Blood Wolf’s Path - стр. 16

“Well… I can’t tell you. But since we trust each other, I’ll share a secret. Our president is a werewolf.”

“Knew it! I knew it!” I exclaimed.

“Don’t worry—we’ve got it under control. At night he’s locked in a cell. But imagine if the press found out the President of the United States eats human flesh every night—that’d be a scandal!” Cook turned to me and smiled. I stared, jaw dropped.

“God save us… He can barely walk and he’s got dementia…”

“Yeah, that’s why we feed him dead babies—they’re softer,” Cook said. It sounded like a sick joke—but he was serious.

I got out, shut the door, went inside, and sat on the couch, holding my head and thinking hard. I sat like that for half an hour. Outside, dusk was falling, and as the sun set, the operator reminded me it was time to head to the cell.

Every day I learned something new… But the news about the President—God, what kind of country is this?!

The morning began in its usual routine. I stepped out of the “cage” – as I affectionately called my cell – got dressed, and drove to work. My pickup, which I’d left at the office, had been thoughtfully delivered to my house by the agents. Now, of course, I had to spend an hour in traffic.

The truck had been washed and filled to the brim with gas. In the glove box was a note: “Vehicle inspected and tuned up – will drive like a dream.”

And sure enough, it felt like a completely different machine. No more pulling to the right, no engine knocking, no creaky doors. They’d worked their magic – and fast. At least the FBI was good for something.

When I arrived at the precinct, Cherry was already at my partner’s desk.

“Sleep well?” I asked.

“Yeah. Went to bed early last night. There was a murder. The chief called me in and yelled for five straight minutes. Couldn’t get through to you or me. We were supposed to be at the crime scene, but they had to pull Fox in – even though he’s attached to another district.”

“Oh, that bastard Bram Fox… fine, I’ll deal with it.”

I went straight to Kozloryl’s office.

“What the hell are you doing? You gave my case to Fox! He’s not even from our precinct!” I barked, throwing open the glass door.

“Don’t start with me, idiot. I couldn’t get either of you on the phone, sent units to your places, and the streets around both of you were dug up for repairs… total mess. And this was a high-profile case. The victim was the mayor’s daughter,” Kozloryl said. He wasn’t in a good mood today – but then again, he rarely was.

“This is my case! Keep Fox out of it,” I said, stepping inside.

“He won’t touch it. The mayor called this morning asking specifically for you to handle it. Said he’d heard all about your ‘heroics’ in the student murder case. And besides, your clearance rate’s solid… damn, you’ve solved every case you’ve been given – except your partner’s murder. Or have you dug something up already?” Kozloryl’s anger was already cooling.

“Let the feds handle that one. I’m heading to the scene. Where is it?” I asked.

“Christ, Jerry! Don’t you watch TV or listen to the radio in your car? Go talk to Cherry – she knows the details. Drive to the mayor’s house. I’ll call him and say you’ll be there in twenty minutes.” He turned me by the shoulder and shoved me out the door.