Free TW08 The Dracula Caper NEW by Simon Hawke Page A

within the same general area, the East End of London, within easy access of the docks on the Thames."
    "Neilson, you seem to be the only one who's doing any thinking around here." Steiger said. "Start checking the warehouse district on the docks during your off-duty hours from the crime lab. I'll try to get you some help. There can't be that many warehouses standing empty, so you can automatically eliminate the ones in active use. Maybe we're finally getting somewhere. Christ, it's like looking for a goddamn needle in a haystack. Somehow, we've got to get a break on this."
    "What about the newspaper reports?" said Andre.
    "Not much we can do about them now," said Steiger. "I'd rather have them writing about a new series of Ripper murders than vampires and werewolves loose in London."
    "There's one more thing, sir,•" Neilson said. "The man who's missing, Tony Hesketh. It may not be a bad idea to stake out his apartments. If he returns, he may no longer be the same if you know what I mean. He's been missing for about three weeks. I don't know how long it would take for the viral genome to bring about a mutation, but if he's not dead, he may provide us with our first real lead."
    "Good idea," said Steiger. "I'll pull Rizzo off the estate search and assign him to watch Hesketh's rooms. Have we got an address on him?"
    "Not yet, sir," Neilson said, "but I might be able to sneak a look at Grayson's files and get it."
    "All right, do it. But be careful. Don't get caught. We can't afford to have you sacked from your job at the lab. It's been our only source of information so far."
    "I'll be careful, sir.–
    "Okay. get going." Steiger checked his watch. "Who's watching Conan Doyle now? Craven?"
    "Yes. I had her relieve me for about an hour so I could make the briefing," Andre said.
    "All right, get back there. She'll have to relieve Brant at Wells' house in several hours and I want her to be fresh."
    "How are you holding up?" said Delaney.
    "I'm not getting much sleep, if that's what you mean," said Steiger. "But then holding down the fort has never
been
my style. I'll be glad when something breaks and we can stop stretching ourselves so thin. But until then, it's got to he a waiting game." He tossed back another drink. "I only hope we won't have to
wait
too long."
     
     
    The small, slightly built man with the prematurely grey hair and beard stood in the entrance to the offices of the
Pall Mall Gazette,
holding a folded copy of the paper in his hand and glancing around nervously.
    "Excuse me," he said, stopping a young man walking past him "are you on the staff here at the newspaper?"
    "Well, after a fashion. I suppose,” said the young man. "How may I help you, sir?"
    "My name is Moreau. Dr. Phillipe Moreau. The gentleman who wrote this story, about the killing in Whitechapel—”
    "The murder of the prostitute, you mean?"
    "Yes. I was wondering if I could speak with him."
    "Well. I am afraid he is not in the office at the moment. Dr. Moreau, and I have no idea when he will return. I was just leaving myself. I am not actually on staff here: I write occasional articles, but perhaps I can assist you?"
    "Oh, I see. Well, I don't know. Mr.—"
    "Wells."
    "Thank you, Mr. Wells, but I don't think that will be necessary” said Moreau. "Perhaps I should not even have come. I just thought, perhaps—"
    "Why don't we sit down?" said Wells. "There is obviously something troubling you. If there is anything that I can do to help, I will certainly try."
    "Yes, all right," said Moreau, taking the seat Wells indicated. They sat down at a desk.
    "Now then." said Wells, "what about this murder?"
    "Well, I have a daughter, you see," Moreau said hesitantly. "That is, I had a daughter. I have not seen her for quite some time. She came to London and, well. I have been searching for her—"
    "And you thought perhaps this dead girl could be your daughter?" said Wells. "You wanted to satisfy yourself as to her identity?"
    "Yes, precisely." said