Serial Killers Uncut by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn, J. A. Konrath Read Free Book Online Page A

after seeing what the Gazette had become an old, tired rag, refusing to adapt to new technologies or understand that hard news was essentially dead she'd made it her business to put the paper out of its misery.

    Nobody cared to read about the government or the economy at least not on a grand scale.
    They only cared about what they saw right in front of them, day in and day out. Their mortgage payments. Their bank accounts. It was all visceral. You bought the celebrity magazine so you could make fun of the stars' cellulite with your friends. You shook your head at the news program that exposed the foreman whose building was overrun with rats because he refused to pony up for an exterminator. You scorned the politician's wife who stood silent at the press conference by her cheating louse of a husband. Paulina gave those with no life something to live for, something to chat about at the nail salon.

    The New York Gazette was dead. It just didn't know it yet.

    So when Ted Allen suggested that Paulina write an article about vampires, she was taken aback to say the least.

    Vampires are huge, Allen had said. There are those books that have sold like a gajillion copies. Now there are movies, television shows, soundtrack albums. Hell, newspapers are the only medium that isn't getting a piece of it. Teenage girls love them, and teenage boys want to get into the pants of teenage girls. And this all scares the living hell no pun intended out of their parents, so you write a piece on vampires I bet it's one of our bestselling editions of the year. .

    What the hell do I know about stupid vampires? Paulina said, laughing at herself for even asking the question. She stopped laughing when she realized Ted was serious.

    Oh, I don't know, Allen had said. Didn't I hear about some boys and girls who go around biting people on the neck because they think they can be vampires? Go interview them. Even better, go undercover and pretend to be one of them. You know, pretend you like to bite people's necks and see what they tell you. .

    Ted, I'm in my forties, Paulina said. I don't think going undercover with teenagers will fly. .

    Are you kidding? Ted said. What's that term? Milf? The teenage boys will love you. .

    That's when Paulina left.

    Rain beat down upon the streets steadily, with the precision of soft drumbeats. The drops splashed upward as they struck the pavement, and Paulina felt the water soaking her ankles as she exited into the gloom. A bottle of Finca Vieja Tempranillo was waiting at home. It was a good red wine, with a slight plum taste, and she could picture slipping into a warm bath with a glass in one hand and a romance novel in the other. The rest of the bottle sitting on the ledge just within reach, ready to be tilted until the last drops were consumed. Ordinarily she was not that kind of girl, in fact laughed at those who were, but Paulina needed a night away from it all.

    Paulina opened up an umbrella and stepped into the sea of New Yorkers, entering the crowded bloodstream known as the commute home. The streets were chock-full of open umbrellas, and she tried to wedge her way into the crowd without having her eye poked out by a random spoke.

    As she took her first step, Paulina heard a man's voice yell, Miss Cole! Miss Cole! .

    She saw a man wearing a dapper suit and dark overcoat approaching. He was tall, six one or two, with hair so blond it was nearly white, peeking out from underneath a billed cap. He looked to be in good shape, late thirties or early forties, and for a brief moment Paulina felt her heart rate speed up. The car service company had really stepped up their recruiting.

    Miss Cole, the man said, stopping in front of her. My name is Chester. I'm from New York Taxi and Limo. Ted Allen called to request a ride home for you. .

    Is that so, Paulina said, barely hiding her smile. She knew months ago that she had Ted by the balls. Things like this proved it. Keeping her happy and pumping out pieces was