The Sadist's Bible by Nicole Cushing Read Free Book Online

the skull should be, to make sure his brain doesn’t get injured – kind of an artificial skull. They have to keep his arms
    restrained so he doesn’t mess with it. He takes several medicines each day for this, you know? When she took him, she didn’t even take those with her.”
    Connelly nodded. Scribbled in his pad.
    “The one thing I don’t understand is why she injured the kid if she was wanting to
    kidnap him. I mean, if you don’t mind me sayin’ so, that doesn’t make much sense.”
    She smirked. “It’s not complicated, officer. Really, it isn’t. She’s a lunatic who
    claims Josh is the result of God raping her.”
    Connelly cleared his throat. Coughed.
    “Yes, I know it’s bizarre. But since she kidnapped her son, it probably will be good
    for you to know the whole story, no matter how embarrassing. She wanted to get an
    abortion because of this delusion. Obviously, we made certain that didn’t happen. To be
    honest, I think she came here today wanting to kill her son. She was vague, but she said she wanted to do something she should’ve done a long time ago. And I wouldn’t let her
    take him, you know? Anyway, I think that’s why she didn’t care if she injured him. My
    gut tells me her ultimate plan is to kill him.”
    “That would have been a good thing to say to the dispatcher.”
    “Didn’t I? I don’t know. It was all so upsetting. I thought I’d mentioned it. Maybe I
    didn’t, maybe I ...” She whimpered, hunched over, and started to cry once again.
    “Ma’am...ma’am...I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to upset you. Now, listen...was he still
    alive when she left?”
    “Yes.”
    “But injured?”
    “Yes.”
    Connelly looked up from his pad and examined everything he’d written. Ran an
    anxious hand through his bristly flat top. Cleared his throat. “Any idea where she took off to?”
    “None. She just said she was going on a trip.”
    “What kind of car does she drive.”
    “A white ‘89 Camry.”
    “Christ. Can’t be going too far, in that.”
    “The car only has 100,000 miles on it. We bought it for her from a widow who only
    drove it to church and back for the past twenty years.”
    “Gotcha. Any friends out of state? You know...people who might harbor her while
    she’s on the run?”
    “She’s not the kind of girl who makes friends. I’m sure you can understand that from
    having dealt with her before. She spent a lot of time talking to people on the computer, though.”
    “Good. Then her computer might give us some clues.”
    “Sure...by all means, have people search her apartment. Look at the computer. I’m
    certain you’ll find all sorts of incriminating evidence. But, most of all, save my
    grandson!”

    * * *

    There was screaming and there was music and there was night and there was rain.
    The storm tap danced across the top of the Toyota. Josh and the stereo seemed to be
    in a contest to see which was loudest. The bawling was shrill, high-pitched, and gurgly.
    Each time Lori nudged the volume dial to make the woman sing louder, the baby took its
    screaming to a new decibel level. It was screaming even louder than it had when she’d
    first taken it.
    She snapped and started screaming, too. “Shuttup! Shut...up! ” She could feel her
    throat burn after yelling, the way it used to burn after screaming at a concert. For a
    moment, it seemed as though her voice would prevail as the loudest. But then it cracked
    under the weight of its own fury. She started to stammer and weep. “Wh-Why the f-fuck
    won’t you die?”
    She’d gotten onto I-64 West two hours ago. All the crying should have worn out
    Josh’s lungs. It couldn’t have kept going like this on such a limited air supply. Yet it did.
    She wished her mother could see all this. Then she’d believe Josh was the son of God.
    Only its divine parentage could explain its continued survival.
    She looked at the wobbly needle tracing her speed. The Toyota had held up well,
    given its age, but its