For the first time that morning, Page paused before he responded. This was an all-business side of me he hadn't seen. Not that I'm big on throwing my weight around, butfight now I had to use it. There was no way I could do a proper job in the middle of allthis chaos and confusion. “Oh, and one other thing you should tell whoever's incharge,” I said.
Page turned back. “Yeah?”
“Tell them as long as I'm here, I'm in charge.”
Mary, Mary
Chapter 1 4
I COULD STILL HEAR Director Burns's voice in my head. I want to hear your take onwhat happened. . . . We'll have you back with your family for dinner.
But would I want to eat after this?
With two dead bodies still inside, the limousine wasabsolutely fetid. One of the best tricks I'd learned was togut it out for about three minutes, until the olfactory nerves were numb. Then I would befine. I just had to get through those three minutes that told me I was back in the homicidebusiness.
I focused, and took in the grisly details one by one.
First came a shocker that I wasn't ready for, even though Ipartly knew it was coming.
Antonia Schifman's face was almost completely unrecognizable. A portion of the leftside was gone altogetherwhere she had been shot, probably at close range. What flesh remained - mostly theright eye, cheek, and her mouth - had been slashed several times. The killer, MarySmith, had been in a frenzy - but only against Antonia Schifman, not the driver, or so itseemed.
The actress's clothing appeared to be intact. No indication of any kind of sexual assault.
And no sign of blood froth from the nostrils or mouth, which meant she'd died andstopped breathing almost immediately Who would make this kind of violent attack? WhyAntonia Schifman? She'd seemed like a nice person, got good press. And everybodyliked her, according to, well, everybody. So what could explain this massacre? Thisdesecration at her home?