SinceJulian''scasehadbeenclosed,theamusementparkshouldhavebeenclearedtoreopen.Yetwhenthepolicetriedcallingthemanager,therewasnoanswer.
Thatwasunusual.
Themanagerhadalwaysbeencooperativethroughouttheinvestigation.Sure,hegrumbledalotandcomplainedunderhisbreath,buthealwaysansweredcallsandshowedupwhenasked.ThissuddensilenceseteveryalarminLucian''sgutblaring.
Hewasabouttodispatchsomeonetocheckonthemanagerinpersonwhenthephoneonhisdeskrang.
Themanager''shousewasonfire.
Normally,aresidentialblazewouldfalloutsideahomicidedetective''sjurisdiction—unlessabodywasdiscovered.Butthisfire,breakingoutimmediatelyafterafreshlyclosedcase,sosuddenandsoconvenientlytimed,reekedofstagedfinality.
Lucianhad,atonepoint,suspectedthemanager.
Thevictim,Julian,hadworkedunderhim,andReyahadgonemissingaroundthesametime.Lucianhadevenconsideredplacingthemanagerundersurveillance,butwithnosolidevidence,andgutinstinctalonetogoon,hisrequestwasdenied.Oncethecasewasofficiallyclosed,everyone''sattentionshiftedelsewhere.
ExceptJun.
Bysheerluck—orfate''scruelsenseoftiming—therookiehadbeengrabbinglunchnearbywhensmokeclawedatthesky.HiscallbroughtLucianandhisteamscreechingontothecurbjustasfiretrucksunspooledtheirhoses.
Lucianparkedatadistanceandhadbarelytakenthreestepswhenhefrozeinplace.
Itwasn''ttheroaringflamesortheblindingwhitestreamsfromthefirehosesthatstoppedhimdead—itwasthegirltrailingbehindJun.
内容未完，下一页继续阅读