two killers together. That, and the other undeniable connection.
The blood.
All of the victims had been exsanguinated, and they had yet to find the blood. Was there something of importance hidden within? Was the true goal of the killing to collect the blood for some purpose or to prevent some element of it from being found? There was definitely something there...something to either directly identify the culprits or explain their motivations.
If there was something valuable in the blood, then there had to be a link between all of the deceased they had yet to explore. He needed to find it.
"Is Tobin okay?" Kajika persisted. There was genuine concern on his face.
"Why would someone need the blood from his victims?" Carver asked. "What would he do with it?"
"Are you suggesting Tobin was involved? I know he has issues, but he certainly isn't capable of killing anyone."
"Issues?" Wolfe said.
"Chemical imbalance. But he was religious about staying proactive. Shrinks. Pills. All that jazz. I mean, he got really nervous and edgy when I told him my plans to sell the business, but we practically started the business together. It wasn't like I was going to screw him over. The offer was for more than I could ever spend, so I cashed him out. Last I knew though, he'd stayed on and was happy enough working for the new corporation."
"They fired him six months ago," Carver said.
"Six months? That can't be right. I think I last talked to him maybe two months ago and he said everything was going great. He would have told me if--"
"The blood," Carver said. "What could he do with the blood of his--?"
He was interrupted by his ringing phone.
Snatching it from his pocket, he saw the incoming call was from Marshall at the lab.
"Hello?"
"I'm downloading your facial reconstruction now."
Wolfe shot Carver a look, but he held up a finger to signify it would be just a moment.
"I'm right in the middle of something, Marshall."
"I'm sorry, your eminence. Am I disturbing you?"
"I'll call you back in a bit."
"How about 'Thanks for dropping everything to do me a huge favor, Marshall' or maybe 'I owe you big time, buddy'?"
"We both know I owe," Carver said. "I'm buying for the foreseeable future."
"That's all I wanted to hear," Marshall said. "I'm sending the image through now. I'll run it through the missing persons database when I hang up. You'll be the first to know if I get a hit."
Marshall ended the call and Carver opened the photo file.
"Jesus," he gasped, nearly dropping the phone. He turned to Wolfe. "We have to go."
"We aren't done here yet."
"Then just give me the keys!"
"I said--"
Carver grabbed Wolfe by the jacket and shoved him against the wall.
"Give me the goddamn keys!"
The impact jarred Wolfe's glasses from his face. Carver stared into nearly clear blue eyes so light they appeared incapable of sight, like those of a Siberian husky or those of a...wolf.
Wolfe knocked Carver's arms away and straightened his jacket. He calmly knelt, picked up his glasses, and replaced them over his eyes.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Dodge," Wolfe said. "Would you mind if we returned later to ask some more questions?"
Kajika could only nod.
Wolfe produced the car keys from his pocket. "Shall we, Special Agent Carver?"
Carver was barely out the door when Wolfe grabbed him by the upper arm and turned him, their faces scant inches apart.
Wolfe bared his teeth.
"Don't ever touch me again."
VIII
Sinagua Ruins
36 Miles Northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona
"He still has no idea," the man said. He was nothing more than a shadow behind the tinted glass in the passenger seat of the black sedan parked along the side of the dirt road between its twin and the ERT van.
He held the cell phone to his ear and watched the commotion off in the desert to the east.
"I don't share your optimism," he said. "He has yet to demonstrate any appreciable--"
The voice on the other end cut him off. A faint trace of anger pinched his
The blood.
All of the victims had been exsanguinated, and they had yet to find the blood. Was there something of importance hidden within? Was the true goal of the killing to collect the blood for some purpose or to prevent some element of it from being found? There was definitely something there...something to either directly identify the culprits or explain their motivations.
If there was something valuable in the blood, then there had to be a link between all of the deceased they had yet to explore. He needed to find it.
"Is Tobin okay?" Kajika persisted. There was genuine concern on his face.
"Why would someone need the blood from his victims?" Carver asked. "What would he do with it?"
"Are you suggesting Tobin was involved? I know he has issues, but he certainly isn't capable of killing anyone."
"Issues?" Wolfe said.
"Chemical imbalance. But he was religious about staying proactive. Shrinks. Pills. All that jazz. I mean, he got really nervous and edgy when I told him my plans to sell the business, but we practically started the business together. It wasn't like I was going to screw him over. The offer was for more than I could ever spend, so I cashed him out. Last I knew though, he'd stayed on and was happy enough working for the new corporation."
"They fired him six months ago," Carver said.
"Six months? That can't be right. I think I last talked to him maybe two months ago and he said everything was going great. He would have told me if--"
"The blood," Carver said. "What could he do with the blood of his--?"
He was interrupted by his ringing phone.
Snatching it from his pocket, he saw the incoming call was from Marshall at the lab.
"Hello?"
"I'm downloading your facial reconstruction now."
Wolfe shot Carver a look, but he held up a finger to signify it would be just a moment.
"I'm right in the middle of something, Marshall."
"I'm sorry, your eminence. Am I disturbing you?"
"I'll call you back in a bit."
"How about 'Thanks for dropping everything to do me a huge favor, Marshall' or maybe 'I owe you big time, buddy'?"
"We both know I owe," Carver said. "I'm buying for the foreseeable future."
"That's all I wanted to hear," Marshall said. "I'm sending the image through now. I'll run it through the missing persons database when I hang up. You'll be the first to know if I get a hit."
Marshall ended the call and Carver opened the photo file.
"Jesus," he gasped, nearly dropping the phone. He turned to Wolfe. "We have to go."
"We aren't done here yet."
"Then just give me the keys!"
"I said--"
Carver grabbed Wolfe by the jacket and shoved him against the wall.
"Give me the goddamn keys!"
The impact jarred Wolfe's glasses from his face. Carver stared into nearly clear blue eyes so light they appeared incapable of sight, like those of a Siberian husky or those of a...wolf.
Wolfe knocked Carver's arms away and straightened his jacket. He calmly knelt, picked up his glasses, and replaced them over his eyes.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Dodge," Wolfe said. "Would you mind if we returned later to ask some more questions?"
Kajika could only nod.
Wolfe produced the car keys from his pocket. "Shall we, Special Agent Carver?"
Carver was barely out the door when Wolfe grabbed him by the upper arm and turned him, their faces scant inches apart.
Wolfe bared his teeth.
"Don't ever touch me again."
VIII
Sinagua Ruins
36 Miles Northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona
"He still has no idea," the man said. He was nothing more than a shadow behind the tinted glass in the passenger seat of the black sedan parked along the side of the dirt road between its twin and the ERT van.
He held the cell phone to his ear and watched the commotion off in the desert to the east.
"I don't share your optimism," he said. "He has yet to demonstrate any appreciable--"
The voice on the other end cut him off. A faint trace of anger pinched his
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