Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #4: Books 13-16 (A Dead Cold Box Set) by Blake Banner (best ereader for academics .txt) 📕

“I wouldn’t be stupid enough to use someone I had prosecuted, Stone. He was a friend of Am’s, from the shooting range.”

I smiled. “Better and better.”

We took a walk to the coffee machine and got two paper cups of nasty black liquid. She leaned against the wall and we stared at each other for a bit. Finally she shook her head.

“Whichever way I look at it, it’s bullshit, Stone.”

“I think what he said about Agnes is true. It makes sense of a lot of things we didn’t understand. It is also very interesting.”

She shrugged. “It doesn’t change anything.”

I nodded a few times. “Maybe. Whatever Yeltsin tells us will be key.”

We went in. His wrists had been manacled to the table. He was six foot, but strongly built, lean and muscular. His face was alert and his expression predatory. He didn’t look worried, just slightly mad. His right hand was bandaged and two of the fingers were in splints.

We sat. I said, “You’ve been read your rights. Do you want an attorney present, or are you willing to talk to us?”

“I want deal. You give me deal, I don’t need lawyer. You don’t give me deal, you can fuck off.”

“What kind of deal?”

“I tell you everything. I give you DA. I walk.”

I laughed, not a lot, but enough to let him know I thought he was ridiculous. “You tried to assassinate me and my wife last night. You think I’m going to let you walk?”

He nodded. “Yuh.”

“Not going to happen, Peter. You’re wanted in California, Arizona and Texas, and here you are charged with conspiracy to murder two officers of the law. You are doing time. We can talk about how much time, but you are doing time.”

He muttered something in Russian. His eyes were very pale and looked amused. “He tell me not hurt you. He say, ‘oh! You are good people! Friend! No hurt them. Just scare a little.’” He sneered and said something that sounded like, “Mudack! There is no conspiracy to kill police officers. Only scare. But I have other information. More interesting. About pussy boy Am. You want to know, we talk deal.”

“Yeah? You’d better give me more than that, Yeltsin. Right now I can nail you both just on forensic evidence.”

He grunted a laugh. “You can nail shit. My lawyer make you look like asshole in court. Your DA kills pussy boy Am. I can prove, conclusive, and more. He is fucking killer. Not just pussy boy, also professor at university, Dr. Robles, and other professor, Dr. Shine. He kill all of them. I can prove conclusive, but I need deal. No deal, no proof.”

Dehan leaned forward. “You are telling us that Assistant District Attorney Costas Varufakis murdered Dr. Jose Robles, Dr. Agnes Shine and Dr. Robles’ student, Americano Nielsen?”

“That is what I just tell you, sooka. I tell you nothing more until I have deal from DA.”

I sighed noisily, leaned back in my chair and laughed quietly. “I hear a lot of talk.” I looked up and held his eye. “I hear a lot of talk from a sissy who got his ass kicked last night by my wife.” I looked at Dehan and we both laughed. “But words are cheap. Especially the ones I am hearing right now. Anyone can make accusations, Yeltsin. Let me see some substance. Like I told you, on forensic evidence alone, you and Varufakis are going down. If you have something Earth shattering, let’s have a glimpse. Let me see some of it.”

He wasn’t drawn by the taunts. He glanced at Dehan a moment, then turned back to me. “I tell you where and how the DA drowns Am. I tell you why. I tell you how he is put him in the river. I tell you how he is kill Dr. Shine so no leave no sign off blood. I tell you where body is put in water. I tell you how he organize Dr. Robles’ death and I tell you why. I tell you everything you are need know, every detail. If I no give you every detail of all three murder, no deal for me. You can write it like that. I sign. But deal is, no charge. I tell you, I go free.”

I rubbed my chin and looked at Dehan. She gave a small nod. I said, “We need to discuss this with the DA.”

We left him in the room and made our way to the Deputy Inspector’s office. I knocked and he barked, “Come!”

When we pushed in, the DA was there with him. The inspector stood. “John, Carmen, you know Denise Davis, the District Attorney…”

We shook and muttered greetings, which I cut short and said, “I’m going to cut right to the chase. Yeltsin is offering us Varufakis on a plate. He says he can prove that Varufakis killed Dr. Robles, Dr. Shine and Am Nielsen. He claims he can tell us where Dr. Shine’s body was dumped in the river and he can prove it all.”

The DA frowned. “Do you believe him?”

I gave half a shrug. “In a sense, that’s irrelevant, ma’am. He’s willing to accept a deal that specifies that if he cannot provide satisfactory proof, there is no deal.”

The inspector pointed at a couple of chairs. “Sit down, detectives. Let’s take this a step at a time. First of all, in a nutshell, what is the theory right now? Because I confess this case has me confused!”

I gestured at Dehan. “Detective Dehan proposed the current theory, and it seems Yeltsin may be about to confirm it. Perhaps she had better outline it.”

“Sir, ma’am, this case is all about Dr. Jose Robles’ compulsive need for dominant, sadomasochistic relationships.”

Davis’ eyebrows shot up and she