Page 23 (1/2)

"What’s happened?" Was he calling because Guy had told hi?

"Oh, God," Pete said

David felt a quickening of dread; he’d made sure that the

"What’s happened?"

"I’m down off Front Street at the new oddities museum," Pete said

Thank God, a differentterrible had happened, and he had a feeling that it didn’t matter much where the body had been discovered, just that one had been

"I foundstripper," Pete said "And God knows, ain,to unofficially let you in on this Come on down, and I’ll do what I can"

David was frankly surprised that he was permitted to pass by the yellow tape with Liaood crowd on the sidewalk as they h the outer doors to the tourist attractions People hispering, pointing, speculating

The museum was a medium-size place, much as the Beckett faone One-storied, it occupied an old warehouse building that was just about ten thousand feet square It was called the Eccentricities Museuh na the doorway

See Carl Tanzler and his Elena! Get to know Robert the Doll! Become a member of the Conch Republic-yes, it was real, for just a few hours Find out about the secession! Meet Saas and learn what it was like when yellow fever struck

Just as in most otherwo as she did so She had been the cashier, he realized There weren’t tours here-visitors walked through at their own pace, he saw

Lia quickly, and David followed at the saway-in death, the man was everywhere

Pete was already at the cri with the ME, who had already been working on the corpse

The exhibit displayed Elena in wedding goith Carl Tanzler standing by her side A plaque announced that they were Tanzler and his bride-he had married her in a private ceremony officiated by himself, in his airplane on the beach One day, he had believed, he and his bride would sail away to the heavens in his airplane

David’s muscles seemed to knot and contort; no irl had dark hair Long, dark, slightly kinky hair

There was a photographer on hand, but Pete seeles Come on, you should have a couple dozen shots by now"

David shot wildlife Nature He wasn’t experienced with criraphy Luckily, there had been a few classes at college on the techniques But they weren’t ital caet a few snaps

The woman’s eyes were open wide She stared in distorted horror into the air

Déjà vu

Pete, the ME and the police photographer-whoon vacation-stepped back

Flash, flash, flash, flash, flash The bruises on her neck Flash, flash, flash…the way her body was situated on the bed Flash, flash, flash, her eyes, her eyes, her eyes, just like Tanya’s

"This one has been dead for twenty-four hours," the ME told Pete, pointing his gloved hands at the body "She was held somewhere else while lividity set in…note the blood and the coloration on her aro and interview the first group through here today, the ones who found her" He gave directions to other officers and techs, staring at the body and shaking his head "Hell I wanted to throw her in jail for a night or two, but this…"

"She was strangled?" David asked the ME It seeranted

The man looked up at him curiously "Same as before"

Flash, flash, flash A sheet had been pulled up, but it seemed to have been done hastily She wasn’t pretty, as Pete had said In life, she’d had a hard look about her, David thought There was none of the innocence and youth that had , even as a corpse in a tableau The woman wasn’t unattractive; she just wasn’t beautiful Nor had she been laid out with care There was so discordant with the last

And the last he could remember as if it had been yesterday

Pete looked over at him "This one isn’t as pretty, maybe it’s a copycat Or ht Soenda And…"

Pete’s voice failed David knehat he meant to say

And look who is back on the island after ten years?

It was Pete Because of Pete, he could be here, he was sure Pete’s superiors would see that he was ejected fro to take in every detail that he could Bruises rounded her throat The petechia in her eyes was pronounced She wore lipstick, but it was sed Her blouse had been buttoned out of whack