Murphy cleared his throat. “The first attack was in 1911. The last one was in 1919. Officially, he was never caught.”

Donovan waved a hand at him like he was swatting a fly. “Get out of here. Even if that story is true-which I highly doubt-it’s ancient fucking history.”

“I need a task force to catch this guy,” Murphy said.

Donovan jabbed a finger in Murphy’s face. “Do you think me or anybody else in this police department gives a rat’s ass what you need? There is no serial killer, Murphy. There’s just a bunch of whack jobs, or psycho johns, or some other sick fucks. These girls were whores, for Christsakes. It’s a dangerous occupation. Mostly they get fucked, but sometimes they get killed. It’s been happening since the first whore sold the first piece of pussy.”

Donovan pointed to the door. “Now get out of my office and go solve some of these goddamn cases before I transfer your ass out of here and get myself a real detective.”

“Thanks for backing me up, partner,” Murphy said.

He and Gaudet were holding down a couple of stools at the Star amp; Crescent on Tulane Avenue, across from the courthouse.

Officially, the widow of a slain police officer owned the Star amp; Crescent, but two brothers, an NOPD armed-robbery detective and a U.S. Customs agent, were the real owners. The bar was popular with cops, assistant DAs, defense attorneys, and judges.

Gaudet shook his head. “Just because Donovan’s all over your white ass doesn’t mean I want him all over my black one.”

“Don’t try to play the race card with me, you mulatto motherfucker,” Murphy said. “You’re only half black.”

“Then I don’t want the captain on either side of my ass,” Gaudet said. “The black one or the white one.” He took a long pull from his Budweiser. “If you keep messing with Donovan, he will do just what he said, and that is transfer your pasty white Irish ass out to the Seventh District with Danny Scanlan, and the two of you can spend your nights doing what Scanlan has been doing for two years-pushing a squad car around and shooting at hogs and alligators and shit.”