Phoenix Rising Read Online Free PDF Page B

to the other… you must survive, and so you do what is necessary. All living creatures do the same. Remove your clothes and lie down.”
“I am expected at final rehearsal.”
“They will wait upon your arrival, as always.”
Talis did as requested, removing his shirt and pants and lying down on the couch while Ammon leaned over him, massaging his golden flesh with reverence.
“Ammon, there is something I want you to do for me.” He proceeded to explain. “Can this be done?” he ended.
Ammon’s voice flowed over him like water. “It can. And Detective Wayland?”
“If at all possible, do not harm her.”
“I will not… if at all possible.” He dug in along Talis’s spine. “I am to cancel the California tour dates?”
“All of them.” They were scheduled to play in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento. “Refund the ticket money. Tell them I died.” He sighed and turned his head to the other side. “If this doesn’t work, it will be the truth.”

Chapter Six Artemis
    Camouflage is a game we all like to play, but our secrets are as surely revealed by what we want to seem to be as by what we want to conceal.
—Russell Lynes
    R
ACHEL was waiting for him when he got to work Friday morning, lounging outside the material lab door, cup of steaming coffee in her hand.
    “Just got here,” she said, shifting her weight to the other hip. “Someone from Interpol is waiting in the Lieutenant’s office. They want to see us immediately.”
    “Interpol? What the hell.” She waggled her eyebrows at him, and he said, “Not until after we talk to Sherlock.”
Artemis pushed open the lab door and went inside, Rachel on his heels. Sherlock Jones was bent over a microscope, stained lab coat open over a hipster striped shirt and black skinny jeans. The place smelled of chemicals and chicken sandwiches.
Artemis moved to stand at his shoulder, talking as he went so as not to startle the guy. “Sherlock, have a chance to get to the spoon I dropped off last night?”
Sherlock made minute adjustments to a knob on the ’scope. “First thing.” He didn’t take his eyes off the eyepiece. “Your note said, ‘Match it to the prints found at the gay guys’ crime scenes,’ and I did and it does. The user of the spoon was there.”
Artemis exchanged a look with Rachel. “Looks like we’re on the right track after all.” Damn it. He’d really hoped Talis wasn’t involved. “We’ll need a DNA sample from him.”
She nodded. “We’ll go after it as soon as we’re free here.”
Talking to Sherlock, Artemis said, “What about the feather that was turned in yesterday? The one from the Carlson murder scene. Find out anything?”
That got Sherlock’s full attention. He sat up and spun on his stool to face them. “That feather is the most interesting thing I’ve seen in ages. It belongs to no known bird genus. Do you understand what I’m saying? It’s not a sparrow or wren or raptor or anything else we call a bird, yet it shares common characteristics with them.”
Artemis thought about that. “Well. This appears to lend credence to your theory that aliens did it.”
“Told ya.” Nodding, he spun back to his ’scope. “Nolan’s report is waiting in your office.”
    T
HEY didn’t get a chance to see it before being whisked into Lt. Numbnuts’s office. His real name was Ed Munlutz, but he was only called that to his face. This series of murders was making him and the department look bad, and when they walked in, he scowled. Not a good look on him, as it accentuated his jowls and incipient double chin.
“About time you got here.” He gestured to the woman
    sitting across the desk from him. “This is Liz Blackstone, Interpol, London division. Liz, Artemis Gregory and Rachel Wayland. They’re heading the task force on this one.”
    Liz stood and stuck out her hand, which they both shook. She was average height, average weight, and in nearly all other respects, average. Maybe standing out in Interpol