Book 05 - Dread Brass Shadows Read Online Free PDF

call for hunters in the city," I told her. "We can catch our dinner at the corner butcher."
    "Not that kind of hunter, Ace. Manhunter. Bounty hunter." Just in case I'd mistaken her meaning. "Tracker." Her gaze was hard and steady. She worked at being tough. "Trying to make contacts. Trying to get set up. I don't want to have to cross the line to make it."
    She had small hands for a woman her size. Her nails were trimmed neatly. But her palms were used to hard work. Looked like she could bust boards with them. Or backs. I wanted to chuckle but decided I might be smart to keep my amusement to myself. Not more than ten thousand people ever said I wasn't smart. "What do you want from me?"
    "Whyn't we get in out of the sun, set a spell, down a few brews, let me tell you what I can do?"
    Saucerhead was behind her now. Grinning from ear to ear. She must have tried to sell him already. I kept a straight face. "Sure. Why not?" I hammered on the door, glared Tharpe a dagger or three. He thought he'd set me up. I was going to get him for this. Right after I got him for skewing the lap count. Right after I got him for about seven other things on my list.
    Dean opened up. He looked at Winger in awe. She snapped, "What you staring at, runt?" Still working hard at that tough.
    "Dean, we'll be in the office. Bring us a pitcher, after you lock up." No more free drinks for Tharpe.
    I stepped out of Winger's way. "Straight up the hail."
    I followed her while Dean locked up. She looked around like she was trying to memorize every crack in the walls.
    I guess Saucerhead was outside har-harring.
    "Take that chair," I told Winger, indicating the client's seat. It's wooden, hard as a rock. It's supposed to discourage prolonged visits. They're supposed to sit there only long enough to tell me what they have to, not long enough to bury me in trivia. Theoretically. The real whiners enjoy being miserable.
    Winger kept looking around like she was sneaking through enemy territory. I asked, "You looked for anything in particular?"
    "You stay alert when you're a woman in a man's racket." Another dose of tough.
    "I imagine. What can I do for you, anyway?"
    "Like I said, I'm new here. I need to make contacts, you could use an extra hand sometimes, probably. Finding people."
    "Maybe." Her alertness had me wound up now. She had something on her mind.
    Dean brought the pitcher. I poured. Winger downed a mug, stared at the painting behind me. She shivered. Eleanor can have that effect. The man who painted her was a mad genius. He filled her portrait with indefinable creepiness.
    I glanced back. And Winger moved so fast I barely had time to face her again before she had a knife at my throat. A long knife. A knife that looked like a two-handed broadsword right about then. "I'm looking for a book, Garrett. A big one. You wouldn't have it, would you?"
    Sure I wouldn't. "I wish I did." But her tone said she wasn't going to believe that. She wasn't going to get confused by facts.
    Her knife pricked my throat. Her hand was steady. She was a pro. Not even a little nervous. Me neither. Not much. "I don't have it. How come you think I do?"
    She didn't tell me. "I'm going to look. I'm going to take this place apart. You want to stay healthy, stay out of my way. You want your house to stay healthy, give me the book now."
    I gave her a look at my fluttering-eyebrow trick. I tossed in a big smile. "Have fun."
    She smiled back. "Think you can take me? Don't even think about trying."
    "Little old me? Perish the thought. Hey, Chuckles. Time to do your stuff."
    Winger glanced around. Her knife hand remained steady. She couldn't figure out who the hell I was talking to. "Who the hell you talking to?"
    "My partner."
    She opened her mouth. That was as far as she got. The Dead Man turned her into a living statue. In the last instant her expression turned to horror. I edged away from her knife, got out of my chair. "You got nerve," I said. She could hear and understand. "But nerve isn't