Read Online Slasherazzi by Daniel A. Kaine - Free Book Online Page A

sharing the details, then something major had gone down. I grabbed my car keys from the counter, along with a banana, though the hungry rumbling of my stomach had been replaced by a sickly uneasiness. The sticky heat outside, even so early in the morning, did little to abate the nausea.
* * * *
    I pulled into the garage and took the elevator up. The doors opened, and I stepped out into the corridor. Officers in uniform, and those in plain clothes too, rushed every which way. Opening the glass doors into the office, a wave of heat hit me from the mass of bodies packed into the tiny space. Conversations mingled together to create a loud din. I rose up onto my toes, searching the chaos for Tanya, but her size made it impossible, if she was even in the room.
    Wading through the crowd, I moved toward the far wall where her desk sat, only to find it empty. I sighed and turned around. Where was she? I reached out to touch the arm of the nearest person, a female officer with short blonde hair.
“Hey, Mandy. Have you seen Tanya about?”
    She turned to me, dabbing at her bloodshot eyes. Her cheeks glistened with tears. She shook her head and broke out into a sob. The man next to her placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his chest.
    A hand grabbed at my wrist, and I glanced over my shoulder. Tanya stood behind me, her lips pressed into a tight line.
“Shit, what’s going here?” I asked.
    “Not here,” she replied. “Let’s go somewhere a bit quieter.”
I nodded and followed her through to one of the interview rooms. She slumped into the nearest chair and let out a deep breath. I sat on the opposite side and leaned forward on my elbows.
“Okay, seriously, this is starting to freak me out now,” I said. “Please, just tell me what’s happened.”
Tanya lowered her head. “There was another body found earlier this morning.”
“He’s escalating,” I replied. It had only been three nights since the last kill, whereas the previous victims had been almost a week apart. “What do you think it means? And what’s up with the crowd out there? Surely, they’re not all here for—”
“Alex.”
Tanya met my gaze, holding it firm. It wasn’t like her to be so quiet. That fact alone was cause for concern. A bead of sweat trickled down past my jaw.
“The vic was Fernando.”
My heart seemed to pause before kicking into overdrive. All heat left my body with those few words. The victim being a cop explained the chaos and confusion outside, and Mandy. She hadn’t been close to Fernando, but they’d certainly been friendly.
I attempted to swallow, but my mouth and throat had dried up. It was bad enough we hadn’t been able to protect the five citizens who ended up dead at the killer’s hands, but learning that one of our own had fallen…Even though I hated the bastard, I wouldn’t have wished him that fate.
“Fuck,” I said finally, though that was the extent to which my brain could piece together anything coherent at the moment.
Tanya nodded her head in agreement. “You know this means the FBI will be all over the case like a bad rash now.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “I know.”
It was inevitable now, and, as much as I hated to admit it, we needed the help. We had failed, big time. I had failed. Still, wallowing wasn’t going to get us anywhere. The case had to be solved fast and before anyone else could be hurt.
“Is the crime scene still open?” I asked, breaking the heavy silence.
Tanya nodded. “You wanna see it?”
“I have to.”
“You sure?” Tanya asked. “This won’t be the same as the other victims. It won’t be just another corpse you’ll see. The vic this time is someone you knew. Can you handle that?”
I stood, walked across the room, and opened the door. “I’m sick of watching this guy get away with everything. Six deaths and we don’t have shit on him. I may not have liked Fernando, but he was still one of us, and I’m going to do everything I can to get justice for him.