Read Online An Evil Shadow by A. J. Davidson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: A. J. Davidson
Ads: Link
Jackson and me outa the swamp, send us back to school for a
couple of months, empower us with enough authority to make our heads spin and
let us carry a shield and a gun to back it up, then turn us loose in a
cesspool. They say a city gets the police force it deserves. Goes a long way to
explaining why the NOPD are the poorest paid cops in the country.”
He blew a thick stream of blue smoke from his nose.
“I’m not making excuses for what I did. I always knew
we’d be caught sooner or later, I’ve been a fatalist since the first time my
father give me a licking with his belt. That’s why I don’t hold no grudge
against you for turning us in.”
“Where’s Jackson’s crib?”
“Don’t know. It sure ain’t in any lousy SR0. The
Fairmont is more that sonofabitch’s style. He gave up his apartment soon after
he started work with AV and moved someplace else. Your guess is as good as
mine. I heard he was clocking up a heap of air miles for them.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Must have been about six months ago. I ran into him
in the Quarter.”
“Was he still with AV?”
“You best ask him when you find him. Though I reckon
so, going by the slick suit he had on and the way he was throwing money around
like he was some sort of big shot. The guy’s been an asshole all his life.”
“You sore at him for not fixing you up with a job with
AV?”
Trochan took another pull on his cigarette. “Luck of
the draw. We both had moonlighting details when we were wearing blue. Same
race, different ponies. The nag I backed didn’t last the course, while
Jackson’s long shot romped home for him.”
“When did he first start working with AV?”
“Must be close to ten years now. Why don’t you have
them put you in contact with Jackson.”
“I asked. They aren’t keen on cooperating. How do you
feel about doing some legwork for me? Pick up a couple of Franklins for
yourself.”
Trochan rubbed a hand over the bristle on his jaw.
“Running Jackson down? Does he know you’re after him?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Do you want him to know?”
“Do what you have to do. It’ll be okay with me.”
“Okay, I’ll give it a shot. Give me a number where I
can reach you.”
Val took out a pen and searched around for some paper.
Trochan held out his arm for him to write on. That way, he said, he would
always be sure to have it on him.
When he had finished writing, Val said, “Aren’t you
interested in why I want to talk to Jackson?”
Trochan gave him a melancholy stare. “What do I care?
A man who can be bought for a lousy couple hundred dollars isn’t going to be
picky. You knew that; it’s why you’re here.”
There were two messages waiting on Val’s answering
machine when he reached home. The first was from Marcus. Val’s appointment as
the new UNOPD Chief was confirmed and he was expected at the university’s
station house first thing Tuesday morning to complete the formalities. A press
conference to announce Duval’s university place would be arranged for the
following morning.
The second message was from Angie. She had called to
say how delighted she was that Marcus and Val were on speaking terms at long
last, and asked when she would meet him again. There was still something she
had to talk to him about. She ended her message by saying that Duval sent her
sincerest thanks and that she would be staying with them until the freshman
orientation week commenced in six days’ time.
Val made a bunch of calls to cancel his credit cards
and to notify his bank of the loss of his ATM card. After that, he pulled the
cap off a bottle of Dos Equis beer and went and sat on the wood decking in his
yard to watch the setting sun fill the western sky.
Mother Nature had pulled out all the stops. For the
best part of an hour, it seemed the whole world was going up in flames.
couple of months, empower us with enough authority to make our heads spin and
let us carry a shield and a gun to back it up, then turn us loose in a
cesspool. They say a city gets the police force it deserves. Goes a long way to
explaining why the NOPD are the poorest paid cops in the country.”
He blew a thick stream of blue smoke from his nose.
“I’m not making excuses for what I did. I always knew
we’d be caught sooner or later, I’ve been a fatalist since the first time my
father give me a licking with his belt. That’s why I don’t hold no grudge
against you for turning us in.”
“Where’s Jackson’s crib?”
“Don’t know. It sure ain’t in any lousy SR0. The
Fairmont is more that sonofabitch’s style. He gave up his apartment soon after
he started work with AV and moved someplace else. Your guess is as good as
mine. I heard he was clocking up a heap of air miles for them.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Must have been about six months ago. I ran into him
in the Quarter.”
“Was he still with AV?”
“You best ask him when you find him. Though I reckon
so, going by the slick suit he had on and the way he was throwing money around
like he was some sort of big shot. The guy’s been an asshole all his life.”
“You sore at him for not fixing you up with a job with
AV?”
Trochan took another pull on his cigarette. “Luck of
the draw. We both had moonlighting details when we were wearing blue. Same
race, different ponies. The nag I backed didn’t last the course, while
Jackson’s long shot romped home for him.”
“When did he first start working with AV?”
“Must be close to ten years now. Why don’t you have
them put you in contact with Jackson.”
“I asked. They aren’t keen on cooperating. How do you
feel about doing some legwork for me? Pick up a couple of Franklins for
yourself.”
Trochan rubbed a hand over the bristle on his jaw.
“Running Jackson down? Does he know you’re after him?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Do you want him to know?”
“Do what you have to do. It’ll be okay with me.”
“Okay, I’ll give it a shot. Give me a number where I
can reach you.”
Val took out a pen and searched around for some paper.
Trochan held out his arm for him to write on. That way, he said, he would
always be sure to have it on him.
When he had finished writing, Val said, “Aren’t you
interested in why I want to talk to Jackson?”
Trochan gave him a melancholy stare. “What do I care?
A man who can be bought for a lousy couple hundred dollars isn’t going to be
picky. You knew that; it’s why you’re here.”
There were two messages waiting on Val’s answering
machine when he reached home. The first was from Marcus. Val’s appointment as
the new UNOPD Chief was confirmed and he was expected at the university’s
station house first thing Tuesday morning to complete the formalities. A press
conference to announce Duval’s university place would be arranged for the
following morning.
The second message was from Angie. She had called to
say how delighted she was that Marcus and Val were on speaking terms at long
last, and asked when she would meet him again. There was still something she
had to talk to him about. She ended her message by saying that Duval sent her
sincerest thanks and that she would be staying with them until the freshman
orientation week commenced in six days’ time.
Val made a bunch of calls to cancel his credit cards
and to notify his bank of the loss of his ATM card. After that, he pulled the
cap off a bottle of Dos Equis beer and went and sat on the wood decking in his
yard to watch the setting sun fill the western sky.
Mother Nature had pulled out all the stops. For the
best part of an hour, it seemed the whole world was going up in flames.
Similar Books
