Darkly Dreaming Dexter

CH
APT ER 1 M
OON . G LO RIO US M OON. F ULL, F AT, RE DD IS H m oon, t he ni ght as l ight as da y, t he
m
oonl ight floodi ng dow n acros s t he land a nd bri nging j oy, j oy, joy. Bri nging t oo the ful l-t hroa te d
c
all of t he tropi cal ni ght , the soft and w ild voi ce of t he w ind roa ring t hrough t he ha irs on your a rm,
t
he hol low wail of s ta rl ight , the teeth-gri nding be llow of t he m oonl ight off t he w ate r. A
ll c all ing t o the N eed. O h, the sym phoni c s hri ek of t he thous and hi ding voi ce s, t he cry of t he N eed
i
ns ide , the ent it y, t he sil e nt w atc he r, t he col d qui et t hi ng, t he one tha t l aughs , the M oonda ncer. T he
m
e t ha t w as not -me, t he thi ng t hat m ocked a nd l aughe d and c am e c alling w it h i ts hunge r. With t he
N
eed. A nd the N eed w as ve ry s trong now , very c are ful col d c oile d c reepi ng c rackl y c ocked a nd
re
ady, ve ry strong, ve ry much re ady now —and s ti ll i t w ait e d a nd w atc he d, a nd i t m ade m e w ait a nd
w
atc h. I ha
d be en w ait ing a nd w atc hi ng t he pri est for fi ve w eeks now . The N eed ha d be en pri ckl ing a nd
t
e asing a nd proddi ng at m e t o fi nd one , find t he ne xt, fi nd t his pri est. F or t hree w eeks I ha d know n
he
w as i t, he was ne xt, w e be longe d to t he D ark P ass e nge r, he and I t ogethe r. A nd that t hre e w eeks I
ha
d s pent fi ght ing t he pre ss ure , the grow ing N eed, ri sing i n me l ike a gre at w ave tha t roa rs up a nd
ove
r the be ach a nd doe s not recede , onl y swells m ore wit h e very t ic k of t he bri ght night 's c loc k. But
it w as c are ful tim e, t oo, t im e s pe nt m aki ng s ure. Not m aki ng s ure of t he pri est, no, I w as l ong
s
ure of hi m. T im e s pe nt to be cert ain t hat i t c oul d be done right , made ne at, a ll t he corne rs fol ded,
a
ll s qua red a way. I c ould not be caught , not now . I ha d worke d too ha rd, too long, t o make thi s
w
ork for m e, t o prot ec t m y ha ppy l it tle l ife . A
nd I w as ha ving t oo m uch fun t o stop now . A
nd s o I w as a lw ays care ful . A lw ays tidy. A lw ays pre pared a head of t im e s o i t w oul d be right . And
w
he n i t w as ri ght , take ext ra tim e t o be sure . It was t he H arry w ay, G od bl ess hi m, tha t fa rsight ed
pe
rfe ct pol ic e m an, m y fos te r fa the r. A lw ays be sure ,