Blood and Fire Read Free

but Ari paid little attention beyond first names and positions on the crew.
    Dyani, a dark-haired woman of Native American heritage, was an archeologist. Tom, crew photographer, a lanky young man with bulging arm muscles likely gained while handling heavy camera equipment; cavers—MaryAnn, plain and short, and Rico, dark and wiry; Cole, dark Hollywood glamor, the climber and assistant boat pilot. Cole explained his boat duties tended to be light as Jase had liked to handle the wheel. Platinum-haired Bev, whose baby-doll blue eyes were red from crying, kept the group’s written and recorded observations, and Sara, crisp white shirt and short black hair, was in charge of PR and everything else that need to be done—accommodations and equipment.
    “We’re filming an exploration,” Carmody said in answer to Ryan’s next question. “We docked yesterday morning and spent the day wandering around Olde Town, checking out all the picturesque shops. Jase was supposed to meet with us first thing this morning to talk about our schedule.” He spread his hands. “That’s it. That’s all I know. Jase kept the details to himself. I can’t even tell you the subject of our latest quest. Our TV sponsors would scream like banshees if I leaked the information before we were prepared to make the announcement.”
    “You’ll have to do better than that,” Ryan said. “We’re investigating a death. I think that trumps your TV contract. We need to know everything you know.”
    “Sorry, I can’t do that. Perhaps we should wait for our attorneys to arrive before we say anything else.” Carmody kept his tone smooth. “I called them before we left the boat. They’ll be here by the end of the day. Or tomorrow, at the latest.” He waved a careless hand. “We have to think about the business end of this.”
    Ari took a step forward. “Do you have something to hide?”
    Carmody’s head swung to look at her. “No, I don’t think so, but I don’t know exactly what you want. I have a huge investment riding on this venture. Besides, the lawyers have all the details.”
    “You don’t seem terribly broken up by your partner’s death,” she said. “In fact, no one seems sad, with the exception of Bev.”
    “Now wait a minute,” Cole, the climbing expert, interrupted. “We’re all sorry about Jase. He was the star of our show. Worldwide fans will miss him.”
    “Is that all he was to you? The star of the show? Doesn’t sound very warm and fuzzy.” Ari cut her eyes to Ryan, surprised he hadn’t intervened to stop her from antagonizing the crew. He seemed totally focused on them, studying their behavior.
    Carmody’s face creased in a crooked smile. “Jase was a hard man. He drove himself and his crew. Not a man to encourage sentimentality. And he’d be the last one to expect it. We’re all shocked by Jase’s sudden death. He had talent, and he pulled in huge ratings. But, right now, I’m concerned about where we go from here.”
    “Even if your partner was murdered?”
    Ignoring a couple gasps from the crew, Carmody focused on her face. “Jase was murdered? I thought it was a fall. Who the hell would kill Jase?”
    Ryan spoke up. “We’re trying to figure out exactly what happened, and I hope we’ll know more after the autopsy. While we’re waiting for those results, we’d appreciate your cooperation in giving us some background information. A quick resolution to this matter would be in everyone’s best interests.”
    “You’d keep any details out of the press? If somebody killed him, the press will be voracious.” Carmody scrubbed his face with both hands. “What a mess. Let us handle the media. Sara is good at the PR angle.”
    “I’d be happy to let you, but I can’t guarantee what my department will do.” Ryan glanced at Ari. She nodded, and his attention returned to Carmody. “They won’t hear anything from the two of us.”
    Ari watched Carmody’s face. Would news of the murder really be such a