Inspector Rames

Chapter 50

Cosmic Pharmacy was stationed at the far end of Flicker Street, marked by a neon cross on the ground floor of a brownstone building. Automatic doors rose as we approached them, and we walked straight into a little room packed with boxes of pills. The windows were so grimy that it was dark as night, and the only artificial lights to guide us were the signs above the shelves.

Five feet in front of us, Petr Fitzroy was standing behind a steel counter. As soon as his gaze landed on us, he turned and ran.

"Shit!" I vaulted over the counter and sprinted after him. "Riannon must have told him that we've got Nora!"

Which meant he was going back to their flat to destroy her work.

We burst through a store cupboard in the back and out the rear door, following Petr down an alley and back onto Flicker Street. The air was turning muggy, and sweat pooled across my skin. Still, I pushed myself harder, until I was running fast enough to stay at Alex's side.

But Petr had gained a good head start, and he reached his block before us. He dashed inside. When we entered the lobby, he was standing in the lift. The bloody thing was obviously working again because the doors slammed shut, and he went up.

"Stairs!" I said. It was all I had the breath for.

We took the stairs two at a time, thundering up like a million insane robots. As we reached the final step, my tired feet caught each other, and I pitched towards the floor. Alex grabbed me by the arm and practically dragged me into the hallway.

Petr was standing outside his front door. It had just finished scanning his face, and he glanced towards us as it swung open.

I drew my weapon. "Don't move!"

Petr slowly raised his hands in the air.

When we reached him, Alex patted him down. Petr ground his jaw, his gaze stormy. But he said nothing.

Alex stepped back, and I nodded at the doorway. "Keep your hands in the air and walk us inside."

Petr turned around and entered the flat. We followed.

"Kitchen," I said.

The three of us entered the kitchen. The island unit in the middle was still littered with paper and tablets, and the leaning tower of washing-up in the sink had hardly diminished.

I kept my gun trained on Petr. "I assume you know that we've arrested Nora for the murders."

"Yes." His voice had a cutting edge.

"Given your flight from the pharmacy, I also assume that you are aware your wife has been creating medicinal drugs illegally."

"Yes."

"Did you fake her alibi for Sunday evening? Did she kill Lonn Temple and Frankie Jarsdel?"

He ground his jaw and said nothing.

Alex had also drawn his pistol, but he hadn't raised it yet. "Where's her work?"

Petr shifted, and his gaze slid away. "Gone."

My eyes followed his to the washing up. Now that I was looking closely, I didn't think it had diminished at all. There were still wine glasses, plates, a greasy butter knife, a glass beaker, a tower of colourful mugs, and a mixing bowl.

I blinked. Let my eyes trail back up the pile. A glass beaker?

"She's been experimenting," I said. "She's put something in the beaker that she wants to wash out."

Petr swallowed hard.

"We'll only ask you one more time. Where's her work?"

He stared down the barrel of my gun, sweat beading on his forehead. Then he edged past Alex and into the hallway.