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.He doubted Audrey could refuse her much longeranyway, and though Nasreen seemed convinced it wouldlast, even if it didn t, for a while they would both be blissfullyhappy.Ray watched her go and then let out a small, quietlaugh, more envious than amused.Then he closed her doorfirmly behind him and went home to dream of what Cal sawwhen he looked at him, not that he could ask.HE TOLD Penelope Cal s theory the first moment he saw herthe next day.On the chance it was true, she had to know.He ran it by the captain too, when Murphy demanded astatus update and got a scowl and a complaint aboutincreasing his heartburn.The heartburn was actually likely due to the chili dogwith onions on his breath, though Ray hadn t commented onthat.Murphy had scowled even harder at him anyway, andthen asked him to repeat himself.Yes, there was a possibilitythat there were more than two killings that were connected,and though Ray wasn t going to say the words  serial killer,there was a theory that the killings were somehow connectedto him.Ray still preferred to think it was some sort ofvigilante.That meant it might be a batshit lunatic, but atleast the motive wouldn t be personal.Of course, personal was exactly what Cal had said atthe first scene, and Ray couldn t help thinking it again whenhe and Penn got called to another crime scene.Some Kind of Magic | R.Cooper85Could be trolls, they d debated halfheartedly in the car.Trolls were strong and hated humans.Of course they alsohated cities, and it didn t explain the chalk, but thediscussion helped clear their thoughts.It was a shame there was no obvious link between thevictims victims because yes, they d expanded their interestto the two dead men that Cal had mentioned except for therather vague commonality of them being either criminals or acriminal lawyer.Or perhaps there was a link, but Ray hadn thad enough coffee to find it.Goddamn protection spell hadn t let him drink his coffeeuntil it had been ice cold and he hated cold coffee.He wasgoing to kill those idiots and had said so, repeatedly, toPenelope.At least Benedict wasn t that skilled, she dreasoned back at him, smiling.The spell should wear off in aday.As he walked into the scene, he was actually gratefulthat he hadn t had a lot of coffee.The scene was stomachturning, even for a wolf.The smell had hit him by the car.Blood and shit.Acrid fear, leftover adrenaline.Metal andsomething new, burning.The body itself was so torn up it looked like it had beenripped apart.Possibly by teeth, definitely by claws.Ray tookit all in and then turned a look on the M.E.that made herflinch. This is priority. When he d turned that look on the copwho d first responded, he d flinched too, but Penn hadsmiled for him to calm the kid down, Tim, their rookie fromthe other night, and then they d gotten his statement.Answered the call from the neighbor about the screaming.Some Kind of Magic | R.Cooper86No sign of forced entry or a disturbance, though the doorhad been unlocked.Then this.The neighbor, of course, had waited hours before callingthe police.In this neighborhood they were lucky for that.Because Tim looked ill, Ray had summoned up a smilefor him too, and then dismissed him before striding the restof the way into the room, peering down at the face. I know him. Yeah, me too. Penelope looked, then walked throughthe dingy kitchenette and small living room. Perry, right?Perry Paladino.Armed robbery.Paroled. This is sick, Penn. He shook his head and put hishands in his suit pockets for a moment when they wanted tobecome paws, when he wanted claws and to find out whohad done this.He got waves of surprise so strong that itreached him over all the blood stench, and he glanced up atthe others in the room.Ross was pushing past the rookie, relieving him to standat the door, and had his eyebrows up.Ray turned back toPenn. Humans didn t do this. Ray sighed.A Were could have,if driven to it, but wolves were precise, clean killers, notsavage, despite what people thought.And he would havesmelled a wolf.But the others couldn t, and their eyes wereon him.Some of them wouldn t even have blamed him if hehad done it.Disgusted, he tossed his head again and nearly shookoff Penelope when she touched him arm.Then he lookeddown at her, seeing the same rage in her eyes and strangelycalmed by it.Some Kind of Magic | R.Cooper87 We ll catch them. She smiled, revealing rows of sharpteeth, and then stepped away.She pretended not to see howthe M.E. s assistant moved around them.There was moremovement in the hall outside, and though the blood wasnearly overpowering, Ray inhaled the telltale traces of milkycaramel and honeymoons just in time to shout. No! He growled at the two cops by the door. They stayout!Ross was only too happy to move to block them, even ifhe jumped at Ray s tone. Um, excuse me, the Captain sent us. Benedict wastrying to reason with Ross.Ross decided not to bereasonable.Ray would have patted him on the back if he dbeen a little less on edge. Detective Branigan says you stay out here, so you restaying out here. Hey, Branigan! Cal instantly called out. What gives?His voice was thick with real hurt.Probably his pride.Raydidn t care.His heart was just slowing down now that it wassafe. No, Parker, he repeated.Penelope was giving him anodd look, but he ignored it and looked at the body. Absolutely not.I don t want you seeing this. Oh yeah, hesounded nuts.But since no one was going to stand up to thewerewolf today, he was fine with that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]