Read Online The Cold Room by J.T. Ellison - Free Book Online Page B

full of allusion. The shot across the bow regarding the videotapes was uncalled for. She could just imagine Elm and DeloresNorris in the Oompa’s office, lights off, watching Taylor in all her glory with her dead ex-lover. She didn’t know who to be more furious at—Norris, Elm, or David Martin, for putting her in the situation in the first place. If he weren’t already dead, she’d like to strangle him.
    Last month, after videotapes of Martin and Taylor having sex surfaced on a pay-as-you-go Web site that featured amateur, unwillingly taped pornography, she’d broken a few rules to solve the case. She was being summarily disciplined for her actions defending herself.
    Elm’s dictates were ridiculous. Written plans for solving her cases? It would take two weeks to write out her assumptions and thoughts on the forty or so open cases she’d caught over the past few weeks. And establishing the ground rules was one thing, but dismissing her without an update on the most current case? Sloppy. Just like she suspected, Elm wasn’t there to be a cop. He was going to be an administrator. At least he wasn’t fighting her about Baldwin.
    She gathered herself. “You don’t want—”
    Elm shook his head vehemently.
    â€œI said you may go. I have other duties to accomplish this morning.” He gave her a brief, feral smile and nodded at the door.
    She stood, biting her lip, holding back the invectives she’d prefer to spew.
    â€œClose the door on your way out, please,” he said.
    She pulled the door shut a little harder than necessary and walked to her desk. There was a sheet on it, color coded, with starred items. The appropriateness list, she assumed. She balled it into a wad and tossed it into the trash unread.
    She sat down hard, yanked her ponytail holder out, ran her hands through her hair, stopping for a moment tomassage her temples. Elm was certifiable. One thing at a time, she told herself. Focus. Focus on the case.
    If she wanted her old job back, solving this case and showing his incompetence was paramount.
    She put her hair back up, took a deep breath, then pulled out a reporter’s notebook and started making herself a list. There were several items that needed to be accomplished today, and she wasn’t going to let King Toad get in her way.
    The list was straightforward. Need to talk to neighbor again, need to talk to home owner, need to revisit the case in Manchester, file the ViCAP updates, check iAFIS for a fingerprint match and check on that palm print, gather crime-scene reports from all of the patrol officers, create the murder book, report in to Page. As she wrote, her mind slowly shifted away from Elm and onto their unidentified victim.
    â€œYou’re lost in thought.”
    Taylor jumped. A.D.A. Page was standing by her left elbow. She hadn’t heard the woman slip in.
    â€œ Lost is the operative word in that sentence. How are you, Julia?”
    â€œCurious why you didn’t call me the second you woke up this morning. The Love Hill case? You know I love a good serial killing in the morning.”
    â€œJesus, don’t say that. Speaking it aloud might make it come true.” Taylor showed her the list she’d been drawing up. “I was just making some notes on what I’m doing on the case today. You’re practically at the top of my list. See?”
    â€œGoodie. So fill me in now instead of later.”
    â€œI don’t have much to go on just yet. We’ve got some little bits of trace evidence, lifted some prints, but until the post is done, I won’t know more.”
    â€œThe press is claiming it’s the beginning of a serial. They’re calling him the Conductor. I want your honest assessment. Do you think this is someone who might do this again?”
    Taylor noticed that Page’s right eye had a blue fleck deep in the brown. She’d known the A.D.A. for years, how had she missed that?