Read Online The Frenzy Way by Gregory Lamberson - Free Book Online Page A

approve of them.”
    Patty cocked one eyebrow. “Why not?”
    “She was always bringing different men home with her. I don’t think I ever saw the same face twice.”
    “Did you see her with anyone tonight?”
    “No, but I heard them on the stairs.”
    “How many people did you hear?”
    “Just two: Sarah and her date. If you can call him that.”
    “Are you sure there wasn’t another person with them?”
    Mrs. Welsh’s voice grew indignant. “I’m positive. I’ve lived here for thirty-one years. I know the sound of these stairs”—she pointed at the stairway behind them—“and there were only two people on them.”
    “Is it possible Sarah was already upstairs, and two men went up the stairs?”
    Mrs. Welsh offered a patronizing smile. “No, dear. I heard Sarah and one man on the stairs. I know the sound of her drunken laughter, just like I know the other sounds she makes. These apartments aren’t soundproof, you know.” She turned to Mace. “If I’d seen them, I would have stopped them. I don’t allow dogs in here.”
    Mace raised his eyebrows. “There was a dog in here tonight?”
    “There sure as hell was! You should have heard it carrying on while she was screaming. I’ve never heard such barking. It was sickening.”
    The detectives exchanged uneasy looks.

    They moved outside, where two POs and yellow crime scene tape held back a growing crowd. The number of spectators had doubled since Mace’s arrival. Cameras flashed, and he detected several camcorders pointed in his direction. Across the street, silhouettes pressed against almost every window of a brick building.
    Mace toed the shards of glass on the sidewalk. Looking at the broken window above, he saw the full moon shining in the dark sky.
    Rodrigo Gomez …
    Somewhere behind him, a man howled like a wolf, and the crowd issued a communal laugh.
    “Another Full Moon Killer,” Patty said beside him.
    Looking at her, he shrugged. “That’s a second-floor window. No fire escape, no tree limb …”
    “Just that ledge.”
    “Still, a far jump. Especially for a man with a dog.”
    “You think the landlady was right about there being just one perp?”
    “Hard to imagine. Someone standing in this crowd must have seen something. Use the uniforms to help you round them up, and get statements before it’s too late.”
    Morrissey joined them. “Am I the primary on this, Tony?”
    “Why? Do you want it?”
    “Not on your life.”
    “Good, because Patty’s in charge. Help her run the crime scene, and handle the paperwork so she can concentrate on more important matters.”
    “Whatever you say.”
    Two news vans competed for a parking space at the curb. Mace turned to Patty when Willy walked over. “I’m going home for a few hours. Stay in touch.”

    His cell phone rang as he unlocked his apartment door.
    “We’ve got about a dozen witnesses so far,” Gibbons said on the other end.
    Stepping inside, Mace said, “And?”
    “You’re not going to believe this.”
    He closed the door. “Try me.”
    “They all claim they saw more or less the same thing: a big black dog broke through the window, landed on the sidewalk, and ran away—on two legs.”
    Mace hesitated before locking the door. “Are you serious?”
    “As serious as a wake. What scares me is that they’re serious too.”
    “Do they know each other? Maybe they’re pulling our detectives’ legs.”
    “Some, not all. You home yet?”
    “Just walked in.”
    “Go to our favorite channel.”
    Entering the living room, Mace picked up the remote control and aimed it at the TV, which brightened to New York One News. He saw Connie Kellog, an attractive brunette who had replaced Cheryl, standing outside Sarah Harper’s building, surrounded by a crowd.
    “—that’s right, ‘nahual,’ the Mexican word for ‘werewolf.’ This is Connie Kellog, New York One News.”
    Damn it!
Someone had already leaked to the press. “Something tells me CSU hasn’t finished at the crime