Their first stop was an animal shop, only a few blocks from Sara's apartment away. They weren't specialist in birds and weren't a big help either. The women decided to hit the bird places first and then the rest.
The third shop they went in to started promising.
Sara showed the clerk photos of Joston, White and Perry and he recognized the two men.
"Are they regular customer?"
"They came in once a week, bought quite a lot of food, had a few birds." The clerk was in his fifties, had thick glasses and his hair was gray.
"You sell also birds?"
"Yes, we've got one of the biggest selection in town."
"Do you have eagles?"
"It's illegal to sell eagles."
"We pretend we're not the police." Sofia said "And all you tell us now we can't remember as soon as we are back in our jobs. Do you have eagles?"
"No."
"Peacocks?"
"No."
"A black swan?"
"No. I've got budgies…"
"We are interested in big birds."
"The biggest one I've got is falcon. I can only sell them to a registered person." Right now the man wasn't helpful. If it was because he had no idea where to get the birds they were interested in or because he was lying, Sofia wasn't sure.
"Where do we get eagles, peacocks and black swans?"
"In the zoo, I'd guess."
"Called them, they have them but none is missing." Sara took a look at the books in a shelf.
"Where else?" Sofia wasn't willing to let go.
"I don't know."
"This is Vegas, you get everything with enough money. So let's imagine, I've got a lot of money, where would I go to get these birds? Where would you go if I send you with a lot of money to get me these birds?"
"Beside the fact that I wouldn't do that…I'd go out in the mountains, pay a park ranger to get an eagle I guess, it's more expensive when you want the eagle alive. Do you want them alive?"
"Doesn't matter." At least Sofia thought so. "All I care for is that the wings are in perfect conditions."
"Catch them alive. A peacock should be easiest. You'd get them on a farm. There's a farm a few miles out of Vegas that have quite a few."
"I need that address."
"Can look that up for you, detective. What was the third one?"
"A black swan."
"Some casinos have them, but white ones. Black ones are native in Australia, really beautiful animals. I've no idea where you would get one in Vegas. Don't say they are not here, but if they are, they are hold in private hands."
"I've got a lot of money."
"Contact a zoo, search the internet for national trader, specialist in exotic birds, call them, place an order and let them worry how to get one. Maybe they fly to wherever and organize one."
"You don't know any place in Vegas?"
"No."
"What do you think about flying, Mister Peters?" Sara asked.
"Me? As a person? I hate it! Can't get even close to a plane. Don't have wings so I'm not supposed to fly. Don't mess with the work of God."
"You don't dream of flying?"
"Nah, as I said, I prefer the earth. I love birds, love watching them fly but they are meant to fly. Everybody should stick to the place they belong to. Me it's the earth. I also have no fins, so I don't swim."
"A human can swim without any technical help."
"Yeah but if we were meant to do so, we'd have fins and gill to breathe under water. We're land animals."
Sara and Sofia looked at each other. This man seemed not to be one of the flying bird fans.
He looked up the address of the farm with the peacocks.
It wasn't really a great help but at least they had some answers and ideas. Park rangers for an eagle. Greg had to find out where the next place was you could see eagles.
After noon they were back in the department. Greg had worked on a list with eagles and park rangers.
"None of the clerks could help?"
"No, they had no idea where to get these birds, or at least they didn't tell us. There's peacock farm out of the city, I've checked their web page, let the employees run through the system. So far nothing."
"Doc Robins found out, there was bird blood in the system of the last victim?"
"What?"
"Yes, another step to become a bird, get bird blood in your system. It was not much, but it caused some troubles. How crazy do you have to be to mix your blood with bird blood?"
"Totally?" Sara shuddered. What an awful thought, having the blood of birds in your system.
"From the swan?"
"Yes."
"There were no traces in the other victims?"
"No, we checked it again."
"Do you think there's somebody out there with a lot of bird blood in their system?"
"Not alive."
"I wonder if they wanted to have the blood injected."
"They were crazy about birds, I can imagine, they wanted it."
"You have to be very crazy to want something like this."
"Yes."
"Like you with your secret love."
Greg smiled.
"Who is it?"
"Still not your business. Or are you jealous? Sorry Sara, you had your chance, you didn't take it now it's too late."
"That breaks my heart."
"Don't play with my feelings."
"Who, Greg?"
"I'll tell you one day, unfortunately today is Sunday and not one day."
"Bite me."
"I'd have done that – then."
"You are…"
"Sorry to interrupt you guys." Sofia came in the room. "I've got two names. Harry Regies, he works in the zoo. He's there right now, I called his supervisor. Sara, let's go."
"Why don't you take Greg with you?" She enjoyed the panic in the face of her friend.
"Ivetostayinthelab" Greg said as fast as possible.
Sofia managed to hide a smile. Under other circumstances she'd play with Greg, but not now. They had to go.
"Leave the mouse here, he might end up as a lunch for an eagle…or a panther. Let's go."
"Okay." She looked at Greg. "We're still not done here, Greggo."
"Bye Sara."
Sara grabbed her kit. "Who's number two?"
"Donald Lee Marvin, he works as a park ranger. I've got an address, but I don't think it's a house, anyway, it's the only thing I could get with his name. Brass is working on more."
"So we go and see the zoo guy first?"
"Yes. Maybe there'll be another guy, Brass was on two more. But first the zoo guy, he should be the one, who could get all three birds without a problem."
Sounds like you found the case breaker."
"Brass did."
"Right, he's higher in rank."
"Doesn't matter."
"Of course it does."
Will you shut up and drive?"
"Will you be a captain one day?"
"Yes and I'll arrest you. Annoyance."
"Sure you will." Sara set the indicator. "Do they have all these birds in the zoo?"
"Yes, they do. The guy I spoke to couldn't tell me if one was missing, it's Regies who takes care of them. If he doesn't report a bird missing it takes some time until anybody else notices."
"What a great system."
"His supervisor promised to check inconspicuously if a bird is missing. I hope he's not too obvious inconspicuous."
"Some people are, yes."
Sara stopped the car next to the entrance of the zoo. With Sofia's badge they could go inside without a problem. Rudy McHolster was already waiting for them.
"I count the birds." Was the first thing he said. "All are there." That was good for the zoo bad for Sara and Sofia. That made the guy less interesting as a suspect. Nevertheless, they'd talk to them. Maybe he could help them.
"Thanks Mr. McHolster, I'm Detective Curtis, that's Sara Sidle of the crime lab. Where can we find Mr. Regies?"
"In the cage with the eagles. Two of them."
"Which way?"
"Straight down and then left. There're signs. Shall I come with you?"
"No, we'll be fine. Thanks."
"When was the last time you were in a zoo?" Sofia asked when they walked down the path.
"A long time ago. I'm not sure if I like them or not. Animals don't belong in cages, they're often too small for them. On the other side some animals wouldn't exist anymore if they weren't be in a zoo."
"Yeah, we need more national parks to keep the animals in their environment." Sofia stopped in front of the cage of the eagles. A man was in there, sweeping. He was tall, had long black hair and was with his back t them.
"Harry Regies?" Sofia called out.
"Yeah?" He turned around.
"Detective Curtis, LVPD, we've got some questions for you."
The guy made no signs to run away, but where could he go? He was in a cage, a closed one.
"Ask."
"Mind to step out?"
"No." He took the broom and came out of the cage. "What can I do for the police?"
"We're interested in birds. Eagle, peacocks and black swans."
"We have them here."
"We know that."
"So?"
"So, tell us about them."
"What do you want to know? They're quite different."
"Where would you get them if not here?"
"You mean like at one place? Another zoo."
"And?"
"Nowhere else. Why would you have them at home? You can have a swan and a peacock on a farm, the eagle will take off."
"Are you in a community on the internet about birds?"
"Yes, I am."
"Do you know Max? Ikarus? Or Hermes?"
"Shit, yes. Haven't heard from any of them for a week. Wonder where they are. Why? How do you know them?"
"We found their dead bodies."
"What?" He looked in disbelieve at the two women.
"Yes."
"They are…are they….the three dead people, right. I didn't know their real names, so I made no connection. Shit. Who killed them?"
"We're trying to find that out."
"And why are you…shit, you think I?"
"It's an idea. At least you knew the all three."
"I knew their internet names, I had no idea who they were in reality."
"Easy to say but I believe for now." Sofia had not that feeling the man was lying. "Tell me more about the internet community."
"We're bird fans, love them. Max, Hermes and Ikarus were extreme, they were always talking about how great it would be to fly as well. Guess they were a little crazy about that."
"Who else was that crazy?"
"You must know the page, there're some weird people…"
"You know them better."
"Uhm…there's this thread about flying. They all wrote a lot in it, so do a few other people. I think they're around five or six. All want to fly, funny to read."
"You don't take them serious?"
"No way, I think, they're joking. One of them built some wings with plastic, jumped from a rock and twisted his ankle. He uploaded a video of it. Some people do this crazy stuff…"
"But?" Sofia could feel there was something else he held back.
"But I read one post from a guy who called himself the Human Bird Maker. He said if they really want to have wings and fly, he could do that. That was the only thing he ever wrote. First I thought he's a show off but somehow…he sounded so serious, very creepy."
"Any idea who he is?"
"No."
"You guys don't meet?"
"No, not as far as I know. It's only about birds and fun."
The fun that probably killed three people. Not the fun Sara and Sofia enjoyed.