Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #3: Books 9-12 (A Dead Cold Box Set), Blake Banner [reading in the dark TXT] 📗

Somebody else was shouting, “It’s an attack! Is it an attack? What the hell is going on? Is it an attack!”

The lasers stopped and then erupted again. The bursts were repeated a total of six times, then the craft began to move away, out over the East River. It was hard to be precise, but I figured it had gone three or four hundred yards when there was a white flash and it vanished.

There were more screams and shouts, the camera searched the sky, there were more voices saying, “It’s gone! It’s just gone, man!” And the film ended.

I sat back in my chair, staring at the blank screen, thinking. I said, absently, “You showed this to the feds?”

He was still peering out through the slats. “I contacted them and invited them to come and view it. They took it away, copied it, and returned it.”

“Did they comment on it?”

He smiled, let go of the slats and came to stand by the table. “They said it was clearly authentic, but it was impossible to see what it was.” He sighed noisily. “What is clear, I think you’ll agree, is that when it fires its lasers, it is right above where Danny’s body was found.”

I nodded. “Yes, that much is clear.”

He stared at me from under his eyebrows. It struck me that his was an angry, bitter face. It was a face, I thought, that had been robbed and now wanted revenge. He said, suddenly, “We are at war, Detective Stone, only we don’t know it. I don’t know if the government knows it, or if there are people in the Bureau or the CIA who know it. I hope so, but innocent people, like Danny, are being systematically abducted, mutilated, and killed, and as of today, we are defenseless against them.”

I sighed and stood. “That’s a lot of conclusions, Mr. Kirkpatrick. Maybe it’s like me and the Mob.” I gestured at the computer. “That is enough for you to know for sure that you are right in what you believe. But to prove it, in a court of law, or before a select committee, you need hard evidence. You need a weapon, fingerprints, DNA…” I shook my head. “What you have here is a compelling argument. But you do not have proof of anything, except that there were lights over Soundview Park the night Danny was found there.”

He studied my face a moment, then looked away. “I am a scientist, Detective Stone, I know about evidence and proof. I was not intending to prove anything to you. I was simply hoping to open your eyes to what is happening. I hope I have done that, if only a little.”

I held up the tape cassette. “Thank you for this. We’ll be in touch.”

Out in the corridor again, I saw Stuart and May Brown standing, holding paper cups of coffee and talking quietly to each other. I stared at Dehan a moment, thinking, then made my way toward them. She followed. Stuart looked up as we approached and half-grimaced, half-smiled. “Detectives, we didn’t expect to see you here. We were just debating whether to go home.”

I smiled blandly. “Subtle. No need, we are just leaving.”

He closed his eyes a moment. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“Don’t worry, we’re used to it. I just wanted to ask you something. I keep hearing about how devoted Danny was to the subject of UFOs…”

Stewart nodded. “It was his life. I have no doubt, if he had lived, he would have become one of the big names in the field. He had that kind of dedication.”

I nodded. “That is certainly the impression I am getting. But I also keep hearing about how attractive he was to women.”

May laughed out loud. There was an element of ridicule to it, but a lot of maternal pride too. I watched her and waited for her to stop. Dehan asked, “What’s the joke?”

She smiled at Dehan and there was a hard glint in her eyes. “Don’t take offence, honey, I’m on your side. I am just amused to see that the New York Police Department is as imaginative as ever in its investigation of crime.”

My eyebrows told her I was surprised. “I didn’t know you were a criminologist, Mrs. Brown. I thought you were a secondary school music teacher.”

Her face became hostile.

I didn’t let her answer. I turned to Stuart. “It would be very helpful for us to have a better understanding of Danny’s romantic life. Did he have a girlfriend, was there anyone special…”

May started talking again. “What possible connection can that have with his…”

She didn’t get any further. Dehan cut her dead. “Do you know who killed your son?”

May looked startled. “We are satisfied that…”

“I’m not asking you what species of being killed your son. I’m asking you if you know the name and identity of the individual who killed your son!”

“No, of course not…”

“It was never discovered, right?”

“No, but…”

“Did anybody ever investigate his love life before?”

“No…”

“So quit acting smart and answer the damned questions—honey.”

She went puce.

I turned to Stewart. “What can you tell me about your son’s love life, Mr. Brown?”

“Um…not a lot. It is true he was attractive to women. It wasn’t unusual for him to have a woman stay the night. But there didn’t seem to be anyone…”

He hesitated.

I said, “You’re not one hundred percent sure about that, are you?”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “It is nothing I can put my finger on, but I did have the feeling for a couple of weeks or so before he died that there might have been someone he was a little more serious about.”

Dehan asked, “Someone he brought home?”

“No, that’s just it. He didn’t bring anyone home, which was