JJ09 - Blood Moon by Michael Lister Read Free Book Online Page A

said. “He and the warden both say they told you to stay out of the investigation, but he never mentioned asking you later to join it.”
    “Regardless,” I said, “it’s what happened.”
    “According to you.”
    “Yes,” I said. “According to me.”
    “Okay, we’ll come back to that. What were you doing in the dorm when Hahn Ling was killed?”
    “Trying to save her.”
    “How’d you know she needed saving? Why didn’t you report it to the inspector?”
    “When I regained consciousness, I––”
    “You had been drugged, is that right?”
    I nodded.
    “Verbal,” she said.
    “Yes. When I regained consciousness I was told where she was and with whom. I was also told that she had mentioned something in front of the killer that would let him know we were closing in on him. The inspector had made two arrests and was up in Admin waiting for FDLE. We were in Medical.”
    “We?”
    “Sergeant Monroe and myself. We rushed down to the dorm to try to save her.”
    “You had been unconscious?”
    “Yes.”
    “So you were still woozy, not thinking clearly.”
    “I was thinking just fine.”
    “According to you. But you would think that, wouldn’t you? You acted in a manner you shouldn’t have even if you had had all your wits, but you were severely compromised because of the drugs you had been administered. Shouldn’t you have reported what you knew instead of rushing down to the dorm while you were still dazed and not able to think? Would Ms. Ling be alive if you had?”
    Rachel Peterson was a professional. She never raised her voice, never took too strong a tone, mostly remained flat, with only the occasional hint of disbelief and eyebrow raised incredulously.
    “I wasn’t dazed or unable to think. We had the situation under control, had talked the inmate into surrendering, into letting Hahn go, and then he was killed by the response team sniper and––”
    “Who gave the order to fire?”
    “I have no idea. Never heard one given. The shot was fired before the response team rushed into the quad. If they hadn’t come in, if the sniper hadn’t fired the shot, Hahn would still be alive. And we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
    “You keep referring to Ms. Ling as Hahn. You were intimate with her. Is that correct?”
    “No, it’s not. She was a coworker, a friend. Someone I referred to by her first name––like most of the people I know.”
    “But you had an intimate relationship with her. You dated her.”
    “We weren’t intimate. We went on a few casual dates some six months or more before any of this happened.”
    “You’re not a very typical chaplain, are you?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Doesn’t matter. Not relevant.”
    Before I could press her to say more, my phone rang and I lunged for it.
    “Chaplain Jordan.”
    It was the warden’s secretary saying Rachel Peterson was needed in Admin.
    “Tell her I’ll be up in a few,” she said.
    I did.
    “So––” Rachel began.
    But the moment I placed the receiver on the cradle, the phone began to ring again, and again I snatched it up.
    “Chaplain Jordan,” I said.
    “Can you talk?” the kidnapper asked.
    “Yes. Give me just a second.”
    Rachel stood. “I’ll let you take that, go see what the warden wants. Be back in a few.”
    “Thanks,” I said.
    I noticed she had removed the recorder from my desk, but wasn’t holding it as she started to leave.
    I stood and walked around the desk, never letting go of the receiver. She had left the recorder on and placed it on the floor at the base of my desk.
    I reached down, snatched it up, and tossed it to her.
    “It must have fallen when I tried to put it in my pocket,” she said.
    “Must have,” I said, my voice revealing far more incredulity than hers had before. “Miraculously, hitting the floor didn’t disengage the recording mechanism.”
    She gave me a wry smile and was out the door.
    “I’m here,” I said to the caller.
    “What am I interrupting?” he