Read Chasing Darkness for Free Online

clamped the lid so nobody could run to the press before the families were notified. Two of those families have still not been reached. Don’t you think they’ve suffered enough?”
    Poitras’s jaw knotted.
    â€œEveryone here is on the same side, Chief.”
    Marx eyed me again, then shook his head.
    â€œNo, we’re not. Now get him out of here, and take me through this goddamned house.”
    Marx went into the house, leaving Poitras to stare after him.
    I said, “Jesus, Lou, I’m sorry.”
    Poitras lowered his voice.
    â€œThe real chief’s out of town. Marx figures if he can close this thing before the chief gets back, he’ll get the face time. I’m sorry, man.”
    Starkey touched my arm.
    â€œC’mon.”
    Poitras followed Marx back into the house while Starkey walked me down. The two uniforms and Marx’s driver were talking together, but we kept going until we were alone. Starkey fished a cigarette from her jacket as soon as we stopped.
    â€œThat guy’s an asshole. It’s been like this all week.”
    â€œIs Marx really going on TV tonight?”
    â€œThat’s what I hear. They wrapped up their work last night.”
    â€œA week to cover seven murders?”
    â€œThis thing was huge, man. They had people on it around the clock.”
    She lit the cigarette and blew a geyser of smoke straight overhead. I liked Starkey. She was funny and smart, and had helped me out of two very bad jams.
    â€œWhen are you going to quit those things?”
    â€œWhen they kill me. When are you going to start?”
    You see? Funny. We smiled at each other, but her smile grew awkward, and faded.
    â€œPoitras told me about the Bennett thing. That must be weird, considering.”
    â€œWas her picture in the book?”
    Starkey blew more of the smoke.
    â€œYeah.”
    I looked up at the house. Someone moved in the shadows, but I couldn’t tell if it was Poitras or Marx.
    Starkey said, “Are you okay?”
    When I glanced back, her eyes were concerned.
    â€œI’m fine.”
    â€œIt was me, I’d be, I dunno, upset.”
    â€œHe couldn’t have killed her. I proved it.”
    Starkey blew another cloud of smoke, then waved her cigarette at the surrounding houses.
    â€œWell, he didn’t have any friends here in the neighborhood, I can tell you that. Most of these people didn’t know him except to see him, and the ones who knew him stayed clear. He was a total asshat.”
    â€œI thought the task force cut you out.”
    â€œThey used us here with the door-to-door. Lady at that house, he told her she had a muscular ass. Just like that. Woman at that house, she runs into him getting his mail and he tells her she could pick up some extra cash if she dropped around one afternoon.”
    That was Lionel Byrd.
    â€œStarkey, you’re right. Byrd was a professional asshat, but he didn’t kill Yvonne Bennett. I don’t believe it.”
    Starkey frowned, but the smile flickered again.
    â€œMan, you are stubborn.”
    â€œAnd cute. Don’t forget cute.”
    I could have told her I was also sick to my stomach, but I let it go with cute.
    She drew another serious hit on the cigarette, then flicked it into a withered century plant. Here we were in fire season with red-flag alerts, but Starkey did things like that. She pulled me farther away from the uniforms and lowered her voice.
    â€œOkay, listen, I know some things about this Poitras doesn’t know. I’m going to tell you, but you can’t tell anyone.”
    â€œYou think I’m going to run home and put it on my blog?”
    â€œGuy I worked with at CCS is on with the task force. He spent all week analyzing the stuff we pulled out of the house. You won’t like this, but he told me Byrd’s good for the killings. He says it’s solid.”
    â€œHow does he know that?”
    â€œI don’t know, moron. We’re