stay at the Embassy Suites. Understand they have a helluva Jacuzzi.”
The jibe fell flat, and Rae got the full impact of Kunati’s thinking, that she’d come on a lark, so why not have a lark while here, all at taxpayer expense. “I’ll do that, Detective!” she shouted as the door slammed to. Now she sat in the rear seat with Orvison again acting as chauffeur. It made her feel foolish as they pulled away from the curb and the crowd, some snapping photos.
She at first had the thought ‘small town paparazzi’ until she saw the camera crews with the clear markings of CNN, Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC and others. This small town series of killings had gone national, due most likely to the sensational nature of the killer’s brutality and the weapon of choice along with the idea of his being a sleepwalking monster. A knifing, murder by gunshot wound, strangulation, poisoning, domestic dispute turned murder, none of these horrendous acts were quite enough nowadays for a public that insatiably fed on graphic violence. But this Hammerhead guy, now this was something network news could run with.
“Maybe I shoulda hid you out at the Brass Monkey,” Orvison commented to the rearview, watching for her reaction. When he saw her features scrunch up like one big question mark, he added, “It’s a bed and breakfast downtown. A good deal more private than the Embassy.”
“I’m sure I can manage. I’ve dealt with the press before.”
“I just mean…well at the Embassy, they can take your picture right through the elevator door.”
“Really?”
“While you’re ascending or descending.” “Really?”
“It’s entirely glass.”
“So…ahhh throw no stones?”
“I’d appreciate your not talking to the press if you can avoid it.”
“I’ll tiptoe around them as much as possible,” Rae promised.
“That’s all I ask.”
The city of Charleston had two major centers in its downtown, the capitol complex with its recently refurbished and polished golden dome overlooking a number of crumbling at the foundations buildings, a water fountain, and several statues erected to war veterans and coal miners—and secondly, the major shopping district where the Town Center Mall acted as a fulcrum to orbiting major hotel chains such as the Marriot, the Embassy Suites, the Ramada Inn, and others along with a huge civic center. This was also restaurant row, and it teemed with more people than Rae’d thought to see in one place here.
A number of tall buildings graced the downtown area as well, buildings topped by giant metal letters reading CHASE, BB&T, BRICKSTREET, and others, primarily banks and insurance firms, below which squatted small coffee shops, sandwich shops, bookstores, a walkabout park, and jewelry establishments up one street and down the other in quaint colors. A number of downtown buildings, such as the library and the defunct Pioneer Hotel, looked to be standing since the turn of the century,. A movie theater that’d become a stage for the local university and the local Subway Sandwich shop flanked this area on each side. There were no rail subways here, only the occasional bus.
Finally, they’d reached their destination, the Embassy Suites downtown. Rae leapt from the rear seat and as soon as the trunk was popped, she pulled her bag from the cruiser before Orvison could get around the car. He’d opened the lid from inside. A gangly bellhop stood statuesquely by, smoking a cigarette, indicating with its burning embers that he was on break and unassailable. For this reason, Orvison insisted on taking her suitcase in through the doors where a second bellhop took charge of it. By now it was nearing 6PM.
“We’ll pick things up tomorrow where we left off,” suggested Orvison.
“I’d like to meet and talk with the last victim’s daughter.”
“Can be arranged.” “And your medical examiner, get a firsthand assessment of the crimes from
The jibe fell flat, and Rae got the full impact of Kunati’s thinking, that she’d come on a lark, so why not have a lark while here, all at taxpayer expense. “I’ll do that, Detective!” she shouted as the door slammed to. Now she sat in the rear seat with Orvison again acting as chauffeur. It made her feel foolish as they pulled away from the curb and the crowd, some snapping photos.
She at first had the thought ‘small town paparazzi’ until she saw the camera crews with the clear markings of CNN, Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC and others. This small town series of killings had gone national, due most likely to the sensational nature of the killer’s brutality and the weapon of choice along with the idea of his being a sleepwalking monster. A knifing, murder by gunshot wound, strangulation, poisoning, domestic dispute turned murder, none of these horrendous acts were quite enough nowadays for a public that insatiably fed on graphic violence. But this Hammerhead guy, now this was something network news could run with.
“Maybe I shoulda hid you out at the Brass Monkey,” Orvison commented to the rearview, watching for her reaction. When he saw her features scrunch up like one big question mark, he added, “It’s a bed and breakfast downtown. A good deal more private than the Embassy.”
“I’m sure I can manage. I’ve dealt with the press before.”
“I just mean…well at the Embassy, they can take your picture right through the elevator door.”
“Really?”
“While you’re ascending or descending.” “Really?”
“It’s entirely glass.”
“So…ahhh throw no stones?”
“I’d appreciate your not talking to the press if you can avoid it.”
“I’ll tiptoe around them as much as possible,” Rae promised.
“That’s all I ask.”
The city of Charleston had two major centers in its downtown, the capitol complex with its recently refurbished and polished golden dome overlooking a number of crumbling at the foundations buildings, a water fountain, and several statues erected to war veterans and coal miners—and secondly, the major shopping district where the Town Center Mall acted as a fulcrum to orbiting major hotel chains such as the Marriot, the Embassy Suites, the Ramada Inn, and others along with a huge civic center. This was also restaurant row, and it teemed with more people than Rae’d thought to see in one place here.
A number of tall buildings graced the downtown area as well, buildings topped by giant metal letters reading CHASE, BB&T, BRICKSTREET, and others, primarily banks and insurance firms, below which squatted small coffee shops, sandwich shops, bookstores, a walkabout park, and jewelry establishments up one street and down the other in quaint colors. A number of downtown buildings, such as the library and the defunct Pioneer Hotel, looked to be standing since the turn of the century,. A movie theater that’d become a stage for the local university and the local Subway Sandwich shop flanked this area on each side. There were no rail subways here, only the occasional bus.
Finally, they’d reached their destination, the Embassy Suites downtown. Rae leapt from the rear seat and as soon as the trunk was popped, she pulled her bag from the cruiser before Orvison could get around the car. He’d opened the lid from inside. A gangly bellhop stood statuesquely by, smoking a cigarette, indicating with its burning embers that he was on break and unassailable. For this reason, Orvison insisted on taking her suitcase in through the doors where a second bellhop took charge of it. By now it was nearing 6PM.
“We’ll pick things up tomorrow where we left off,” suggested Orvison.
“I’d like to meet and talk with the last victim’s daughter.”
“Can be arranged.” “And your medical examiner, get a firsthand assessment of the crimes from
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