The Forsaken by Estevan Vega Read Free Book Online Page B

some slack. You haven’t exactly been all there as of late.”
    “I made…a slight error in judgment a few nights ago. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do my job.”
    “I did more than I needed to get you here. Now, just relax and stay cool, no matter what you see.”
    Jude thought it strange to hear Mike’s warning. He gave no reply.
    Cameras flashed around them. Forensic personnel had arrived moments earlier and had begun gathering data. He saw Whitney and one other person from the department consoling a jittery, twenty-something girl in the hallway. He assumed she was either related to the deceased or romantically involved.
    Jude was the first to approach the body—a pallid, misshapen creature. He glared into bloodshot eyes then down at a gaping, crooked jaw. A chunk of the victim’s tongue was shriveled up on the urine-stained rug.
    “Caucasian in his mid-twenties,” Mike said. “Freddy Carmichael. He was a street hustler, like his cousin.”
    Jude’s nostrils crunched, but the stink didn’t dissipate. “No bullet holes, no lacerations, How did he check out?”
    “One theory is that it was some kind of virus, but the doll in the hallway claims he was alive and well less than twenty-four hours ago.”
    “Overdose?”
    “Could be. But do you know of any narcotic this side of hell that’ll leave you like this?”
    “Looks like the life was sucked pure out of him.”
    Mike handed Jude a pair of gloves. “Yeah, you could say that.”
    Jude arched his eyebrows. “You don’t think—”
    “I don’t know what to think yet. Check under his chin.”
    Jude slipped on a glove and lifted the corpse’s head. A scar was imprinted on the victim’s throat. Careful scrutiny of the imprint told Jude it was a broken crucifix. The design was seared into the man’s flesh, as if tattooed.
    Jude gasped, kneeling back. A very real fear got comfortable inside his skin. “This is new.”
    “I friggin’ hate new.”
    “Maybe some religious fanatic who wanted to get a point across,” Jude said in a hush. “But why go after a penny hustler like Carmichael? There are hundreds in the city. What makes this low-life so important?”
    “Deal gone south. Happens all the time. You know that. Bet that broad belonged to somebody else. A gangster doesn’t need all that many excuses to kill.”
    “Hmm.” Jude focused on the hysterical young woman being consoled several feet away from them. “I don’t want to be the heretic in the room here, but—”
    “Then don’t.”
    Jude sighed, knowing he had to give the idea a few minutes to work on the chief. “Has she spilled anything specific yet?”
    “She’s about as helpful as a blind man at home plate.” Mike licked his lips. “We’ve tried bleeding her for info, but she’s already started to go to her happy place , I think. Not to mention, I’m not too sure how legit her testimony will be.”
    “Classic needle and haystack. Feels like the good ol’ days.”
    “You’re demented,” the chief whispered. “This is like some kind of unnatural, voodoo crap. It still doesn’t make any sense to me. I know I’ve seen it before, but how in the name of God is something like this even possible?”
    “Gotta have a little faith, Mike,” Jude said smugly. “First thing you taught me when I joined was to start at the bottom then slowly climb my way up. That’s what we need to do. Unnatural or not.” Jude got up close to Mike. “I want information on all his dealings with any neighborhood scum. I need his dealer’s name, gangs, associations, last hooker he screwed, whatever we got. If there’s a connection somehow, we’ll find it.”
    “Awfully presumptuous of you, Foster. Who said I was assigning you to this case?”
    Jude raised his shoulders a bit. “Why’d you call me here?”
    Mike hesitated. “Because I was considering it. The thought crossed my half-cocked mind. Didn’t say you had it yet.”
    “Give me a chance,” Jude replied quickly. “I need