Read Online The Killers Amongst Us: Chimera Dawn Chronicles by Declan Conner - Free Book Online
Authors: Declan Conner
Ads: Link
he
recalled, were in their late sixties and quite frail. They could be the last
ones to see her alive.
He turned the page to Wednesday. A name stood out. Ed
Grimes. At the side and under the pet name column was written the name, Vinnie.
He ran his fingers down the other names and stopped at Ted Carter, Amy’s
boyfriend, and with the pet name Polly. He smiled, thinking he wasn’t the type
to have a pet bird. Shaw heard a vehicle before he saw it in his rearview. The
box van stopped behind him, and he saw Frank jump out at the driver’s side,
carrying the body bag. He closed the book. Pivoting on his seat, he clawed his
way out of his car and walked over to join Frank at the side of the van.
“Jesus, Frank. What’s this?” Shaw said.
“What does it look like?”
“Well, going by the sign ‘Hogan’s Burgers’ and the hatch
opening, I think it’s pretty obvious what it is.”
“Ah, well see, appearances can be deceptive. It’s your
refrigerated vehicle. The only one in a forty-mile radius I reckon, and we have
it until Monday. Follow me.”
“Wait here,” said Shaw, as he saw Mike arrive. He wondered
where Frank’s mind was at if he thought that he was going to turn up at the
morgue in a burger van. Mike greeted him with a handshake.
“Here’s your chalk, and a roll of UVPC sheeting.” He set the
roll down and handed Shaw the chalk. “Cut off what you need from the roll and
get it back to me so I can work out your account.”
Mike returned to his van and drove away. Shaw walked to the
back of the burger van. Frank had opened the back doors and climbed inside.
“Look at this. The chest refrigerator will easily hold
Maria’s body,” Frank said, and opened the lid. “Perfect, it must be six feet in
length.”
Shaw peered inside while standing on the road.
“It has to be against some hygiene law. We can’t put a body
in there. Have you told Hogan why you need it?”
“Well, no. Listen, Hogan doesn’t do burgers anymore, and he
hardly ever uses it, only to fetch meat for his butcher’s shop. Besides, we can
line it with that UVPC if we cut two pieces off of the roll and put them
crossways and lengthways. I can steam clean it when you bring it back.”
Shaw stroked his stubble.
“I don’t know, Frank, I need to think about this.”
“What’s to think about? You need to improvise out here in
this neck of the woods. You’d be no good trekking in the mountains.”
Shaw hummed and ahhed, when he realized he didn’t have
Stanley knife to cut the sheeting. He thought hard, but he couldn’t think of an
alternative to the burger van.
“You’re right, we need to improvise. Trouble is we don’t
have a knife.”
“Yes we do. I have my Betsy here.” Frank pulled his knife
from its sheath and waved it at Shaw.
Not for the first time, Frank was showing his worth.
However, his initiative was on the out-of the-box side on this occasion.
“Okay, we’ll give it a try. How much is it going to cost me?”
“Well, really, only the gas.”
“What does ‘well, really’ mean?”
Frank took off his hat, smacked his lips and dropped his
gaze.
“Hmm, well. I mean. Oh to hell with it, Look, I told him
you’d scrap the warrant for his unpaid speeding fine.”
Shaw stared at Frank, his expression blank. But inside, Shaw
was boiling. He took a deep breath, then breathed out through pursed lips.
“You agreed we need to improvise,” Frank said, and displayed
a disarming disposition, with a churlish grin.
“Oh, all right. Give me a hand to cover the tracks.”
Shaw stepped back. Frank leapt out of the back of the van.
He turned to see Jim at the gate, grinning.
“It looks as though Frank is turning you into a townie,” Jim
said.
“If I lived here twenty years, I still don’t think I’d be
anything but that smartass city guy.”
“Do you want me to take the body to LA? I don’t mind if you
think it’ll save you the embarrassment,” Jim said.
“No, I have a job for you. Drive
recalled, were in their late sixties and quite frail. They could be the last
ones to see her alive.
He turned the page to Wednesday. A name stood out. Ed
Grimes. At the side and under the pet name column was written the name, Vinnie.
He ran his fingers down the other names and stopped at Ted Carter, Amy’s
boyfriend, and with the pet name Polly. He smiled, thinking he wasn’t the type
to have a pet bird. Shaw heard a vehicle before he saw it in his rearview. The
box van stopped behind him, and he saw Frank jump out at the driver’s side,
carrying the body bag. He closed the book. Pivoting on his seat, he clawed his
way out of his car and walked over to join Frank at the side of the van.
“Jesus, Frank. What’s this?” Shaw said.
“What does it look like?”
“Well, going by the sign ‘Hogan’s Burgers’ and the hatch
opening, I think it’s pretty obvious what it is.”
“Ah, well see, appearances can be deceptive. It’s your
refrigerated vehicle. The only one in a forty-mile radius I reckon, and we have
it until Monday. Follow me.”
“Wait here,” said Shaw, as he saw Mike arrive. He wondered
where Frank’s mind was at if he thought that he was going to turn up at the
morgue in a burger van. Mike greeted him with a handshake.
“Here’s your chalk, and a roll of UVPC sheeting.” He set the
roll down and handed Shaw the chalk. “Cut off what you need from the roll and
get it back to me so I can work out your account.”
Mike returned to his van and drove away. Shaw walked to the
back of the burger van. Frank had opened the back doors and climbed inside.
“Look at this. The chest refrigerator will easily hold
Maria’s body,” Frank said, and opened the lid. “Perfect, it must be six feet in
length.”
Shaw peered inside while standing on the road.
“It has to be against some hygiene law. We can’t put a body
in there. Have you told Hogan why you need it?”
“Well, no. Listen, Hogan doesn’t do burgers anymore, and he
hardly ever uses it, only to fetch meat for his butcher’s shop. Besides, we can
line it with that UVPC if we cut two pieces off of the roll and put them
crossways and lengthways. I can steam clean it when you bring it back.”
Shaw stroked his stubble.
“I don’t know, Frank, I need to think about this.”
“What’s to think about? You need to improvise out here in
this neck of the woods. You’d be no good trekking in the mountains.”
Shaw hummed and ahhed, when he realized he didn’t have
Stanley knife to cut the sheeting. He thought hard, but he couldn’t think of an
alternative to the burger van.
“You’re right, we need to improvise. Trouble is we don’t
have a knife.”
“Yes we do. I have my Betsy here.” Frank pulled his knife
from its sheath and waved it at Shaw.
Not for the first time, Frank was showing his worth.
However, his initiative was on the out-of the-box side on this occasion.
“Okay, we’ll give it a try. How much is it going to cost me?”
“Well, really, only the gas.”
“What does ‘well, really’ mean?”
Frank took off his hat, smacked his lips and dropped his
gaze.
“Hmm, well. I mean. Oh to hell with it, Look, I told him
you’d scrap the warrant for his unpaid speeding fine.”
Shaw stared at Frank, his expression blank. But inside, Shaw
was boiling. He took a deep breath, then breathed out through pursed lips.
“You agreed we need to improvise,” Frank said, and displayed
a disarming disposition, with a churlish grin.
“Oh, all right. Give me a hand to cover the tracks.”
Shaw stepped back. Frank leapt out of the back of the van.
He turned to see Jim at the gate, grinning.
“It looks as though Frank is turning you into a townie,” Jim
said.
“If I lived here twenty years, I still don’t think I’d be
anything but that smartass city guy.”
“Do you want me to take the body to LA? I don’t mind if you
think it’ll save you the embarrassment,” Jim said.
“No, I have a job for you. Drive
Similar Books
