Josh Lanyon - The Mermaid Murders

Special Agent Jason West is seconded from theFBI Art Crime Team to temporarily partner with disgraced, legendarymanhunter Sam Kennedy when it appears Kennedys most famous case,the capture and conviction of a serial killer known as theHuntsman, may actually have been a disastrous failure.

The Huntsman is still out thereand thekilling has begun again.

THE MERMAID MURDERS (Art of Murder BookI)

March 2016

Copyright (c) 2016 by Josh Lanyon

Cover by K.B. Smith

Edited by Keren Reed

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, or by any information storageand retrieval system, without written permission from JustJoshinPublishing, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-937909-82-6

Published in the United States of America

JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.

3053 Rancho Vista Blvd.

Suite 116

Palmdale, CA 93551

www.joshlanyon.com

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance topersons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

To Jenna Bennett

Tableof Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Mermaid Murders

(The Art of Murder Book I)

Josh Lanyon

Chapter One

From out their grottos at evenings beam,

the mermaids swim with locks agleam.

Walter de la Mare, Mermaid

Summer heat shimmered off the blacktop.

In that shivery, humid light, the big, blondman casually leaning against the silver government-issue sedanandchecking his watchlooked a little like a mirage. No such luck.Senior Special Agent Sam Kennedy was not a trick of the light.

Kennedy looked up, spotted Jason, andgrimaced. Maybe it was supposed to be a smile. Probably not, givenKennedys reputation.

Special Agent West, Kennedy said. His voicewas deep, and he spoke with a suggestion of a drawl. I thoughtmaybe you stopped off to see if you could solve the Gardner Museumheist on your way over here.

Funny guy, Kennedy. Special Agent in ChargeCarl Manning had already warned Jason that Kennedy was not thrilledto be partnered again, let alone partnered with an agent secondedfrom the Art Crime Team. Thats what happened when you screwed upyour last high-profile investigation to such an extent the governorof Wisconsin denounced you on the nightly news. An agent with lessseniority would have been on the beach for the foreseeablefuture, but Kennedy was a legend in the Bureau. One of the greatmanhunters. His career would survive, but he was under a cloud,no question. His kind of success earned enemiesand not just fromthe usual suspects. A successful career wasnt just about closingcasesand Kennedy didnt strike Jason as the tactful type.

Nice to meet you too, Jason said, reachingthe car. Kennedy did not offer his hand, so Jason shoved his own inhis pocket. Just to be clear, Im supposed to be on vacation. Infact, I busted my ass to get here. I was in Boston about to catch aflight home to L.A.

Duly noted. Kennedy turned away, goingaround to the drivers side of the gleaming sedan. You can throwyour bag in the trunk. He reached in and popped the trunkhood.

Jason opened the trunk and slung his brownleather carryall next to Kennedys black Tumi. That was someserious luggage. The luggage of someone who lived out of hissuitcase. Primetime TV notwithstanding, it was rare for agents inthe Behavioral Analysis Units to leave Quantico and travel aroundthe country, but Kennedy was the exception that proved therule.

We need to hit the road. That girls beenmissing over eight hours already. Kennedy threw that comment overhis shoulder, before sliding in behind the wheel.

Jason started to answer but restrainedhimself. SAC Manning had clued him in to a few facts about hisnewtemporarypartner. And, ostensibly, this urgency to get to thecrime scene out in rural Kingsfield was all part of what madeKennedy so good at his jobnot to mention the reason they weremeeting in a diner parking lot instead of the division office atOne Center Plaza.

He slammed shut the trunk, walked around tothe passenger side, and climbed in. The car was still cool withair-conditioning, so Kennedy hadnt been waiting long.

Kennedy turned the key in the ignition. Morecold air blasted out along with news radio. So you know the area?Your family used to have a vacation home in Kingsfield?

Thats right.

How nice. Kennedys tone was more likeWhy am I not surprised? He wore too much aftershave. Thefragrance as aggressive as everything else about him. Top notesandalwood, bottom note obnoxious.

I guess so.

Kennedy threw him a sardonic look as theyexited the parking lot. Or at least the twist of his mouth wassardonic. The dark Oakleys he wore concealed his eyes. He looked tobe in his mid-forties. Not handsome, but he had the kind of faceyou didnt forget easily. Although Jason was going to try his bestthe minute this case was over.

Jason said, Clarify something for me. TheKingsfield Police Chief asked specifically for you because hethinks he might have a copycat killer on his hands?

Its too soon to say, but yeah. Thats theconcern, of course. No girl is going to go missing in WorcesterCounty ever again that people arent going to fear its some kindof copycat crime. Kennedy began to bring Jason up to date on thecase.

It was a swift and concise summation, butthen the facts were few. Rebecca Madigan, the teenage daughter ofwealthy local residents, had disappeared Friday night while hostinga party for friends. Rebeccas parents were out of town. Thehousekeeper had reported the girl missing. A search had beenorganized, but so far there was no sign of Rebecca.

There could be a lot of reasons a teenagegirl disappears, Jason pointed out.

Yep. But like I said, the folks of WorcesterCounty have long memories.

Yes. With good cause. Jason stared out thewindow at the slideshow of skyscrapers and historic buildings.Parks, playgroundsponds. The dazzle of bright sunlight on greenwater. The echo of a young girls laughter He removed hissunglasses, passed a hand across his eyes, and replaced theshades.

Worcester was an old city with a modernattitude. It was only about twenty-four miles from Kingsfield, notmuch more than a forty-five-minute drive, but it could have been adifferent planet.

He said, I remember the original case. Youwere behind the capture and conviction of Martin Pink.

I played a role. Kennedy was displayingunexpectedand unduemodesty. There was no question the KingsfieldKillings had stopped thanks to Kennedys efforts, which was nodoubt why the police chief had been so quick to call him in thistime. It was a little surprising the Bureau hadnt waited to seehow things developed in the Madigan case, but maybe this was asmuch about putting Kennedy on ice as finding a missing girl. Thatwas certainly the way it had sounded to Jason when SAC Manning hadasked him to cancel his vacation.

What kind of a party was it? Jasonasked.