Wearing The Cape: Villains Inc. Read Online Free PDF Page B

sad, sick souls who believed themselves to be nosferatu .   But then, godzillas hadn’t either.
     
    “Detective Fisher,” I said.   “Allow me to introduce Artemis.   Artemis, Detective Ron Fisher.”
     
    “Detective.”   She nodded, looking him over as he did the same.   Tall, pale, and model-thin, she dressed in a black leather catsuit with lots of straps and buckles. A deep hood cast her face in shadow, and she wore a half-mask sculpted to suggest the sharp planes of a skull.   She also wore four guns—two in shoulder-holsters and one low on each hip.   Standing next to her, I looked like a schoolgirl playing superhero. She looked sexy and dangerous as hell.
     
    “Pleased to meet you, Artemis.” Fisher extended his hand.   “Astra tells me you can answer a question for us.”
     
    She smiled thinly as they shook.   “I do have a nose for blood.   You want to identify a victim?”
     
    “What will you need?”
     
    “Was it a man?”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    “Let me see his razor.”
     
    I waved Mr. Moffat’s shaving kit, giving her a cautious smile. “I got it.”
     
    She accepted it without expression, and pulled out a twin-blade razor.   Holding it to her nose, she inhaled thoughtfully.
     
    “Well?” Phelps asked impatiently. Fisher winced, but Artemis just looked amused.
     
    “He cut himself recently.   Blood type A positive.   Heavy meat-eater, likes to drink.   Not in great shape, developing kidney problems.”
     
    Fisher laughed.   “No need to show off, but how can you tell?”
     
    “Blood type’s easy, his iron is really high, and his kidneys aren’t filtering his blood properly.”
     
    “Could you tell me if he’d been taking drugs?”
     
    “Depends on how recent, but his blood smells clean.   So where is he?”
     
    Fisher pointed to the box.
     
    “Seriously?”
     
    “Yes.   Before we open it, since you’re here could you tell me if you can smell any blood traces anywhere else?”
     
    “Show me around?”
     
    “Right this way.”   He politely waved her towards the door leading to the hall leading to the den and bedrooms.
     
    That left me alone with Detective Phelps and Officer Wyatt.   Phelps turned away.   I shrugged.
     
    “How are the kids, Jimmy?” I asked Wyatt.   His face lit up.
     
    “Little Madison’s walking,” he reported proudly.   “And Johnny’s on the honor roll this year.   He still puts up drawings of you.”
     
    “Meeting his class was fun.”
     
    Before my popularity crashed Quin had had me doing all sorts of public-relations events; I’d especially liked the school visits and tours. I smiled, reminded I’d made a good impression on somebody . He took out his wallet to show me the family pictures, and I made the obligatory but sincere compliments before handing them back.
     
    “Jimmy?”   I said softly.   “Why all this?   I thought Mr. Moffat was an innocent bystander in the bank job?”
     
    Wyatt frowned.   “He might have been, miss. Might not. Either way, Detective Fisher thinks the bonds are probably Outfit money. They might have done this just to make a point.”
     
    “But—”   Artemis and Fisher were back, circling the living room.   She shook her head, and he looked frustrated.   He made a note.
     
    “I’ll have them look for blood trace anyway.   But thank you.”
     
    “You’re saying there’s nothing?”   Phelps asked skeptically.
     
    “That’s what she’s saying, detective.”   He tapped the box with his foot.   “Are you ready?”
     
    She smiled.   “I’m not squeamish, Lieutenant.   But I appreciate your concern.”
     
    “Okay, then.”   He lifted the wood lid with his gloved hand, and the copper smell sharpened.   I didn’t feel the slightest temptation to go over and look; instead I watched Artemis.
     
    She dropped her smile.   “Now that’s just…wrong.”
     
    “Tell me about it,” Fisher agreed, the cigarette back in his mouth.
     
    “May