"He's still not answering..." She shoved her phone back in her pocket, stopped pacing around the lab. "Alright, Doc, what'd you find?"
Kline sighed. "So dramatic. You watch cop shows much?"
"Come on. I know you prefer dealing with Barnes, as awful as he is, but he's not coming. Talk to me, Doc."
The ME trudged over to his computer and pulled up a few windows. "There's the print we pulled from the tape. While I was waiting for a match in the system, because, you know, it's not like I have autopsies or paperwork to complete, I ran it against other recovered prints."
"Other recovered prints? What prints?"
"From previous murders."
"The ones from the last couple weeks?"
"Well, yeah."
"I thought there weren't any. You said there weren't any prints."
"I did. But I was thinking about your pinky thing. Thought about the other victims. Thought about where a pinky might touch."
"And?"
"Don't rush me," Kline said, but Mick could tell he was too caught up in the excitement to really be annoyed with her. "It matched two others. We can tie these murders to the same person."
"And do you have a name?"
"Not quite. It isn't anyone in the city or the state. I've extended the search to nationwide. Not sure how long it will take to get a match."
Mick pulled out her phone again. Still nothing from Barnes.
"I'm going to call again," she said.
For once, Kline had nothing biting to say.
Yeah, he definitely preferred Barnes to her.
"Pick up, pick up, pick up." She resumed her pacing.
To her surprise and relief, the ringing stopped, the other end finally connecting.
"Hey, Mick, 'sup?"
"Why haven't you been answering your phone? Kline's made some progress on—"
"I made a friend at the bar."
"God, are you drunk?"
"Meh."
"Barnes. Are you drunk? Where are you?"
"Some man from the bar offered to drive me home."
"Who?"
"Dunno. Nice guy. Why? You interested? Tall, dark hair, seems like your type, Mick—"
"Get out of the car." She took off running. "Barnes, get out of the car. Now. Barnes—"
"He's a little busy at the moment," a different voice said.
Then the line went dead.
*** ***
YOU ARE READING
HUNT
Mystery / Thriller***Sequel to HUSH*** Three years after murdering his wife and two children, Bennett Rhodes is still on the loose. The case goes cold, with no sightings and no new murders. However, Detective Mick Lancaster knows that Rhodes is still out there, bidin...
