The Boom Room by Rick Blechta Page B

interesting to report?”
    The tech shrugged.
    â€œPretty simple. The doc hasn’t arrived yet, but it looks like the late Joseph Lewis met his end from one stab wound in the left side of his back. Right into the heart. The death wound was made by a knife with a thin blade. Sharpened on both sides, probably with a long blade.”
    â€œSwitch blade? Stiletto?”
    The tech nodded.
    â€œDeath would have been very quick. You can see there’s not much blood.”
    â€œAny sign of the murder weapon?”
    â€œYou can see the room is a pigsty. My guess is we won’t find the murder weapon in here, but we have to look anyway, don’t we?”
    â€œLet us know if anything interesting comes to light. Okay? Looks like I’m going to be upstairs for a few hours.”
    â€œSure.”
    Things had to be done the right way or the case could fall apart in court in a big hurry. With Gordon so focused on his suspect, Pratt knew he wasn’t paying attention to much else. Since Snow was down for the count, at least for tonight, it was up to Pratt to attend to the important details.
    Someone else was clumping down the stairs. It was past time to post a person at the top to keep people away from the crime scene.
    Pratt turned to see his young partner, Ellis. Tall, dark-haired and decidedly handsome, he was dressed casually, but his eyes were busy, anything but off duty.
    â€œYou got here quickly.”
    â€œI was already downtown for the evening,” Ellis answered, but there was something odd about the tone of his voice.
    â€œWhy did you offer to come in on this?”
    â€œI know what this place is like on a Friday night. I figured you’d have your hands full.”
    â€œYou’ve been here before?”
    â€œYeah. A few times.”
    Again, the feeling something wasn’t quite right.
    Ellis continued. “Where’s the suspect?”
    At that moment, the door to the dressing room opened. Gordon frog-marched his handcuffed murder suspect in front of him.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” he asked Ellis. “Should have expected that when I got Frick, Frack wouldn’t be far behind.”
    â€œI thought you could use some help. This club must have been full of people when the shit hit the fan. If you don’t want help, I’ll just leave.”
    â€œSuit yourself, Cubby,” Gordon shot back as he pushed his suspect toward the stairs.
    Pratt hadn’t said a word, but he was certain something had flashed between the suspect and Ellis as he’d passed by. Eyes never lied if you knew what to watch for—and when.
    â€œWe need to talk,” he told Ellis, leading him into the empty dressing room. “What’s going on?”
    â€œI came down to help.”
    â€œDid you? That’s the only reason?”
    Ellis looked as if he might try to brazen it out. He started to speak twice, then deflated and sat down on one of the folding chairs.
    â€œThe kid Gordon is fingering for the murder…”
    â€œYeah. What about him?”
    â€œHe’s my half brother.”

Chapter Three
    Pratt could remember only three other times he had been rendered totally speechless. The last was when his wife had walked out on him three years earlier.
    Ellis sighed heavily.
    â€œI haven’t told you, but my dad was killed when I was five. Car accident. My mom remarried three years later, and the kid you just met was the result. Jamie Clark is my half brother. We haven’t had any contact in nearly five years.”
    â€œReason?”
    â€œWell…let’s just say he didn’t see eye to eye with the rest of the family. One night we’d all had enough and my stepdad asked him to leave.”
    Pratt raised an eyebrow.
    â€œAsked?”
    â€œOkay. He booted Jamie’s ass out the door. Satisfied?”
    â€œHas anyone in the family had contact with him since?”
    Another sigh.
    â€œObviously, my mother did. She was the