The Serpent's Kiss

68

It was on the top floor of the parking garage a block from the Greektown Casino. The vehicle was a green and tan Subaru Outback. It was parked behind a pillar, in shadow.

Derek and Jill pushed their way through the onlookers, flashing their identification, ignoring the shouts of the media until they were standing next to Matt Gray and Agent Zoelig. Zoelig, still in his biological hazards suit, wet from being washed off, looked at Derek. “Puts a different spin on things, doesn’t it?”

Derek peered into the vehicle. Behind the wheel of the Outback was a man he recognized as William Harrington. His face was pulled back in a rictus of horror, clearly dead. In the rear of the Outback were what appeared to be several gray metal canisters, almost the size of scuba tanks. Derek studied them through the window. “Those look like the canisters you mix soda in,” he said.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Gray said. “I don’t want you anywhere around here, Stillwater. This is an FBI operation. You’re not FBI. Get lost. Go. I’m telling everybody concerned to keep you away.”

Gray turned on Jill. “And you’ve been suspended. Get out of here.”

In a mild, friendly voice, Derek said, “Kiss my ass, Gray.”

Gray’s face turned plum. “You—”

Zoelig interrupted. “In restaurants, in vending machines for pop, the syrup comes in one canister and gets mixed with the carbonated water in the other. Haven’t you ever had your Coke taste bad because the mix was off?”

“I’m dealing with a problem here, Zoelig!”

“Yeah,” Zoelig said. “I see that. Try focusing on the real problem. A car filled with sarin gas. Derek’s an irritation, not a problem.”

“You’re saying—”

”Looks like something sprung a leak in the car,” Derek said.

Gray glared at him. “And what?”

Derek ignored him, moving back to study William Harrington. Definitely dead.

Zoelig said, “There’s a dolly cart in there, too. The canisters are probably filled with sarin. He probably had plans to waltz into the restaurant, replace the containers — hell, even just put them in the storage area — and leave. Maybe there’s a timer on them. Only when he got here, maybe there was a bump or a regulator busted, but whatever happened, this guy, The Serpent, died from it. We’ll check it out-Andy’s getting our stuff.” He gestured toward the body in the car. “He’s our boy, isn’t he, Derek?”

Derek nodded.

Gray spun on him. “Out! You, out of here.” He turned to Jill. “And you’ve had your orders. Try following them for a change.”

Zoelig said, “Derek stays.”

Gray whirled on him. “What are you… you don’t have the authority to countermand my orders!”

Zoelig smiled lopsidedly. “Actually, I do. The only person here who knows more about this shit than me is him. And I’m in charge of hazardous materials removal and examination. If Derek wants to stay and supervise, that’s up to him.”

Derek shook his head. “You’re fine. I’ll be in touch.” With a nod to Gray, he shuffled away. Jill, eyebrows arched, followed him in silence.