Better Read Than Dead Read Online Free PDF Page B

that off, because we also found a receipt for a manicure in her pocket, and the time indicates that she paid for it about an hour after she left your office. So tonight she ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. I think that all the parts that didn’t make sense to her during your reading with her were actually a warning.
    “Like you mentioned headaches, and you said that she would have to see a doctor about her headaches. Her attacker hit her over the head with some sort of blunt instrument. She’s currently unconscious and in the hospital, so she is seeing a doctor about her headache.”
    I nodded, a little taken aback by the accuracy of a message that just a few hours earlier had made no sense at all. Milo continued: “The problem, however, is that with this kind of trauma, when the vic wakes up they often can’t remember anything about the attack. Cathy’s doctor just called, and luckily we got to her in time. She’s unconscious, but not comatose, and at this point they don’t feel that surgery is necessary. He said her other wounds should heal quickly and that he was guardedly optimistic about her condition. She should be fine in a few weeks. When she’s conscious we’ll certainly check to see if she remembers anything. If you can’t hit on a name, how about trying for something simple, like what this guy might have used for a weapon?”
    I squirmed uncomfortably in my chair. Even though I was willing to help Milo out, the truth was that I hated this stuff. Tuning in to something violent is a little like sifting through garbage, it’s smelly, full of yucky things, and while you’re doing it, all you want to do is stop and take a shower. I scowled in distaste, bracing myself, then closed my eyes to concentrate, telling myself this was all for the greater good. I focused first on the weapon. “Okay, they’re showing me a tire, like a flat tire or something. I don’t think he hit her with a tire. . . .”
    “No, but you need a tire iron to change a flat,” said Milo, putting two and two together.
    I popped my eyes open and smiled. “Yeah, that’s kind of obvious, huh? So a tire iron seems to be the most likely weapon. Nothing was found at the scene?”
    “Forensics is still examining the area, but I don’t think we’re going to find anything.”
    I nodded, then closed my eyes again. “Okay, ask me something else.”
    “What can you tell me about the attacker?”
    I concentrated, and after a moment I said, “I get the feeling that this guy is a real scumbucket. I also feel like he’s done this before. . . .” I paused and followed that thought. “Yes, he’s absolutely done this before. Have you guys heard about any other attacks that were similar?”
    I could hear Milo scribbling furiously; he paused only briefly to remark, “Yes,” then waited for me to continue.
    “Then I’m on the right track,” I said. “I get the feeling he’s a repeat offender. Like he thinks he can get away with this. There’s also a connection to Vegas here.”
    “Las Vegas, Nevada?”
    “Yes, they keep showing me Vegas. I think he may have a tie to Las Vegas, like he may go there a lot, or he may have done this there. He might be a compulsive gambler. I keep seeing the slot machines and the bright lights of Las Vegas, so I think it has something to do with either gambling or the city.
    “You should check with the Vegas police to see if maybe he’s been attacking women there. There could be a connection. Also he’s very conscious of time. Like he sticks to a schedule. Like he’s very routine . . .”
    “Uh-huh.” More furious scribbling.
    “I also get the feeling that he has dark hair, and dark eyes. No, it’s more than that. This guy is ethnic-looking. I’d say he was maybe Latino or something. He’s got dark skin. . . .”
    “Black?” Milo asked.
    “No, not black,” I said checking with my intuition. “More . . . Italian or Latino or something. He’s also tall, and I wouldn’t be