Speak the Dead Read Online Free PDF Page A

question.”
    â€œIt’s my stage costume.”
    â€œCostume?”
    Jersey shrugged.
    â€œAre you a closet fairy, Detective Castle? Do you enjoy being chained and whipped by degenerates?”
    â€œI play drums in a punk band, sir, but I don’t believe you’re allowed to question my sexuality, whatever it may be.”
    â€œIs that right?”
    â€œYes, sir. I recall the memo.”
    â€œQuite.” Clearing his throat as though to dislodge something distasteful, Lieutenant Morrell turned his attention to the dead woman’s mangled body in the middle of the alley. He wrinkled his nose. “So what do we have here?”
    â€œHit and run.”
    â€œYou saw the vehicle?”
    Jersey squirmed. “Just the tail end as it turned the corner. Four door, American made. Possibly a Dodge.”
    â€œRegistration?”
    Jersey glanced at the club’s rear entrance, searching for the telltale sign of a close-circuit security camera. Something he should have paying attention to instead of… becoming distracted.
    â€œNot yet,” he said. “I—”
    Sally stepped between the two men and handed Jersey a piece of crumpled paper.
    â€œThis might be the license plate you’re looking for,” she said.
    â€œYou saw it?” Jersey asked.
    Sally nodded, her eyes looking away.
    â€œBut you came out after—”
    â€œWell,” Morrell snapped. “Is this the registration or not?”
    â€œI believe it is,” said Sally cautiously. “It took me a moment to remember. Detective Castle was very patient.”
    Morrell snorted. “Hmmm, well, good.” He turned to the closest uniformed officer. “Get a BOLO alert out to all patrols on this number immediately.”
    Morrell turned to Jersey and stroked his moustache again. “Good work, detective. Just don’t let this punk business interfere with your caseload.”
    â€œNo, sir.”
    â€œI’ll be watching.”
    Morrell spun on his heels with such precision he could put a Marine Corp drill sergeant to shame, and marched back to his car. As he started the engine to back out of the alley the other officers held their breath again.
    A sudden squeal of brake and crunch of metal made everyone cringe as a large trashcan was sent flying off to one side. Morrell reacted by stepping harder on the gas and quickly backing the rest of the way out of the alley.
    â€œAmazing,” said one of the uniformed officers after Morrell’s car had vanished from sight. “He only hit one can.”
    The other officers laughed, including Jersey.
    Sally looked at him quizzically.
    â€œHe’s the worst driver you’ve ever seen,” Jersey explained. “No peripheral awareness. His car has been under the hammer more times than I’ve been out of tune. When he’s driving, fire hydrants get so scared, they leak.”
    Sally’s eyes sparkled in amusement. “He’s keeping strange hours for a senior officer.”
    â€œHis daughter is about to give birth and has moved back home,” explained Jersey. “He’s feeling useless there, so he’s driving everyone crazy out here instead. The other night he decided to inspect a stakeout that Vice was running and nearly blew the whole operation.”
    Jersey turned as he caught sight of the Emergency Medical Technicians moving toward the body with a stretcher. He rushed forward and held up his hands.
    â€œWe’re treating this as a potential homicide,” Jersey said. “We need photos and a full work-up before transport. Sorry, guys.”
    The EMTs looked disappointed as they retreated to their ambulance and sat on the rear bumper to wait for the coroner and a forensics crew to arrive.
    Jersey turned back around to ask Sally how she had managed to see the car’s plate number, but she was gone.

6
    C losing the fire exit behind her, Sally fastened all three deadbolts and sank to the