First to Die by Kate Slayer Read Free Book Online

move as he read it. His face turned to a strange color of red that I hadn't seen before, and then drained to a purplish gray.
    "Where did you get this?" He scowled at me.
    "Not sure," I lied.
    "I know better than that." He paced the floor.
    "Really, I don't know." I firmly said. "It was with a stack of papers." I jerked my head in the chief’s direction so Jason would step in.
    "You were here back then. What happened with this case?" he asked the chief.
    "Exactly what it says,” he said. “Never found the guy that did it."
    "Single, close to thirty, lived alone in the historical district," I said. "It's the same case that we have right now. Were you there?" I was trying not to interrogate him.
    "I found her, Samantha." He lowered his voice and looked down at the floor.
    "I didn't know that. I haven't seen the file yet." I was hesitant to ask the next question. "Was the murder similar to the new ones?"
    "She was cut up pretty bad. Tortured, yes, but no crazy notes and no sewing skills." He laid the article down on the table. "Is that it, Detective?" That was not a good sign. When Hayes switches to calling me detective, I was heading down a slippery slope.
    "Only one more." I stepped back and hid my nervous hands in my pockets. "Did you have any suspects? Do you think it's the same guy?"
    "That was two questions, Detective, and the answer is no to both of them." I could tell by the strained look on his face that he was pissed that I was questioning him.
    I tried to hold it back, but my mouth won again. "You knew her."
    His face tightened up and I could see his jaw popping out on each side as he clenched his teeth. "Yes, we all did. It was a difficult time for everyone." He was now glaring down at me. "Are we done with your interrogation?"
    "I'm sorry, Chief." I took a long, deep breath of air and squeezed it out like an over-inflated balloon. "I think while we're at it, we should consider shutting down the festival," I said, hoping that he would agree. "Everybody knows what happened and we can tell them that we need to concentrate on the investigation. Normal procedures." He gazed at me with a bewildered look. "The streets are already blocked off and it would give us a chance to set up vehicle check points for anyone coming or going." His bewilderment turned to the obvious sign of annoyance as he massaged his temples with both hands.
    "No, no and no. It's not being shut down."
    "But, it would give us a chance to see if anyone stumbles on a few questions and have a look inside their cars." He ran his fingers through his wavy salt-and-pepper hair, trying to brush away my pleading. He narrowed his eyes in an obvious objection.
    "No problem." I started to raise my hands in defeat. I caught his bloodshot eyes in a stare. "It's wrong not to do it." I had the proverbial shovel in my hand and was digging myself an enormous hole. "You're worried about what the mayor and council will say about the added publicity, and I don't think it matters," I said, rocking back and forth on my heels. "It’s going to be a hell of a lot safer if we get everyone out of here." The overhead speaker abruptly interrupted Jason as he opened his mouth to speak and summoned him to the reception area. He headed for the door and disappeared. The bastard left me alone. Persuading the chief after he has already made is mind up was a losing battle.
    "You have a better way of doing things around here?" Spit hit my face.
    "No, Chief, I don't." My pleading eyes turned to panic. "This is a double homicide investigation, not a council vote, and by the time they get their heads out of their asses, we'll have another body." That was the last scoop of dirt that I needed to fit me snugly in my grave.
    "Detective, go home and go to sleep, you hear me?" I nodded. He snarled and stormed out of the room. Maybe Stella would be able to calm him down and save my ass. Stella had a way with him. She had been the police clerk for as long as I could remember. She could run him in