Free Deceitful Moon by Rick Murcer Page A

miniature convoy disappeared en route for the island’s police headquarters, he simply couldn’t stop grinning. His body was fully alive, awake, like he had dr u nk a little too much coffee right after a chocolate rush. Adrenaline will do that to you, but he thought it the best fe e ling he’d had in years.
    They had done it. Dr. Fredrick Argyle would never hurt anyone outside of a prison again. The FBI’s field agents from San Juan would pick Argyle up in a few hours , process the paperwork, (there was always paperwork), ship him to Miami, and then in a few days or a week, to Lansing where he would stand trial for the murders of Sylvia Martin, Liz Casnovsky, Lexy Crosby, and Eric Hayes. No case was ever open and shut , but this would be as close as it came.
    “So, you going with me to interrogate this creep?” asked Josh.
    More grinning. He looked to the others standing in a loose huddle, talking in excited, low tones. Then back to A gent Corner.
    “I wouldn’t miss it, but I doubt he’ll say much. He’ll talk when he chooses to. It’s part of the whole control thing.”
    “I know, but it’ll be fun to watch the son of a bitch squirm. Maybe we can even piss him off.”
    Manny grinned. “That would be worth the effort.”
    Chloe left the others and stepped close to Manny, maybe too close. “That was some of the best profile work I’ve ever seen. How did you know?”
    “Don’t encourage him ; it’ll go to his head,” said Josh.
    “Let me guess ; it was a ‘ feeling ? ’ ” grinned Chloe.
    “Something like that. You know how this stuff goes; you just try to put yoursel f in the guy’s head, that’s all. He did what I might have done, or at least one of the things I would have done. Alex and Max believe it’s a subconscious gathering of facts . . . but they’re science geeks. They don’t believe in the Way.”
    “Well, I have to admit, I’m more of a believer than before. Okay. What was the other thing?” asked Chloe.
    “Run like hell.”
    “What? ”
    Manny win ked. “It’s just me, but I would’ ve run like hell.”
    Chloe gave him the best smile he’d seen from her , and it was dazzling . When she relaxed like that, laughed, she was more than beautiful, and he wasn’t sure she realized it. But that something remained underneath it all, that reason for guarding herself. On the outside, she appeared to be a hard - charging professional ready to climb the ladder at the Bureau. Except she was driven by a need , p erhaps a pain, a hurt hidden deeper than any psychological exam the Feds had administered. He was sure about that. But she was handling it by burying herself in her work. He knew that one. Not always healthy, but a defense mechanism that would keep her out of the nuthouse. He knew that one too .
    Manny found himself fantasizing about finding out what that pain was and helping, even getting to know her better. He shook it aside. This feeling would pass. He’d experienced infatuations before. That’s all this was. Right?
    “That would have been my choice, for sure,” said Josh , g iving Manny a curious look.
    Just then, Sophie left the two CSIs, shaking her head. “Those guys need to get a room.”
    “Why?” questioned Manny.
    “All that science talk. Damn. I think they’re getting horny talking about particulates, DNA, bodily fluids, poly-something evidence bags, and new kinds of latex gloves.”
    “Yeah, well it’s not like Alex has a lot of people like Agent Tucker to talk with,” said Manny , h appy that Sophie had interrupted Josh’s attention. Manny had stared at Chloe a little too long .
    “Whatever. They seem entirely too excited about that stuff , ” Sophie moved a little closer to Josh. “What do you think about latex?”
    Josh frowned. “Gloves?”
    “Gloves could be part of it, boots for sure, but I mean in general. You know. Like black or red . . . camisoles . . . ”
    “Sophie!” warned Manny.
    “What? I only wanted to know what he thought.” She