"What if I told you that I'm looking at a picture of one of the other known associates of Heinrick, and he's in town, too?"
Bradley's face never changed. Zerbrowski's and Merlioni's did. They looked surprised. Bradley didn't.
"How did you get the picture?"
"Long story, but he's wanted in connection with some murders here in town."
"Which man?"
"I think he was the only one with longer hair. I don't think it was back in a ponytail like it is here, but it was definitely shoulder length."
I heard papers rustling. "I've got it." I heard more papers rustling, then a soft whistle. "Roy Van Anders. He is a very bad man, Blake."
"How bad?"
"Strangely, we got files just today about Mr. Van Anders. Crime scene photos that would turn your stomach."
"A lot of blood, not a lot of body left?" I asked.
I could feel Zerbrowski tense beside me.
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"I think I'm at a crime scene right now that's Van Anders's work."
"You're on that lycanthrope murder, right?"
"Yeah."
"There's nothing in his record that says he's anything but human. He's just a sick son of a bitch, who likes to rape and kill women."
"Did anybody question how he dismembered the bodies, or where the rest of them went?"
"I haven't read through everything yet, but no. Most of his crimes were in countries where we're lucky to have gotten any pictures at all. Very low tech, very little money to do sophisticated crime work."
"How sophisticated do you have to be to figure out the difference between tools and teeth?"
"A lot of serial killers use teeth, Blake." She sounded like she felt she had to defend the honor of some far away police.
"I know that, O'Brien, but, oh, hell, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that he's here in our town, right now, and we aren't low tech, and we do have at least a little money to track down the bad guys."
"You're right, Blake. Concentrate on the here and now."
"Do we have enough to question Heinrick and his pal now?"
"I think we might. We can make a case that Heinrick knows about his pal's hobbies. That would make him an accessory before the fact, if not more."
"I'll be down there as soon as I can get out of here."
"Blake, this is not your case. You're one of the potential victims. I think that makes you too close to everything to be objective."
"Don't do this, O'Brien, I've played fair with you."
"This isn't a game, Blake, this is a job. Or do you want credit for everything?"
"I don't give a fuck about credit. I just want to be there when you question Heinrick."
"If you get here in time, but we ain't holding the party up for just you."
"Fine, O'Brien, fine, you're the detective in charge."
"Nice of you to remember that." She hung up on me.
I said a very heartfelt, "Bitch!"
Zerbrowski and Merlioni had eager expectant faces, but Bradley didn't. He could do cop face, but he wasn't an actor. I filled them in, and Zerbrowski was pissed at O'Brien, not for excluding me, but for not even bothering to consider contacting a member of RPIT.
"She's got them in lockup for what, following you around? We've got four murders, maybe more." He looked at me. "You want a ride in a car with sirens and lights, so that we can fucking get there before she does something to wreck our case?"
I liked the 'our case,' and I liked that he asked me along. Dolph probably wouldn't have, even if he hadn't been mad at me.
I nodded. "I'd love to go riding in and wave jurisdictional flags in her face."
He grinned. "Give me ten minutes to give everybody their marching orders, then meet me downstairs. We'll borrow a marked car. People always get out of the way faster for a marked car." He was out the door and down the stairs humming to himself.
Merlioni went after him, saying, "Who has to stay here with the tub o' death cleanup?" I don't think Merlioni wanted to be included in the cleanup, not even to supervise.
Bradley and I found ourselves alone. It was unheard of for a fed, two feds I guess, to be left alone at a murder scene like this. Most locals hated the feds, and the feds hated them right back.
I looked up at Bradley. "Now that I've made all the connections you wanted me to make, tell me why you really came down here."
He closed the manila envelope and handed it to me. "To solve a crime."
"Solving these crimes would add to your unit's clout. Last time we spoke you needed that clout."
He was looking at me carefully.
"Are you here officially, Bradley?"
"Yes."
I stared into his bland face. "Are you here officially just as an FBI agent?"