Industrial Magic
Page 77
Dennis has already made some preliminary observations. Benicio called the security chief from another room. Dennis? Would you please share your findings with Lucas and Paige? And answer any questions they might have?
Of course, sir. Dennis motioned to the dead guard. We think he was approached from behind and possibly injected with something. That would explain why he didnt fight back.
Didnt fight? I looked at the shattered table. Oh, I see. The damage is from him falling.
Falling very hard. Lucas knelt and prodded a black chunk by the guards hand.
As I crouched I caught a familiar scent, one that brought back memories of Girl Scout summer camp. Burnt firewood. Pieces of charred wood surrounded the guards clenched hands.
An Aduro, I said. He grabbed for the table as he fell and burned it, meaning he wasnt dead when he collapsed.
Cassandra examined the wire embedded in the guards neck. No blood.
Which indicates it was done postmortem, Dennis said. Plus the fact that its unlikely anyone could have garroted a man his size, with his powers.
What about Tyler? I said. Did he escape or was he taken?
Dennis waved us to the bathroom. We stepped inside. Benicio stayed in the doorway, looking on. Across the room, a slight, red-haired man examined the window ledge with some kind of electronic scanner. The window itself was broken. There were a few bits of glass on the inside, but most presumably had fallen out.
Lucas turned around to look at the broken door jamb. So either Tyler was in here when the killer arrived, or he managed to get in here before being attacked. Then the killer broke into the bathroom, but Lucas turned to the window. Tyler was already gone, out that window. Simon? Any indication that the killer staged the window break?
The red-haired man shook his head. No, sir. There are blood smears on one shard. Ill need a sample from the Boyds lab to match it, but the DNA is definitely from their family, so Im assuming its Tylers. There are no signs of struggle or blood in the bathroom. I found Nike prints on the ground below, imprinted hard, indicating someone jumped from this window.
So were assuming Tyler fled, Lucas said. Thats logical. I doubt the killer would take him out of the hotel. Too risky. Hes always killed on-site before. Hes not likely to change his methods now.
Benicios cell phone rang. After a few clipped words, he hung up. Tylers been found. He saw my expression and added, Hes alive.
Was he chased? I said. If he was, then the killer could stillbe in the area
Hes not, Cassandra said. Hes moved on.
What?
The barest eye-roll, as if her conclusion was so simple it shouldnt require an explanation. Hes a hunter. He strikes at the easy targets. When theyre no longer easy, he finds another.
So you think he chased Tyler I began.
The moment the boy escaped, your killer abandoned him. As Lucas said, he kills on-site. Hell hang a girl in a tree or drape a boy over a car, but thats only for outrage value. Hes a hunter. He kills them where he finds them, and he kills efficiently. When that other attack was interrupted, he left the boy alive rather than risk discovery. Hes not about to chase this young man through the streets of Miami.
By moved on, you mean I looked at Lucas. To another member of a central family. Thats what Esus said. With Joey Nast, he reached the top level, and hell stay there now.
Cassandra nodded. Anything else would be a regression. However, with each step he takes, he makes it more difficult for himself. Hell need to take advantage of every possible moment when security might be lax, such as
Such as when the Cabals believe the killer is stalking another victim. When theyre all out searching for him. Lucas? Who are the other teens? Are there any in your family? Nephews
I have an eleven-and a twelve-year-old grandson, Benicio said. Hectors boys. I tripled their guard as soon as Griffins son was killed, and Ive moved them to a secure location outside of Miami. As for others, Lionel St. Cloud has one boy, Stephen. Hes eighteen. Then there are a few more teenage Nast grandsons, and Frank Boyd has several nephews around Tylers age.
Stephen St. Cloud, Lucas said. Hes already hit the Nasts. If he cant get to a Cortez, hell go for a St. Cloud.
Ill call Lionel
Where are they staying? Lucas asked.
Benicio hesitated, finger poised over his phone keypad. The Fairfield over in South Beach. Just wait while I
We were already out the door.
Why the hell didnt you tell us what you were thinking? I said, twisting in my seat to glare at Cassandra as Lucas pulled away from the hotel parking lot.
But I did.
You knew the killer had moved on the moment you saw that Tyler had escaped, but you said nothing. Then, when you did bother to tell us hed moved on, you had to be prodded to explain what you meant by that. This isnt a game, Cassandra.
Of course, sir. Dennis motioned to the dead guard. We think he was approached from behind and possibly injected with something. That would explain why he didnt fight back.
Didnt fight? I looked at the shattered table. Oh, I see. The damage is from him falling.
Falling very hard. Lucas knelt and prodded a black chunk by the guards hand.
As I crouched I caught a familiar scent, one that brought back memories of Girl Scout summer camp. Burnt firewood. Pieces of charred wood surrounded the guards clenched hands.
An Aduro, I said. He grabbed for the table as he fell and burned it, meaning he wasnt dead when he collapsed.
Cassandra examined the wire embedded in the guards neck. No blood.
Which indicates it was done postmortem, Dennis said. Plus the fact that its unlikely anyone could have garroted a man his size, with his powers.
What about Tyler? I said. Did he escape or was he taken?
Dennis waved us to the bathroom. We stepped inside. Benicio stayed in the doorway, looking on. Across the room, a slight, red-haired man examined the window ledge with some kind of electronic scanner. The window itself was broken. There were a few bits of glass on the inside, but most presumably had fallen out.
Lucas turned around to look at the broken door jamb. So either Tyler was in here when the killer arrived, or he managed to get in here before being attacked. Then the killer broke into the bathroom, but Lucas turned to the window. Tyler was already gone, out that window. Simon? Any indication that the killer staged the window break?
The red-haired man shook his head. No, sir. There are blood smears on one shard. Ill need a sample from the Boyds lab to match it, but the DNA is definitely from their family, so Im assuming its Tylers. There are no signs of struggle or blood in the bathroom. I found Nike prints on the ground below, imprinted hard, indicating someone jumped from this window.
So were assuming Tyler fled, Lucas said. Thats logical. I doubt the killer would take him out of the hotel. Too risky. Hes always killed on-site before. Hes not likely to change his methods now.
Benicios cell phone rang. After a few clipped words, he hung up. Tylers been found. He saw my expression and added, Hes alive.
Was he chased? I said. If he was, then the killer could stillbe in the area
Hes not, Cassandra said. Hes moved on.
What?
The barest eye-roll, as if her conclusion was so simple it shouldnt require an explanation. Hes a hunter. He strikes at the easy targets. When theyre no longer easy, he finds another.
So you think he chased Tyler I began.
The moment the boy escaped, your killer abandoned him. As Lucas said, he kills on-site. Hell hang a girl in a tree or drape a boy over a car, but thats only for outrage value. Hes a hunter. He kills them where he finds them, and he kills efficiently. When that other attack was interrupted, he left the boy alive rather than risk discovery. Hes not about to chase this young man through the streets of Miami.
By moved on, you mean I looked at Lucas. To another member of a central family. Thats what Esus said. With Joey Nast, he reached the top level, and hell stay there now.
Cassandra nodded. Anything else would be a regression. However, with each step he takes, he makes it more difficult for himself. Hell need to take advantage of every possible moment when security might be lax, such as
Such as when the Cabals believe the killer is stalking another victim. When theyre all out searching for him. Lucas? Who are the other teens? Are there any in your family? Nephews
I have an eleven-and a twelve-year-old grandson, Benicio said. Hectors boys. I tripled their guard as soon as Griffins son was killed, and Ive moved them to a secure location outside of Miami. As for others, Lionel St. Cloud has one boy, Stephen. Hes eighteen. Then there are a few more teenage Nast grandsons, and Frank Boyd has several nephews around Tylers age.
Stephen St. Cloud, Lucas said. Hes already hit the Nasts. If he cant get to a Cortez, hell go for a St. Cloud.
Ill call Lionel
Where are they staying? Lucas asked.
Benicio hesitated, finger poised over his phone keypad. The Fairfield over in South Beach. Just wait while I
We were already out the door.
Why the hell didnt you tell us what you were thinking? I said, twisting in my seat to glare at Cassandra as Lucas pulled away from the hotel parking lot.
But I did.
You knew the killer had moved on the moment you saw that Tyler had escaped, but you said nothing. Then, when you did bother to tell us hed moved on, you had to be prodded to explain what you meant by that. This isnt a game, Cassandra.
