Remember, this is business, he reminded himself.
“Did I catch you at an OK time?” he asked.
He heard Riley let out a sigh.
“I don’t think you could catch me at a bad time,” shesaid. “I’m not in the middle of anything, anyway. What have you got for me?”
“Maybe something, I’m not sure,” Bill said. “I’ve been poringover purchases of large freezing units in the Winneway area. Most of them looklegitimate enough—restaurants and supermarkets and the like. And most of thesales were years ago. But I found one that looked rather odd.”
“Tell me about it.”
Bill peered at the information he’d brought up on his computer.
He said, “Last year late in October a guy named Gabriel Ballardbought a freezer chest—definitely a commercial unit, but it was delivered tohis private residence, not some food-related business.”
“The timing sounds right,” Riley said. “He could have bought thechest in preparation for the murder.”
“That’s what I figured,” Bill said. “I did a quick check on hisname. He’s done short time for assault and battery but that was some yearsback.”
“Do you have an address for him?” Riley asked.
“Yeah. It’s there in the Winneway area—345 Magnolia Road.”
Riley said, “Sounds like my new partner and I ought to pay him avisit.”
“How are things going with the kid?” Bill said.
“Don’t ask,” Riley grumbled.
“That bad, huh?”
“Well, let’s just say she’s a work in progress. She’s left mealone for a few minutes, which is a relief.”
Bill was pleased to hear that. It would be nice to talk to Rileyprivately, even if it was only about work.
Riley asked, “What about that other thing I asked you to lookinto? Some possible significance for the words ‘goat song’?”
“I think maybe I’ve found something on that too,” Bill said.
He brought up a new page on the screen. “The Greek word ‘tragedy’literally means ‘goat song.’”
“No kidding?” Riley said, sounding quite interested.
“Nope, no kidding,” Bill said. “Nobody seems to know exactly howthe word ‘tragedy’ originated. But this article says that the ancient roots ofdrama were in religious ritual, and also in choral song and dancing. Scholarsthink it’s possible that a goat was sacrificed as part of those rituals.”
“Hence the name ‘goat song,’” Riley said.
“Yeah. Do you think maybe our killer is aware of that connection?”
“What do you think?” Riley asked.
Bill thought for a moment, then said, “What was the wording inhis notes? Regarding the goat song, I mean.”
“Well, let’s see. In the first note, he wrote, ‘Now the Goatmanwill take his turn singing the goat song.’”
Bill scratched his chin. “Maybe he’s saying that the goat istired of being the sacrificial animal. It’s time for humans to becomethe sacrifice. It’s a case of ‘the worm turning,’ so to speak. The goat willhave his revenge.”
“That’s an interesting idea,” Riley said. “In his second note, hesays, ‘He will feast and sing again.’ It’s still a sacrifice, still a ritualwith song and dance. But the rules have changed.”
Bill nodded and said, “Of course, it’s just a theory at thispoint.”
“Yeah, but a pretty good one. It sure sounds like he could beplaying with that kind of idea.”
Bill asked, “So are you thinking that this killer actuallybelieves himself to be the legendary Goatman?”
“I’ve been wondering that myself,” Riley said. “I’m not sure. Forone thing, he keeps referring to the Goatman in the third person—as ‘he.’ Maybehe’s more of a worshipper or a disciple or something.”
She chuckled a little and added, “That is, if we’re not justletting our imaginations run away with us. For all we know, we’re concoctingthis whole ritual idea out of thin air. Maybe he’s just some sick, crazybastard who likes goats. Or who’s just messing with our heads. Have you gotanything else?”
Scrolling on the screen, Bill said, “Well, the Maryland ‘Goatman’story didn’t appear out of thin air. There’s a whole body of myths and legendsfrom all over the world about creatures who were half-man and half-goat goingback thousands of years—satyrs, for example. I couldn’t even scratch thesurface of all that kind of lore.”
“Well, you’ve found out a lot,” Riley said. “I appreciate it.Maybe you should call it a night, go home and get some sleep.”
“What about you?” Bill said.
“I’m not sure,” Riley said. “It’s kind of late, but I’m thinkingthat maybe my rookie partner and I might pay Gabriel Ballard a friendly visit,maybe ask what he’s doing with that big freezer of his.”
“You be careful,” Bill said.
“I will,” Riley said. “I always am.”
She fell silent for a moment.
No, Bill thought. You’re not always careful. That’s whyI should be there.
Then she said, “But I wish we were doing this together.”
Bill felt his throat catch a little.
“Yeah, me too,” he said. “Do you think this is a temporaryassignment or that Meredith wants to split us up for good?”
“I don’t know why he would.” Riley groaned, then asked, “What doyou think?”
“We’re a great team,” Bill replied. “Our record is outstanding.But it could be that he’s going to want both of us to help to break in newagents from now on.”
“I guess somebody’s got to do it,” Riley muttered. “But it neveroccurred to me that being good at our jobs might get us split up after allthese years. It’s a change I don’t even like to think about.”
“I know,” Bill said. “And that’s not all that’s changing.”
“Of course not,” she replied.
“You’ve always been my best friend, Riley. You’ve always meant theworld to me. But now …”
He paused, knowing that now he was no longer thinking aboutbusiness. But these were words he wanted to say, so he went on.
“But now you mean more than that to me. More than my job. Morethan the world.”
“I know. I feel the same way.”
A silence fell between them.
Bill thought, This is where one of us should say “I love you.”
Or maybe both of us.
It seemed odd, in a way, that neither of them had said thosewords aloud.
But isn’t it true?
As if wondering the same thing, Riley said, “We’ve still got alot to talk about, don’t we?”
Bill nodded. “We certainly do.”
“But face to face,” Riley said. “Not over the phone.”
“I agree,”
