Shadow of the moon

lothes. The druggy was nowhere in sight, but

he area investigation was over. There was a strip of police tape in front of the alley, but nobody was around to guard it. The front doors of the club

he sidewalks had a few bumbling drunks who wandered from strip cl

own the narrow alley. No birds, no alley cats, nothing. It was almost as if they knew something wasn't quite right and stayed away. Something I shou

om clumsy feet tromping on them, but were otherwise accurate. I knelt on the ground beside the outline of the second guy killed

the thing from the ground. I held it in front of my face and smiled. A hair. Not the brown mousy hair of the dead guy, but a dark black h

long the ground searching for anything else.

stood out. That didn't discourage me

was off. I walked up and tested the knob. Locked. I jiggled the knob, but the clasp wouldn't slide out. Must have had something extra

ack acting innocent, but I knew better. Something was behind that door that was trouble. I couldn't put my finger or nose on what I smelled, but it raised my hackles. It was like a warning, a scent pu

were shot, so I was done with the crime-scene detective work for today. I strode from th

out others who were tying their own shoes and it usually ended up in a tangled disaster of feet and laces. He was the guy you wa

some except for the faraway look in his eyes. That was like a window to his soul, and they showed not everybody was hope u

l to the ground, but Talbot was a little bit more broad-shouldered than me

e you doing here?

shed myself off. "Just wonde

ou know you're not supposed to do that. The chief already g

was just leavi

e still safely tucked in my pocket. Like I said, a nic

took my little bags and drove uptown to the industrial district a few blocks from the river. That was where the police labs for the whole city were located. The lab building was a big, white

ay it was downright rotten. It smelled like somebody took a skunk, a rotten egg, and mixed them toge

through. This wasn't my first time here and I went directly to the third floor. That was where they ran the tests for hair follicles and skin samples

The mischievous side of me decided this picture was too perfect not to ruin, so I ducked down. Like a shark from a cheap special effects movie I meandered b

here sooner rather than

traightened. "W

He didn't yet have the spectacles that graced most of those in his profession, but he squinted at me like he

e a couple of hours ago and I expected you

for you." I pulled out the ba

s face. He glanced past them and to me. "I

ot

, and I know I'm not supposed to be helping y

ay it's a favor and

ly work that way," he argued. "Come on

t spun around and open

amn fine steak dinn

side him. "With ext

dded. Those we

le and put them on glas

he asked me as he bent over to inspect th

ach other, and if they match anything

d as he put the second hair under the scope. "But I can tell you they're definitely identical." He looked up from

the hair to the dat

me just say it. As to the database, that'll take

precinct wanting favors." "Call me when you get

"Oh, and you don't happen to know where they d

d shook his head. "Yeah, but your chief already

going to kill to te

ther night, and I'd rather not have

u want another steak

m not going to-" He paused and frowned. "

. He was right. My face looked a little red,

d this place smells worse than usual. They put

just the usual junk, but

m fine, just need to

o pull his jacket off. "It wouldn

en I was caught by surprise by my own quick temper. I sighed and shook

can call you with the res

get those body locations out of you. I'll s