’
    ‘The place in the South Africa Federation?!’
    ‘And then on to Berlin. He’s killed five more since he left New York.’
    ‘Berlin? Shit. If they catch him, we’ll never close the case.’
    Fox shrugged. ‘I pulled at some strings in the UNTPP. They’ll see I get notified if the guy’s pulled in, and I’ll make sure we can close the cases. I don’t think August cares where this bastard gets put away, but he wants him found and locked up.’
    ‘Yeah well, you’ve read the files, right? We both know where this one’s going, no matter who catches him.’
    ‘Cold Harbour, no possibility of parole.’
    ‘And with what this one does to his victims, he deserves to live a long life in a box.’
    For once, maybe the only time it had ever happened, Fox was in full agreement with Cant.
    ~~~
    ‘Canard has actually arranged a roster or something so that everyone of detective grade and higher can attend this conference for half a day while it’s on.’ Dillan lifted her glass and sank half of the wine in it, and Fox hoped Terri was going to turn up tonight or she might have to try squeezing three into bed. ‘Station houses are “encouraged” to allow lower ranks to attend if possible. I am starting to hate that place.’
    Fox shrugged. ‘Resign. Come and work for me.’
    ‘It’s just politics, politics, pol– What did you say?!’
    ‘Our medical includes hearing tests.’
    ‘You’re offering me a job, while we’re in a sex club?’
    ‘It’s not a sex club. No floor show and the staff aren’t on the tariff.’
    Dillan smirked and pointed a thumb at a passing woman. ‘No floor show?’ The girl’s skirt was so short that it barely concealed her underwear, assuming she was wearing any.
    ‘You know what I mean. I have to start recruiting at some point. You’re a good detective. I’ve seen your work and I know I can get on with you. I’ve been thinking about it since they gave me this CIO position, but now it’s starting to look like I may need more staff. So… Well, you should give it some thought.’
    ‘I don’t