Dead Asleep Read Online Free PDF

bad.” He looked at her. “I came here to talk to you about him.”
    Emma did her best to follow Carrow’s stream of consciousness. She was fairly certain the Martin that he referred to was a member of Rex Rain, but she couldn’t be sure. Still rattled from her two strange visitors, she was having a hard time focusing on what he was saying.
    â€œI’ve been told that you’re some sort of genius chemist, and I was wondering if you could assist me with a problem I’m having at my villa.”
    Emma looked at her watch. “It’s two o’clock in the morning.”
    â€œIt’s a really bad problem.” He waved the bottle in the air. “And frankly, I’m at my best at two in the morning.” He spread his arms wide and grinned. “As you see.” He swayed a bit to the side of the hand holding the bottle. It was as if his balance was so precarious that the extra weight was throwing him off. He took another swig. His expression turned serious. “You look really pale. They scared the shit out of you, didn’t they?” Emma hated to admit it, but they had. The vision of the man’s crazy, upturned eyes kept coming back to haunt her.
    â€œThat, Mr. Carrow, is an understatement,” she said. He once again offered her the bottle. She took hold of it and downed another swallow without bothering to clean the neck. This one was even better. She felt a pleasant buzz begin, and even looking at the dead rooster didn’t seem so awful.
    â€œIs your problem a chemical one?”
    â€œYou could say that.”
    Emma was getting a bit frustrated. “Why don’t you just spell it out for me?”
    He took a deep breath. “My drummer fell asleep.”
    She shrugged. “And?”
    â€œAnd hasn’t woken up. For over twenty-four hours.”
    â€œMr. Carrow . . .”
    â€œAnd if you’ve heard anything about Rex Rain, you’ve heard the party stories, I’m sure.”
    Emma had heard the stories about Rex Rain and their legendary drug use. Some of the more fantastic tales involved satanic ritual and devil worship. She’d always dismissed the tabloid reports as gossip of the worst type.
    â€œWell the stories are, for the most part, true,” Carrow said.
    â€œI don’t believe that.”
    Carrow looked surprised. “You don’t?”
    â€œSatanic ritual and selling your soul to the devil for a number one hit? Nope. Don’t believe it.”
    He smiled. “Okay, well maybe that story isn’t true, but Martin has been known to visit mediums and conduct séances. In fact we have a famous medium staying at the villa right now. He also loves using the Ouija board.” Carrow took a deep breath. “But honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sleep this long. I’ve seen him pass out, mind you, but I don’t think I’ve seen him actually sleep.”
    She heard the sound of an engine in the distance. The noise escalated and then lessened as the vehicle drove the curved road that led up the mountain to her rental villa. The house, called Blue Heron, sat on a rise overlooking the ocean in the distance. It had a narrow lap pool, two buildings connected by an open breezeway, and a small koi pond. Her staff consisted of a gardener, a maid, and a cook who lived in a row of one bedroom town houses located at the end of the property behind a stand of trees.
    â€œThat’s probably Island Security,” she said. “You’d be better off calling Terra Cay’s doctor. I presume there’s one on the island?”
    â€œI’d rather you come. There’s a pile of powder in the room that I can’t identify.” The noise of the engine grew louder.
    â€œWorried that the doctor will identify it and then he’ll be busted?”
    Carrow nodded. “That’s definitely part of it. We’re here to party for the holiday, of course, but also to