Free Red Iron Nights by Glen Cook Page B

time.”
    “What makes you think that?”
    “He blew the snatch on Chodo’s kid but grabbed another woman in time to have her hung up this morning.”
    Crazy don’t mean stupid, my old mom used to say. I’ve seen that proved often enough. The man doing this was doing a lot of planning. He’d be aware that his fun would cause a stir. He’d be real careful.
    “Morley, the guy made a real dumb move last night. Maybe double dumb. He did it in front of witnesses. And he went for Chodo’s kid. He’d get less heat going after the King’s sister.”
    “You remember she was scared when she came in. I have a notion the snatch was blown once already and somebody was desperate to cover his tracks. Far as going after Chodo’s kid . . . What you have to do with this character—and I can’t myself—is put yourself inside his head. Try to think like he does. He’s a genius and knows it. He’s been messed up and playing out psychotic dramas since he was a kid and he keeps getting away with it. Maybe he doesn’t quite see the rest of us as real anymore. Maybe we’re just things, like the bugs and rats he started out on. Maybe he thinks there can’t be any kickbacks as long as he’s careful. In his mind Chodo might not be a worry any bigger than Dean is.”
    I understood but wasn’t sure Morley’s ideas held any water. I didn’t know what to think. TunFaire has killers by the battalion, but none like this. Muckers and coldblooded pros were the multiple murderers I knew. This monster was a hybrid, a mutant.
    “Last night is the only starting place we have,” Morley said. “We have to talk to the girl.”
    I made an ugly noise.
    “I know. Means the outfit gets in on the hunt.”
    I was surprised they weren’t already. I said so.
    Morley observed, “Means she didn’t mention it when she got home. Maybe she was doing something her father wouldn’t approve.” He wore a frown, though, like he thought that couldn’t be quite right.
    “Boyfriend?”
    “She’s human.”
    I backed off inside and considered, bitten by sudden suspicion. She’d run into Morley’s place when she was in trouble. She’d shown no sign of knowing him, but . . . No. He wouldn’t. His need to take risks wouldn’t push him that far. Would it?
    The Dead Man intervened. Gentlemen, I sense the approach of persons I must interview. I will be at that all night. Garrett. I suggest you rest till morning. I may have suggestions for you then. Apparently he’d shuffled through Morley’s head and had gotten what he wanted. If there’d been anything there.
    Sometimes that was arguable.
    I was wound up more than I realized. “I could start—” Like I was eager to get to work.
    If I calculate accurately, we have eleven or twelve days before the killer acts again. That should be ample time. The wheels of the law and Mr. Contague’s organization will grind every clue fine by then. There is no need to rush and risk doing ourselves harm.
    What? He was going to stamp his approval on my loafing? I’m no fool. I hustled Morley out the front door, brought in the couple I ran into there, introduced them to the Dead Man as the parents of the first victim, then headed upstairs.
     
     

14
     
    As soon as I was flat on my back I thought of fifty things I should have discussed with Morley. Like did he have any idea who those brunos were who stormed into his place after Chodo’s brat? He would have tried to find out. I knew him. After he’d brooded awhile he’d have decided that booting them around and chucking them out in the rain wasn’t good enough. He’d want a whack at the guy who’d sent them.
    He might be miles ahead of me.
    I let my thoughts drift back to what had happened, went over it, seeking a clue.
    Nothing that special about the three men. If you had the money, you could recruit a thousand like them. Only thing remarkable was that they’d dared invade a place owned by Morley Dotes. Local professionals knew better. Those three