Free Skull Creek Stakeout (Caden Chronicles, The) by Eddie Jones

like her son being doped up all the time so she took him off his meds. Chase killed six people before they captured him. He never bit anybody’s neck, though.”
    “This isn’t what we have here.”
    “How can you be sure?”
    “Even if Forester was going around acting like a vampire and biting people’s necks, I can’t imagine anyone actually killing him with a wooden stake. Sure, someone might call a tabloid news reporter, but commit murder? I don’t see it.”
    “Have there been any reports of vandals digging up graves? Opening caskets? Looking into old burial grounds, that sort of thing?”
    “Sounds to me like you’ve been talking to Phillip Raintree. If I were you, I’d ignore most of what that man says. Raintree would put up billboards on the Parkway and advertise vampire covens in Transylvania if he thought it would bring people to his store and help him sell books.”
    “He told me occult books were only a small portion of his business.”
    “Son, if you believe that malarkey, you’ll never make it in journalism. Twice Raintree has been threatened with eviction. Both times he got caught up on his rent payments just before they padlocked the doors. Someone or some organization is keeping him in business. Could be that game you’re referring to.”
    He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. “The fact is, we don’t have any evidence tying Raintree or anyone else to Forester’s death. I’m not saying Raintree wasn’t involved. I am saying it’s a stretch to make more of this than there is until we have an official cause of death.”
    “Suppose Forester
was
into hanging around cemeteries. Getting ideas for his vampire slayer game and scoping out locations. Any idea where he might go?”
    “If you’re dead set on chasing that rabbit trail, you should check out Skull Creek. That’s the Randolph family plot. The way I understand it, Forester moved to Transylvania for his health. Winters here can be harsh, but not like up north. The Randolph Manor came on the market, and Forester put a bid in and bought the place. And as far as this vampire game business goes, around town people think it’s a joke.”
    I was tempted to tell the lieutenant that the vampire slayer “game” scared the mess out of me. Instead I asked what the victim had been wearing. Maybe I could get a decent quote from that.
    “I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. Black cape, black slacks, white shirt.”
    “And the murder weapon? Any chance I could take a look?”
Please, please, please!
    He shook his head. “Part of an ongoing …”
    “Investigation. Got it.”
    McAlhany rose from his chair, signaling the conversation was over. He walked around the desk and rested his hip on the corner.
    “Mind if I give you some career advice, son? Don’t make more of this story than it is. I met the marshal of Deadwood at a conference a few years back. Seemed like a straight-up lawman. Can’t say working in a ghost town is my idea of real police work, but it’s not my place to judge another man’s vocation. That’s why it’s a shame about what happened with your suspect out there.”
    “What do you mean? We caught him.”
    A look of genuine concern came over his face. “I’m sorry, I thought you’d heard. Your lead suspect hired himself a top-shelf lawyer and got himself released on bail, then jumped. Last I heard he was still on the loose.”
    “He’s gone?”
    “Like the wind.”
    I slumped in my chair. I’d worked hard to solve that case, and now to think the killer might never stand trial … “I appreciate you taking time to talk with me, Lieutenant, I do.”
    I started to stand, but he put his hand on my shoulder and kept me seated.
    “People in Transylvania, we like our solitude. That’s whymy father came down from New York, to get away from crackpots and criminals. We can’t change the name of our town, at least not without going to a lot of trouble. But you’d better believe we can do something