Read Online Fantasy Life by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Free Book Online Page A

what killed one—if whatever it was was subtle.”
    “And this was subtle?” Gabriel asked.
    “I was hoping for a bullet through the abdomen, or spear hole in the back or a smashed skull, something that would tell me unequivocally what killed this thing. But I didn’t find anything like that. For all I know, she died of old age.”
    “Like a whale washing ashore.”
    Denne shook his head. “This is mysterious in a whole different way. When whales beach, they’re usually alive. We just can’t get them back out to sea. I’ve always thought it’s like animals in the wild. The old ones somehow know they’re going to die, and they leave the pride or whatever and go off on their own, so that they don’t jeopardize the herd.”
    “A herd is not a pride,” Gabriel said, a smile playing at his lips. He loved the chance to correct Denne the expert. Gabriel took a sip of the ale, savored the taste of slightly sweet hops, and swallowed.
    “You know what I mean,” Denne said. “I think the whales are beaching themselves so that they’ll die here—like a suicidal man will dive into the ocean. I always had the sense that beached whales get very annoyed with humans who try to save them.”
    “You don’t think she did that, though,” Gabriel said.
    “I found no sand in her mouth, and nothing to indicate that she was alive when she reached the beach. Judging from her position in the sand, she came in with the tide.”
    “But didn’t go out with it?”
    Denne sipped his Scotch, winced, and set it down. He had a constant battle going with the False Colors to get them to buy the higher-end Scotches.
    “I have a hunch the water moved her around. She wasn’t in the best of shape, and if she were human, I would say she’d been in the water for a while. But she isn’t, and I don’t know if that rubbery feel to her skin is natural or not. None of my usual cues work in this case. I’m not even sure the smell is one of decay or her usual odor.”
    Gabriel’s stomach turned and he set his ale down. “Thanks for that reminder.”
    Denne smiled. “You didn’t have to spend all afternoon with her. You should have been there when I opened the body cavity. You could practically see the odor molecules.”
    Gabriel held up his hands. “I’m crying uncle. In fact, uncle half this conversation ago.”
    “You’re not normally squeamish, Gabe.”
    “I don’t normally find a fish woman on my beach, either.”
    “All right. We’ll stop focusing on her for a moment.” Denne pushed his Scotch glass away. “If you didn’t get time of death, what did you get?”
    “Something interesting,” Gabriel said. “Most of the tourists had no idea that the body wasn’t human. A few said they thought it was a weird-looking fish. But that nervous guy, the one by the cliffs?”
    “I really wasn’t paying attention to the crowd,” Denne said.
    The waitress brought Gabriel’s meal. He had ordered the Gut-Buster burger—a thick, well-done hamburger patty, with three different kinds of cheese, guacamole, bacon, and salsa—along with a side of french fries and coleslaw.
    “Planning to live forever, are you?” Denne asked with some amusement. Usually Gabriel ordered healthier foods.
    “I can’t handle anything fishy right now,” Gabriel said. “Especially after that last description.”
    Neither, apparently, could Denne. The waitress set grilled chicken, rice, and a side of tomatoes down in front of him. The meal looked lovely, even though it wasn’t on the regular menu.
    “So,” Denne said. “Tell me about the nervous guy.”
    “He’d seen her before.”
    “Her?”
    “Or creatures like her.” Gabriel took a bite from his burger. Juice ran down his chin, and the guacamole spurted out the back side of the bun, plopping on his plate.
    He was coping with his meal and not watching Denne’s reaction. When Gabriel finally looked up, he realized that Denne’s face had turned pale again.
    “What do you know?” Gabriel