The Devil's Water: Scenic City Murder Series #1 Read Online Free Page A

would someone be out?” Tasha asked as she turned to see that Billy was talking to another lady sitting at the bar.
    “Anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes after an IV dose.” Clutch answered. “Look, either this guy has some sort of experience in the medical field or maybe he’s an addict. The ME said Fentanyl is very addictive. In large doses it can kill you. Coming off it can kill you. This guy knows what he’s doing.”
    “I don’t think our guy is addicted. He’s been way too clever and his actions haven’t smacked of bad judgment or desperation the way an addicts would.” Tasha reasoned.
    “Well, Fentanyl is a schedule 2 drug, I looked it up. I think if he’s not just outright killing his vics, he’s poisoning them to death in order to do what he wants with them.” Mcclutcheon said. “Somewhere, Monica Balzer and Carol Shipley are dying and God only knows who else. We’ve got to get to them.”
    “I don’t think you need to worry about ‘who else’, Clutch.” Tasha interrupted.
    “Why?”
    “Because this perp is just starting. He’s getting a taste of it and he enjoys it but he’s still just starting out.”
    “How the hell do you know that?” Mclutcheon asked incredulously.
    “Because he’s taken women from the same apartment complex for one. For two, I’ve worked a hell of a lot of these cases.”
    Tasha reached for her pack of smokes with one hand and brought the gin and tonic up to her lips with the other. She took a long hard swallow. It still burned a little going down and she didn’t like that sensation. She knew she would drink until it didn’t burn anymore.
    “Well, what next?” Clutch asked.
    “We wait. That’s the only card we can play and he’ll strike soon enough. He’s made it very clear that he will kill his victims.”
    “I guess blood is in the water and the shark is circling.”
    “Yeah, something like that.” Tasha returned. She looked over her shoulder. Billy and the woman he had been talking to were gone. She took a deep draw off her cigarette and inhaled. She held up one finger and motioned the bartender before finishing off the last of her drink.
    “Listen, I’ll talk to you later. Okay?”
    Tasha signed off with Mclutcheon and took a sip of her fresh drink. She watched as a bank of smoke floated through the air. Almost everyone at the bar was smoking. She tried to ignore the fact that her eyes were so dry and irritated.
    Somewhere behind her she heard someone break a rack of balls. Oh, the sounds of a pool hall.
    “Hey, stranger.”
    Tasha turned and saw Billy standing right beside her.
    “Well, where have you been?” She smiled.
    He grinned back at her and, once again, she found herself gazing at his pearly white teeth.
    “Doesn’t matter where I’ve been. It’s all about where I’m going.” He shoved a hand in the pocket of his jeans and his triceps bulged from the effort.
    Tasha felt her face get hot and she took a sip of her drink.
     She glanced over at the bartender and held up her finger again.
    “Check, please!”
    “Your place or mine?” Billy asked.
    Tasha slugged down the rest of her drink and handed the bartender some money.
    “Well, that depends.” Tasha smiled and brushed a wisp of blonde hair off her brow. “I have all the booze you can drink but I don’t do breakfast.”
    “Your place it is then.” Billy replied as he put his arm around her shoulder and walked her to the door.

CHAPTER 7
     
    He didn’t fashion himself a creature of habit. He was wise enough to know that he couldn’t afford to be. It was 10pm as the dark blue Ford moved down I75 toward Missionary Ridge. He kept an eye on the speedometer. It simply wouldn’t do to have a cop pull him over at this point. Not with his precious cargo it wouldn’t. Golden Earrings “Radar Love” was playing on the radio. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the music. He was feeling pumped. Music always had that effect on him.
    As the sedan moved through the