Karen Vail 01 - Velocity by Alan Jacobson Read Free Book Online

against Mayfield’s left ear. “Should I do that, Johnny boy? Should I take my Glock and put it in your mouth?”
    “Karen—”
    Vail was not deterred. “If you manage to survive, I’m going to enjoy watching you get the needle. I’l be there in the death chamber, along with the families of al the people you’ve kil ed.”
    Dixon sighed audibly, then put her hands on her hips and turned away.
    Vail leaned back and studied his face. “So tel me, Johnny, wil you be seeing your mother in hel when you get there?” There—what was that—did his face twitch? “Roxx, you see that?”
    Dixon turned. “See what?”
    Vail continued scrutinizing Mayfield’s expression. It was now blank. Had she real y seen something? “Tel me, John. What did you do with Roberto Hernandez?
    Did you kil him?”
    Nothing, not a shudder or a quiver.
    Vail moved in closer. “Do you have him tied up somewhere?”
    “Does he have who tied up?”
    Dixon and Vail swung their heads toward the door. Standing there, an icy expression on his face, was a man dressed in a white lab coat, stethoscope draped around his neck.
    “You are?” Vail asked.
    The man stepped into the room. “I think the question is, who are you?”
    “I asked you first,” Vail said, not yielding her ground.
    The man stared at her. “Do I have to cal security?”
    Dixon held out her badge. “Investigator Dixon. This is Special Agent Vail. FBI.”

    “I’m Mr. Mayfield’s surgeon. Dr. Koossey.”
    “Wel ,” Vail said, “I guess that makes us related. We’re Mister Mayfield’s arresting officers.”
    Koossey threw his chin back. “So you’re the ones who shot him.”
    “I wish,” Vail said. Koossey didn’t like that answer. Tough shit, doc. You don’t know who your patient is.
    He folded his arms across his chest. “Are you two about done here?”
    Vail stepped closer to Koossey. With a smirk, she said, “Doctor, if I was done here, Mayfield would be flatlining.”
    “Karen.” This from Dixon, whose face was a deep shade of red. Vail had to admit that was a stupid thing to say. One thing to think it. Another to speak it to the patient’s physician. Certainly not when she wanted answers. Her “pleasantness filter” was failing her. Lack of sleep, stress . . . she was pissed off and, frankly, she just didn’t give a shit.
    “Sorry about that, Dr. Koossey. My partner’s sleep deprived, she’s not exactly exercising her best judgment at the moment.”
    His eyes flicked down to her holster. “Yet she’s stil carrying a loaded weapon.
    Very nice.”
    This guy’s got a set of balls. Wonder if he’s from New York. “I think I’ve heard just enough out of you, doctor. But I’l tel you how you can make yourself useful.
    How about tel ing us when Mister Mayfield here is going to be able to answer questions?”
    Koossey snorted and tossed a look at Dixon, as if to say, “Is she for real?”
    Dixon must’ve read the same thing from the man’s face, because she said,
    “Look, doctor. Your patient is an extremely dangerous serial kil er. He’s murdered several innocent men and women. Including a couple local cops.” Dixon yanked down on the col ar of her blouse and craned her neck back, exposing her throat.
    The remnant of Mayfield’s work was apparent in blood red, with emerging hints of eggplant-shaded hues. If it had been a sunset, it would’ve been memorable. It wasn’t a sunset, of course—but for Dixon, it would forever remain a memory. To Koossey, she said, “Mayfield tried to kil me.”
    Vail likewise exposed her neck. “I’m a member of that club, too.” Whaddya think of that, doc? “We’ve got another potential victim of his out there somewhere, a detective. Until we can question Mayfield, we’ve got no way of finding him. And we’re hoping to find him alive.” Vail folded her arms. “So.”
    Koossey worked his jaw from side to side. “We’ve induced a coma. Do you know what that means?”
    “I know about comas,” Vail