Justice Incarnate Read Online Free PDF Page A

someone skimmin' from us?"
    Thomas understood every layer of Chuck's agony. "I'll look into it. Personally." Won't have to look far. "I've already seen the video. Larry bounced out of the seat. He just wasn't buttoned down when the vehicle rolled. An unfortunate accident, that's all."
    "Bull." Chuck upended an evidence bag and a charred buckle and webbing clattered onto the desk. The bitter smell of burnt flesh and fried circuits hung in the air between them.
    Thomas pressed his fingers to his temples in an attempt to stop the relentless pounding. He didn't need to deal with equipment failure, even if it would soothe his conscience.
    "Go home. Get some rest. And keep the badge." Chuck nodded, and then just stared down at him like a lost puppy. "Take tomorrow off, Chuck. I'll handle Michaels."
    "Yessir." At the door, Chuck paused. "Check the tapes. Larry's last entries should lead you right to her."
    "Got it," Thomas said and dismissed the grieving officer.
    What the hell was going on?
    He had a judge who didn't care about a display he'd personally funded, a museum denying all trouble, a good cop dead, a security specialist posing as a thief, a chat room buzzing with reporters, a bum knee and the devil's own headache.
    "Lord love a duck," he groaned and washed a couple of painkillers down with a hefty gulp of antacid.
     
    * * *
     
    Jaden woke a half hour before the day's first class. Her body ached from last night's scuffle at the museum and the impromptu class for Micky. She looked forward to working out the kinks in warm-up. She programmed the shower for high efficiency and tried not to remember a past life when she'd indulged in long hot soaks in a massive marble tub. Having a wealth of diverse experiences in the subconscious wasn't always a gift.
    She loathed having to wait another whole day to dig into the diary and fit together the girl's account from last night, but she wouldn't put off the women who sought her instruction. The classes filled a void for her and her students. Whether simply providing fitness and a confidence boost or a life saving tool, she made sure everyone got her money's worth.
    "Aren't you the picture of perfection," Cleveland said, walking through the studio door in time to join her for lunch.
    She blotted her sweaty face with a towel. "Your timing's suspect."
    "No way. I brought food."
    She eyed the white sacks, smelled the heady aroma of marinara sauce and sighed. "We feast while some poor child goes hungry."
    He laughed and began filling the plates she'd handed him. "The kid two blocks over is fine. I bought for him too."
    "Who? Quinn?" She grabbed two bottles of water, tossed the towel in the direction of the workout room and sat down to the nearest full plate. "Cool. He doesn't get the first shot at a hot meal very often."
    "I don't know." Cleveland pinned her with a look. "He mentioned something about two days running."
    Jaden felt color creep up her neck, but refused comment. "Why're you here?" she asked around a mouthful of fettuccine.
    "I worry," he said.
    "Bad for your health. I'm a big girl."
    "Lookin' to chew on a bigger bone."
    She stopped eating. Could Cleveland be like her? Another soul reliving life until he got it right. "Just what do you think you know?"
    "Enough to point you in the right direction. Last night paid off, right?"
    "Financially." She weighed the risks and went for it. "Other areas, I'm not so sure. Met a girl marked up recently."
    "Dead or alive?"
    "Depends on your definition."
    Judging by the haunted eyes and hollow voice, she'd have to say dead. But if life meant merely a beating heart and independent breathing, alive would be the verdict.
    "So how you gonna take down the untouchable?"
    "Excuse me?"
    "I know what Judge Albertson's capable of."
    "What makes you think I do?" Jaden tried to avoid his penetrating gaze, but she couldn't avoid the finger on his neck, tracing a faint scar behind his left ear she'd never noticed before.
    "Let's say we have some things in