Read Red Tide: The Flavel House Horror / Vampires of the Morgue (The Ian McDermott, Ph.D., Paranormal Investigator Series Book 2) for Free Online

drift.”
    Suddenly, Chief Mooney stood up and extended his right hand. Ian nearly jumped up out of his chair in response to the gracious gesture. Both men shook hands and smiled at each other.
    “I’m sure you can imagine we have to investigate murders now and again. Not too frequently, I’m glad to say. Mostly either domestic violence or a drug deal gone bad. A hooker gets done in, that sort of thing. Never any related string of murders like this. No serial killer types. Not here. Not ever before this anyway.”
    The chief looked Ian square in his eyes before continuing, “That said, I’m gonna do for you what I ain’t never done for no private investigator before.” Chief Mooney bowed his head just slightly for a second, then lifted it back up and stood tall. He looked Ian directly in the eyes. “I’ve been Chief of Police here in Astoria for over twelve years. Mostly all good ones … that is till lately. Ian, I’m gonna assign a liaison officer to assist you with limited – and I mean limited – access to the hard copy case files that we have regarding the strange and unusual deaths that we believe are murders, which have occurred over the last several weeks. I can’t have anyone seeing you messing around with our computers or looking over the shoulder of anyone using one, or even hanging around the place. The fact you’re here now is a little unsafe, so I intend to get you outta here fairly pronto. Now, most of the more gruesome details of the cases we’ve managed to keep out of the papers up till now. I expect that you will do me the courtesy of not speaking to any press person about any of this. And you will report anything that you might dig up directly to the liaison officer, who will then report directly to me. No one else. Understand? Have I made myself perfectly clear on this?”
    Ian nodded and replied, “You bet. Perfectly! I understand.” He paused for a second, then cleared his throat. Ian didn’t know if what he was going to say next was going to be a huge mistake or not, but since the chief was being so openly cooperative, he too wanted all cards on the table.
    “Um, Chief Mooney … one thing.”
    “Yeah, what’s that?” the chief replied with a slight frown on his face.
    “I … uh … I mean … I of course do private investigation, but I’m not actually officially licensed as such.”
    “Mister McDermott. Can I call you Ian?” Chief Mooney said, smiling.
    “Certainly.” Ian replied.
    Chief Mooney continued, “I thought you were gonna start talking money. I don’t give gull-squat about anyone who waves a private investigator’s license around. Anyone can get one of them online for a couple hundred bucks or less. After I got that call from Sheriff Redtail, we did a little checking on you ourselves. You’re the guy who found that fish everyone thought was extinct, right?” Ian nodded, though he wasn’t sure where the chief was going with that little tidbit from his past. Ian was also growing very nervous regarding how he was going to demand, or rather ask, to be paid for his services. The chief was a large, intimidating man.
    “Well, the way I see it, Ian, you know how to dig around to find clues. Ones that others might have overlooked. Maybe my department as well. I’m sure you got questions about what all’s been going on, especially regarding that group of whackos who’ve set up camp in my town. I tell ya, Ian, that guy Salizzar … if he and his attorneys keep spreading money around as thick and deep as they’ve been, I’m afraid he’s gonna have the mayor, and the entire city council for that matter, turning a blind eye on that shithole of his and the human refuse that’s coming to our town because of it. I’m gonna get you hooked up with an officer I’ve got in mind who can help steer you on track. One that you can report any findings to. He’s second in charge around here. You can ask him all the questions you got and are gonna have. I’ll let him know if