Cerulean Sins - Laurell K. Hamilton [196]
“Yeah, but not until they’ve held a few people over, and questioned them.”
“It isn’t one of the local lycanthropes, Zerbrowski.”
“I can’t tell the upper brass that our perp doesn’t smell like the local werewolf pack, Anita. They’ll say that of course the local wolves would say that, they don’t want to be blamed for this shit.”
“I believe Jason.”
“Maybe I believe him, too, maybe I don’t, but it doesn’t matter, Anita. It really doesn’t matter. People are fucking terrified. There’s a rush bill in the state senate right now to declare varmint laws legal again in Missouri.”
“Varmint laws, Jesus, Zerbrowski, you don’t mean like some of the Western states still have on the books?”
“Yeah, kill it first, then if a blood test proves it’s a lycanthrope, it’s self-defense, not murder, and there’s no trial.”
“It’ll never get into law,” I said, and I was almost certain when I said it.
“Probably not right now, but Anita, we get a few more women torn up like this, and I don’t know.”
“I’d like to say people aren’t that stupid,” I said.
“But you know better,” he said.
“Yeah.”
He sighed. “There’s something else.” He sounded really unhappy.
I sat up a little straighter against the headboard, forcing Nathaniel to recuddle.
“You sound like you’re about to give me really bad news, Zerbrowski.”
“I just don’t want to have to fight with you and Dolph and the top brass all at the same time.”
“What’s wrong, Zerbrowski? Why am I going to be mad at you?”
“Remember, Anita, Dolph was still in charge until now.”
“Just tell me.” My stomach was strangely tight like I was dreading whatever he’d say.”
“There was a message at the first rape scene.”
“I didn’t see a message.”
“It was by the back door, Dolph never gave you a chance to see it. I didn’t know about it until later.”
“What was the message, Zerbrowski?” A lot of thoughts went through my head. Was it a message for me, about me?
“First message read, ‘We nailed this one, too.’ ”
It took me a few seconds to get it, or think I got it. The first murder, the man nailed to his living room wall. There had been nothing to connect that death with the shape-shifter killings. Except maybe for an odd message.
“You’re thinking of the first man in Wildwood,” I said. “The message could mean anything, Zerbrowski.”
“That’s what we thought until the second rape, the one Dolph wouldn’t let us call you in on.”
“There was another message,” I said, voice soft.
“ ‘Nailed another one,’ ” he said.
“It could still be a coincidence, nailed is a euphemism for sex.”
“Today’s message was, ‘There wasn’t enough left to crucify.’ ”
“The maniac that’s slaughtering these women is not methodical enough, or neat enough, for that first murder.”
“I know,” he said. “But we didn’t release the nails and the fact that our first vic was crucified. Nobody but the killer would know.”
“One of the killers,” I said. “The man’s death was a group effort.” I thought of something. “Is there more than one type of sperm at the scenes?”
“Nope.”
“So what, the rapist wants us to know the crimes are connected, why?”
“Why do any of these crazy buggers want us to know anything? It amuses him, Anita.”
“What background did you dig up on the first vic?”
“He’s ex-military.”
“You don’t get that house and the indoor pool on retired military benefits.”
“He was an importer. Traveled around the world and brought back stuff.”
“Drugs?”
“Not that we can find.”
I had another thought, a record after only two hours sleep. “Name me the countries he frequented.”
“Why?” he asked.
I filled him in on what he hadn’t heard through the grapevine about Heinrick.
“If the dead man frequented the same countries, it might mean something.”
“A clue,” Zerbrowski said. “A real live clue, I don’t think I’d know what to do with one.”
“You’ve got lots of clues, they just aren’t helping.”
“You noticed that, too,” he said.
“If Heinrick knew the dead man, I still don’t know what it means.”
“Me either. Just get here as soon as you can. And don’t bring any shape-shifters with you.”
“I understand,” I said.
“I hope so.” He spoke