guess . The cell structure is very odd and the DNA singularly complex. There were some nasty germs mixed with it , some I can’t identify . I’ve sent the cultures to the CDC for analysis. ”
I shook my head. “Chitin?” I asked. I knew I had heard the word but couldn’t place it. I took a stab. “Like a cow horn or something?”
“ No, horns are composed of the protein keratin, like hair. Chitin is a derivative of glucose. It’s t he substance comprising the shells of arthropods, such as crustaceans and insect s , like the hard carapace o f a beetle , or the beak of a squid . It serves the same function as keratin but is different chemically . ”
“ So w e’re looking for a beetle now , or a squid ?” I snapped irritably.
“No, it did not come from an insect or a cephalopod .” He shook his head. “I honestly don’t know where it came from.”
I nodded. If Munson was stumped, I did n’t feel too bad in my ignorance. “ Whatever it was , the bastard got me in the shoulder and I had a fever with in minutes. The ER doc found some of th at same chitinous substance in my wound .”
He looked dumbfounded. “Minutes? That’s … I almost said impossible, but this case breeds impossibilities.” He glanced at my shoulder. “How is it?”
I moved my arm experimentally and grimaced “Sore. I’m taking antibiotics.”
He looked at me with sympathy . “You should be in bed, but I understand your enthusiasm.” He looked down at the dead girl and sighed . “Catch this bast ard Detective .”
“That’s my job, Doc.” I turned to leave. “Gotta go.”
“By the way.”
I turned back.
“That ammonia – turns out it’s a form of urine.”
“Urine?” I repeated in disbelief. “ I ’ve smelled urine of every type in my job from fresh to several months old. It stank but not like this .”
“Animal urine, more specifically it’s very similar to that excreted by vampire bats of South America. Their diet consists mainly of animal blood.”
I stared at him a moment as his words sank in . “ Are you saying that this guy has vampire bats for pets ?”
He said nothing.
I slowly realized what he was suggesting. I shook my head vehemently. “No way, Doc. No way will I believe this guy is drinking blood and pissing ammonia. That’s …that’s not even human.”
“Someone who savages women like this is not human , ” he reminded me pointedly.
While we faced off, him suggesting the impossible and me denying the im probable, the tele phone rang. He picked it up and spoke briefly into the receiver . When he looked at me and nodded, I knew it was bad news. He replaced the receiver slowly.
“ You’ve got another missing girl . It appears your man was busy again last night.”
4
As Lew drove, I hung my head, feeling the weight of the last twenty-four hours pulling me inexorably like gravity to the ground. We had f our victims and the only clue s as to the murderer made little or no sense . Nothing about the case made sense to me. A rookie could have made as much progress as I had . Bodies were piling up and all I could do was keep count.
My luck continued in its normal vein. As we pulled up in front of the posh apartment building of our latest victim, the press buzz ed around us like flies on a three-day old corpse. I shoved my way through a milling mob of reporters and flashing cameras with little regard to their feelings or comfort. I was in no mood for reporters. Several black and white patrol cars were on the scene blocking the street. I waved some uniforms over to shove back the throng of curious onlookers and construct a barrier with ribbons of ubiquitous bright yellow crime tape, forcing the crowd and especially the press to the sidewalk across the street. Otherwise, I figured the slimy bastards would be picking up pieces of vital evidence to display like trophies on their evening news broadcasts.
I lamented the passing of the true reporters, the
I shook my head. “Chitin?” I asked. I knew I had heard the word but couldn’t place it. I took a stab. “Like a cow horn or something?”
“ No, horns are composed of the protein keratin, like hair. Chitin is a derivative of glucose. It’s t he substance comprising the shells of arthropods, such as crustaceans and insect s , like the hard carapace o f a beetle , or the beak of a squid . It serves the same function as keratin but is different chemically . ”
“ So w e’re looking for a beetle now , or a squid ?” I snapped irritably.
“No, it did not come from an insect or a cephalopod .” He shook his head. “I honestly don’t know where it came from.”
I nodded. If Munson was stumped, I did n’t feel too bad in my ignorance. “ Whatever it was , the bastard got me in the shoulder and I had a fever with in minutes. The ER doc found some of th at same chitinous substance in my wound .”
He looked dumbfounded. “Minutes? That’s … I almost said impossible, but this case breeds impossibilities.” He glanced at my shoulder. “How is it?”
I moved my arm experimentally and grimaced “Sore. I’m taking antibiotics.”
He looked at me with sympathy . “You should be in bed, but I understand your enthusiasm.” He looked down at the dead girl and sighed . “Catch this bast ard Detective .”
“That’s my job, Doc.” I turned to leave. “Gotta go.”
“By the way.”
I turned back.
“That ammonia – turns out it’s a form of urine.”
“Urine?” I repeated in disbelief. “ I ’ve smelled urine of every type in my job from fresh to several months old. It stank but not like this .”
“Animal urine, more specifically it’s very similar to that excreted by vampire bats of South America. Their diet consists mainly of animal blood.”
I stared at him a moment as his words sank in . “ Are you saying that this guy has vampire bats for pets ?”
He said nothing.
I slowly realized what he was suggesting. I shook my head vehemently. “No way, Doc. No way will I believe this guy is drinking blood and pissing ammonia. That’s …that’s not even human.”
“Someone who savages women like this is not human , ” he reminded me pointedly.
While we faced off, him suggesting the impossible and me denying the im probable, the tele phone rang. He picked it up and spoke briefly into the receiver . When he looked at me and nodded, I knew it was bad news. He replaced the receiver slowly.
“ You’ve got another missing girl . It appears your man was busy again last night.”
4
As Lew drove, I hung my head, feeling the weight of the last twenty-four hours pulling me inexorably like gravity to the ground. We had f our victims and the only clue s as to the murderer made little or no sense . Nothing about the case made sense to me. A rookie could have made as much progress as I had . Bodies were piling up and all I could do was keep count.
My luck continued in its normal vein. As we pulled up in front of the posh apartment building of our latest victim, the press buzz ed around us like flies on a three-day old corpse. I shoved my way through a milling mob of reporters and flashing cameras with little regard to their feelings or comfort. I was in no mood for reporters. Several black and white patrol cars were on the scene blocking the street. I waved some uniforms over to shove back the throng of curious onlookers and construct a barrier with ribbons of ubiquitous bright yellow crime tape, forcing the crowd and especially the press to the sidewalk across the street. Otherwise, I figured the slimy bastards would be picking up pieces of vital evidence to display like trophies on their evening news broadcasts.
I lamented the passing of the true reporters, the
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