Fine Blue Steele (Daggers & Steele Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

We’re with the NWPD.”
    “I see.” The man clasped his hands and dropped them to his lap. “Well, I’m Pastor Bellamy. Julian Bellamy. What brings you to the Church of the Divine Rebirth?”
    “Church of the Divine Rebirth?” I asked.
    I regretted the question as soon as it left my lips. Bellamy launched into a well-rehearsed spiel.
    “The Divine Rebirth is an idea as old as civilization, as old as nature, as old as time itself. We followers of the Divine Rebirth believe in a cyclicality in all things. Wealth and poverty. Bounty and famine. Wetness and drought. But most importantly, we believe in the cyclicality of life and death.
    “You see, detectives, we all possess within us an essential core of our being—a spirit, if you will—that existed before our birth, that has always existed, and will always exist. It is the spark of life, and every living being, every plant, insect, or animal, sentient or not, carries within it this divine spark. And upon our deaths, this spark will travel through the divine cycle and give new life in what we call the gift of creation. That is why we celebrate and revere every life, from that of our fellow downtrodden man to that of the noble trees and every creature that makes them their home.”
    Bellamy punctuated his speech with a grand sweep of his arms, as if to encompass the entirety of his church. Throughout the discourse, the supremely tall youth stood at Bellamy’s back, his head bowed and his lips sealed.
    I surprised myself by not only staying awake through the impromptu sermon, but staying alert. Must’ve been the coffee.
    I pointed at the beanpole. “What’s up with Slim?”
    Bellamy blinked. “Oh. This is Chester. He’s my assistant.”
    Chester bobbed his head.
    “Does he talk?” I asked.
    “He is physically able, but he chooses not to,” said Bellamy. “He took a vow of silence a little over a year ago.”
    “Is that a thing in your religion?” I asked.
    “Yes,” said Bellamy.
    Stupidly, I waited for an explanation, but by some miracle, none came.
    “So,” said Bellamy. “What can I do for you, detectives?”
    I pointed to the far side of the building, past the benches where Julian and Chester had emerged. “We noticed some windows high on your church, backing up to the alley. Tell me, Pastor, what do you have on that side of the building?”
    “Kitchens and meeting spaces on the first floor, primarily,” said Bellamy. “Living and work quarters on the upper levels.”
    “So you live here?” I asked.
    “Yes,” he said. “Why?”
    “We’re investigating a disturbance that occurred late last night in the alley,” said Shay. “A few other witnesses reported hearing yelling. We were wondering if perhaps you heard anything more concrete, given your proximity.”
    The pastor nodded. “Ah. Yes. That. It woke me up. Before the break of dawn. I’d say…five thirty or so.”
    “And what did you hear?” I asked.
    Bellamy rubbed his smooth cheeks. “Well. There was an argument. Between a man and a woman. And yelling, both male and female. Oh, and fighting.”
    I gave my partner a tilted head and raised eyebrow combo, as if to say Bellamy’s story matched our suspicions. She’d clearly hoped for more.
    “Can you be more specific?” asked Shay. “Did you hear any names, or make out any phrases?”
    Bellamy shook his head. “I’m afraid not. With the chill in the air, I keep the windows closed overnight, and they do a fair job of muffling sound—which is a good thing, to be honest, because we have more than our fair share of boisterous partiers roaming the streets in these parts. Eventually I did rise and head to the windows to investigate, but by that point, whoever had been involved in the altercation had moved to the end of the alley.”
    “And what about you, Slim?” I asked. “You hear anything?”
    Chester—who now that I thought about it, must’ve been a half-giant of some sort—gave me a blank stare before looking to Bellamy