Darker After Midnight Read Online Free

full of schedules, spreadsheets, and presentations to be reviewed once she got home. Normally she didn’t mind long hours of work that spilled into long nights of the same. God knew, she didn’t have to worry about a social life getting in the way.
    But she was on edge tonight, feeling the strange mix of mental hyperintensity and physical exhaustion that always dogged her after a round of treatments and examinations at her doctor’s private clinic. She’d been under her specialist’s care for most of the day, and while she wasn’t thrilled about having to make an evening pit stop at the police station, part of her was anxious to see firsthand that the man who’d opened fire on a crowded room of people a few nights ago and then went on to orchestrate a bombing in the heart of the city this morning was, in fact, behind bars where he belonged.
    Tavia walked closer to the viewing window and gave it an experimental tap with her fingernail. “This glass must be fairly thick.”
    “Yep. Quarter-inch safety.” Avery met her there and took a sip of water. “It’s one-way glass, looks like a mirror on the other side. We can see them, but they can’t see us. Same goes for audio; our room is soundproof, but we have speakers tuned in to monitor their side. So when the bad guys are standing against that wall out there, you don’t have to worry about any of them being able to ID you or hear anything you say.”
    “I’m not worried.” Tavia felt nothing but resolve as she met themiddle-age man’s eyes over the rim of the Dixie cup. She glanced at the other officers and agents. “I’m ready to do this. I want to do this.”
    “Okay. Now, in just a minute, a couple of officers are going to bring a group of four or five men into that room. All you have to do is have a good look at those men and tell me if any of them could be the man you saw at the senator’s party the other night.” The detective chuckled a little and shot a wink at his fellow officers. “After the detailed description you gave law enforcement following the shooting, I got a feeling you’re gonna ace this exercise here tonight.”
    “Whatever I can do to help,” she replied.
    He swallowed the rest of his water and crushed the paper cup in his fist. “Normally we wouldn’t disclose facts about our investigation, but since the guy confessed to everything and waived his rights to legal counsel, tonight’s lineup is just a formality.”
    “He confessed?”
    Avery nodded. “He knows we got him nailed on the trespassing and attempted murder charges. No way he could weasel out of that one when the sketch details you provided were a dead ringer for him and he’s sporting fresh gunshot wounds from his escape.”
    “And the bombing downtown today?” Tavia prompted, looking to the federal agents for confirmation. “He’s admitting responsibility for that too?”
    One of the suits tipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Didn’t even try to deny it. Says he orchestrated the whole thing.”
    “But I thought there were others involved. The news stations ran coverage of the police pursuit all day. I heard officers killed all three bombers at some local private estate.”
    “That’s right,” Avery cut in. “He stated he enlisted the three backwoods malcontents to rig the explosion at the city’s UN building. Obviously not the sharpest tools in the shed, seeing how they led us right to him. Not that he put up any kind of fight. He came out of the house and surrendered to police right after they arrived on the property.”
    “You mean he lives there?” Tavia asked. She’d seen images of the mansion and its expansive grounds on the news. It was palatial.The pale limestone construction with its soaring four-story walls, black-lacquered doors, and high, arched windows seemed more suited to old-money, New England elite than a violent maniac with apparent terrorist leanings.
    “We haven’t been able to substantiate who actually owns the property,” the