Scanlon looked at him for a moment longer. "That's not surprising." To me he said, "OK, that's who the guy was. Now what was he?"
"He said he was a lawyer representing the porn industry – or what he insisted on calling 'adult entertainment'."
"What the fuck was he doing in Scranton?" Scanlon said. "I don't work Vice, but if there's a porn operation in the Wyoming Valley, nobody's ever said anything to me about it. I thought all that crap was based in Southern California."
"Most of it is," I said. "But there's a branch that's stayed below the radar until recently, and it seems to have a Scranton connection. That's what Milo Milo over there was concerned about."
"I'm not gonna stand here and pretend that makes sense, Stan," Scanlon said.
"I know it doesn't – yet," I said. "Any part of this happen in the bedroom, far as you can tell?"
"No, it looks clean."
I made a small gesture that took in the other people in the room. "Why don't we talk in there, and stay out of everybody's hair."
"I dunno," Scanlon said. "I mean, I like you, Stan – just not that way."
Fucking homicide guys aren't exactly known for their sensitivity. They'd probably make jokes during a guided tour of Auschwitz.
"Come on," I said, and headed toward the suite's bedroom. Scanlon and Karl followed me inside, and Karl closed the door.
"This is supposed to be a big secret, and the FBI wants it kept that way. I think I oughta tell you, but I'd rather those other guys in there not hear about it. OK?"
"Oh, damn," Scanlon said, deadpan. "And here I was planning to post it on my blog."
"Yeah, all right," I said. "Here's what's going on."
Karl and I took turns telling him all about the snuff films, but I didn't share my theory about Helter Skelter – not just yet.
"So, Mister Milo out there was in town trying to find the sick bastards who're making these snuff films," Scanlon said, "before they hurt the reputation of the porn industry. If you ask me, that's kind of like a Mafia family worrying about its public image, but OK."
"Even the Mafia does PR these days," Karl said.
"Whatever," Scanlon said. "So, who hit him?"
"The logical answer is – whoever's making the snuff films," I said. "Only problem with that is, Milo didn't know anything worth killing him over. Or if he did, the oily bastard didn't share it with me."
"Hard to imagine, isn't it?" Scanlon said.
"Maybe he shared it with Sharkey, instead," Karl said.
Scanlon looked at him quickly. "Sharkey's dead."
"Be nice to think so," I said. "But there's a rumor going around that he's back in town, and the pupils of Milo's eyes gave him away when I mentioned Sharkey's name."
"Sharkey," Scanlon said. "Jesus."
"The fact that Milo got hit must mean that he stumbled onto something useful, even if he didn't tell us about it," I said.
"Not necessarily," Karl said. "Maybe whoever's making these fucking snuff films is just real thorough, that's all. The Columbian drug lords operate the same way, I hear. The slightest threat to their operation appears, they don't worry about how important it is – they just wipe it out."
"That still doesn't explain why the killer, or killers, went to work on the ghouls and not Milo," Scanlon said.
"No, it doesn't," I said. "Maybe we don't have enough information to answer that yet."
"We don't have enough information to blow our fucking noses," Scanlon said.
"Fuckin' A," Karl said.
"Speaking of information, you'll send us a copy of the case file?"
"Yeah, sure. It'll help me fool myself that I'm actually accomplishing something on this case."
"I'll be sending you a file, too," I said. "We've got a murder that looked at first like a supernatural case, but now I'm not so sure."
"I can hardly wait," Scanlon said.
In the car, Karl said, "There's something about the way Milo was knifed that's been nagging at me."
"It's pretty unusual, all right," I said.
"That's not what I mean – it reminds me of something I heard about once, but I can't remember the details."
"Stop thinking about it, you'll drive yourself nuts," I said. "Your subconscious will come up with the answer when it's good and ready."
"Hope it's ready before Helter Skelter gets here."
"Well, with any luck – what did you say?"
Karl was looking at me strangely. "I said, 'I hope I remember before–'"
"Helter Skelter. Damn!"
"You can start making sense any time now, Stan."
"That's why the killer back there mutilated the two ghouls, but not Milo. He was going for a twofer."
"Stan–"
"He cut up the ghouls because, once word got out, it would piss off the supe community. And somebody's been working pretty damn hard lately to rile up the supe community – and the humans, too, if that fake vampire kill we saw tonight is any indication."
"Wait – I thought Milo was killed by the snuff film people," Karl said.
"He was – because they're the same people."
Back at the squad, I asked Louise where the two Feebies were.
"No idea, Stan. They haven't been in all night."
"Did they leave you contact info?"
"No, nothing. I asked, but…" She made a "What can you do?" gesture.
"Yeah, I know," I said. "The pricks think they're too good for us – as usual. Where's McGuire? He's not in his office."
"Went home an hour ago. Says he's maybe got that twenty-four-hour bug that's going around."
"Great, just great. I guess I'll have to tell everybody about my brilliant deduction tomorrow night."