No Hero by Mallory Kane Read Free Book Online Page A

than a knife, but it takes a certain amount of expertise to handle one as well as this.”
    “A doctor?”
    “Or an EMT, a military medic, or someone who went to medical school. What I find unusual is that the murderer was able to slit their throats and push them into the river without any sign of resistance.”
    “They must have known their killer,” Dev said. Whoever was doing this had thought each attack through. Everything he’d done had been designed to leave no trace of himself behind.
    “I’m not sure I’d go that far. But yeah, one way or another the killer was able to get very close to them.”
    “Liz, thanks. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”
    “I want to catch this killer as much as you do. I don’t like seeing young people on my table.”
    As Dev headed for the door, he thought of something. “Liz, one more thing. A lot of times when someone uses a sharp knife, they cut themselves. How likely is it that the killer cut himself with the scalpel?”
    “Good point. The killer’s finger could certainly have slipped or the victim might easily have jerked when he realized what was going on. Unless the killer wore gloves or otherwise protected his fingers, it’s quite likely the scalpel could have nicked him.”
    …
    Jimmy Treacher sat down on the end of the dock and pulled out his pipe. He packed it with a bud, then lit it with a disposable lighter, pulling the fragrant smoke deep into his lungs and holding it. He felt the effects almost immediately. Now, that was good dope.
    He’d promised to wait to light up. After all, it wasn’t often they got a chance to smoke some premium weed. But he needed it after the fucking day he’d had. He’d been at the library since early morning, studying. The scholarship exam was going to be damn hard. He hoped he could pass it.
    He felt a little guilty, smoking while he was prepping for the test. Dev would be sorely disappointed if he knew. But a little dope just to relax never hurt anybody. He took another toke and held it, feeling the dizzy, floating sensation that made everything okay. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, breathing in the warm air that carried the briny scent of the Gulf mixed with the dark, muddy odor of the river. It was a great night.
    “Hey, Jimmy. You started without me.”
    He leaned his head back a little more and opened his eyes, looking up. “Not really. I’ve only had two—”
    He never finished the sentence. Before he’d even focused on the face above him, his carotid artery was slit in two. He tumbled into the water, still clutching his pipe full of premium weed.
    …
    By the time Reghan got home, it was almost eight o’clock. She felt grimy and tired after being up for sixteen hours. She’d easily given Officer Stevens the slip on the way to her car, then driven straight to the WACT studios, arriving half an hour later than she’d planned. She’d ditched Stevens partly because she was pissed at Dev for dismissing her, but also because it would have taken way too much time to drive back to her house to give the officer the DVD.
    She’d settled in at work, looking forward to the show, figuring after the crime scene, she’d already seen the worst the day had to offer. But ironically, it had turned out to be an awful day all around.
    Her interview with the city councilman had been harrowing. She couldn’t believe he hadn’t expected her to bring up the allegations of sexual harassment that had surfaced two days before. He should have been prepared. After all, he’d run for city council on the platform of morality, decency, and the importance of family. When she’d mentioned the allegations, he’d turned purple and yelled at her, issuing dire warnings about the bleeping paparazzi who dug around in people’s private lives getting what they deserved.
    Then to her surprise, he’d stalked off the stage. She’d expected a calm denial or possibly a couple of well-planned sound bites expressing outrage