Apprentice in Death Read Free Page A

parents got banged around some, too. Right?”
    â€œThey didn’t have time to break their own fall,” Lansing explained. “The father’s got a mild concussion, the mother’s a sprained wrist. They’ll be all right. The boy, too, but he got the worst of it. Security had a first aid kit. I gave him a little something for the pain. The MTs werehere inside of two minutes. You have to give them credit. I went to help Matt. And we had to try on the last one. But like Matt said, he was gone. Gone before he hit the ice.”
    â€œNothing to do but perform some basic first aid on people who’d taken falls or cut themselves on blades—skates,” Matt added. He scrubbed a hand over his scruffy gray beard. “It wasn’t until they put us in here that it came back to me. You’ve got to put it away when you’re working.”
    â€œPut what away?”
    â€œThe fear. The fear you could take a strike in the back of the head any second. Whoever shot those people? They’ve got skills. It came from the east. The strikes.”
    â€œHow can you know that?”
    â€œI saw the third hit. Saw the angle, the way the guy was turned. From the east.” His eyes narrowed on Eve’s. “You already knew that.”
    â€œI reviewed the security discs. We’ll reconstruct, but at this point I agree with you.”
    â€œHis wife’s in the office over there, with your partner. Her parents just got here.” Brolin heaved out a breath. “This is why I went to veterinary school when I got out of the Army. Dogs and cats? Easier to handle than people.”
    â€œYou handled people just fine. Both of you. I want to thank you for what you did here today. We have your contact information if we need to talk to you again. You can reach me at Cop Central if you need to talk to me. Lieutenant Dallas.”
    â€œWe can go?” Lansing asked.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œHow about that beer?”
    Brolin managed a weak smile. “How about a couple of them?”
    â€œFirst round’s on me.” Lansing pushed to his feet. “People come here to enjoy the park, to take their kids for a little adventure. Or like that girl, for the joy. She was a pleasure to watch. And now . . .”
    He broke off, shook his head. “Yeah, first round’s on me.”
    As they went out, a man and a woman with security badges on lanyards stepped in.
    â€œLieutenant Dallas. I’m Carly Deen, rink security, and this is Paul Spicher. Is there anything else we can do. Anything?”
    â€œWho’s head of security?”
    â€œThat would be me.” Carly, no more than five-two and a hundred pounds, lifted her shoulders. “People assume it’s Paul. He’s the muscle.” She said it as a joke, struggling to smile.
    â€œOkay. We’re going to have to keep you closed down until further notice.”
    â€œWe’ve already taken care of that. The media’s bombarding the main ’link, but we’ve put it on record—just your standard ‘The rink’s closed.’ One of them managed to get my personal number, but I’ve blocked it.”
    â€œKeep doing that. I need you to keep off the ice. You and any of your staff, until that’s cleared. Crime Scene techs will come in shortly. Did you know any of the victims?”
    â€œEllissa. Ellissa Wyman. She’s here almost daily during the season. She was going to try out for this skating troupe.” Carly lifted her hands, dropped them. “She was nice. Friendly. She’d bring her kid sister sometimes.”
    â€œI knew Mr. Michaelson, a little,” Paul added.
    Second vic, Eve thought. Brent Michaelson—doctor—age sixty-three, divorced, one offspring.
    â€œFrom here?”
    â€œHe liked to skate, would take an afternoon. Every other Tuesday. Nothing fancy, nothing like Ellissa, but he was a regular. Once in a while he’d bring his