Read Online Club Monstrosity by Jesse Petersen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jesse Petersen
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the two New York football teams (the Giants had Eli Manning, but Rex Ryan was a good coach something, something, something, human guy talk ).
“Well, er,” she stammered, trying to think of the best way to put her relationship with Blob. “We’re in a s-support group together.”
The cop glanced up and stared at her, but said nothing. Natalie’s cheeks flamed hot with a blush. One that deepened when he said, “A support group. For what? Was the deceased into drugs or—”
“No!” Natalie burst out, louder than she had intended, probably because when he said drugs she thought of stupid Alec and his stupid pot that had caused her to be the one to deal with this shit.
“Then what?”
“I-it’s a chronic condition,” she explained slowly. “We all share.”
“One that might have made him suicidal?” The cop looked at the corpse. “Or just fat?”
Natalie bit back a curse. The guy didn’t have to be an asshole. Or maybe he did.
“It’s not something that would make anyone suicidal. Bob was definitely not suicidal.”
“But you came looking for him,” the cop said after yet another long pause. “How come?”
Natalie shook her head. “He didn’t show up for a couple meetings in a row, which wasn’t like him. So we came.”
“You and the lady who is sobbing on the pizza boxes?” the cop said with a quick jerk of his head toward Linda.
She was sitting on the boxes she’d fainted on earlier, hugging herself and softly crying. At least she was conscious.
“Yeah.” Natalie sighed. “That’s the one.”
“She’s very upset by this,” the cop observed, and then frowned. “She’s not going to puke, is she? She almost looks green.”
Natalie bit her lip. Yeah, Linda did look green. Because she was green and all that crying did a number on her cover-up.
“I—I’m not going to throw up,” Linda interjected through tears. “I—I just f-feel so bad for Bob. To die like your movie is just awful.”
The cop wrinkled his brow and stared at Natalie. “Movie?”
Natalie tensed. “Sorry, she’s just distraught. I think she should go home. Is there anything else you need from us?”
The cop scanned over his notes again, likely relieved that Natalie had given him an out on further inquiry with Linda. “No, I don’t think so. At least not right now. And we know where to find you if we do.”
Natalie had been looking at Linda, who was still muttering about movies and monsters, but now she turned to face the cop with a gulp.
“You . . . know where to find me?” she repeated on the barest of squeaks.
He nodded. “Yeah. The medical examiner’s office, right? Detective Blass said he’s seen you there.”
Relief poured through Natalie like ice water, cooling her suddenly heated mind and body. “Yes, of course. I should have recognized the detective. Good-bye.”
The cop gave her a dismissive nod and wandered off toward the fridge, where two other detectives were debating how to get a frozen four-hundred-plus-pound corpse out of a four-story walk-up. Natalie grabbed Linda’s arm and pulled her to her feet.
“Come on, let’s go before they decide they have more questions,” she snapped under her breath.
Linda followed her, but she was dragging her feet so much and crying so hard that Natalie practically had to carry her down the hallway, where neighbors were peeking out through the spaces in their chain-locked doors.
Once they were outside and had walked a couple of blocks, Natalie hauled Linda over into the shadow of a building and shook her.
“Get it together, girl!” she ordered in a no-nonsense tone she thought even Kai would have liked.
Linda shook her head and kept crying. “I don’t want to get shot ten times and found in the Hudson.”
“Is that how you die in The Story?” Natalie asked with a sigh. She had looked up Linda’s movie and book history, of course, but she was too distracted to remember any of it.
Linda nodded. “Not in the Hudson, but that
“Well, er,” she stammered, trying to think of the best way to put her relationship with Blob. “We’re in a s-support group together.”
The cop glanced up and stared at her, but said nothing. Natalie’s cheeks flamed hot with a blush. One that deepened when he said, “A support group. For what? Was the deceased into drugs or—”
“No!” Natalie burst out, louder than she had intended, probably because when he said drugs she thought of stupid Alec and his stupid pot that had caused her to be the one to deal with this shit.
“Then what?”
“I-it’s a chronic condition,” she explained slowly. “We all share.”
“One that might have made him suicidal?” The cop looked at the corpse. “Or just fat?”
Natalie bit back a curse. The guy didn’t have to be an asshole. Or maybe he did.
“It’s not something that would make anyone suicidal. Bob was definitely not suicidal.”
“But you came looking for him,” the cop said after yet another long pause. “How come?”
Natalie shook her head. “He didn’t show up for a couple meetings in a row, which wasn’t like him. So we came.”
“You and the lady who is sobbing on the pizza boxes?” the cop said with a quick jerk of his head toward Linda.
She was sitting on the boxes she’d fainted on earlier, hugging herself and softly crying. At least she was conscious.
“Yeah.” Natalie sighed. “That’s the one.”
“She’s very upset by this,” the cop observed, and then frowned. “She’s not going to puke, is she? She almost looks green.”
Natalie bit her lip. Yeah, Linda did look green. Because she was green and all that crying did a number on her cover-up.
“I—I’m not going to throw up,” Linda interjected through tears. “I—I just f-feel so bad for Bob. To die like your movie is just awful.”
The cop wrinkled his brow and stared at Natalie. “Movie?”
Natalie tensed. “Sorry, she’s just distraught. I think she should go home. Is there anything else you need from us?”
The cop scanned over his notes again, likely relieved that Natalie had given him an out on further inquiry with Linda. “No, I don’t think so. At least not right now. And we know where to find you if we do.”
Natalie had been looking at Linda, who was still muttering about movies and monsters, but now she turned to face the cop with a gulp.
“You . . . know where to find me?” she repeated on the barest of squeaks.
He nodded. “Yeah. The medical examiner’s office, right? Detective Blass said he’s seen you there.”
Relief poured through Natalie like ice water, cooling her suddenly heated mind and body. “Yes, of course. I should have recognized the detective. Good-bye.”
The cop gave her a dismissive nod and wandered off toward the fridge, where two other detectives were debating how to get a frozen four-hundred-plus-pound corpse out of a four-story walk-up. Natalie grabbed Linda’s arm and pulled her to her feet.
“Come on, let’s go before they decide they have more questions,” she snapped under her breath.
Linda followed her, but she was dragging her feet so much and crying so hard that Natalie practically had to carry her down the hallway, where neighbors were peeking out through the spaces in their chain-locked doors.
Once they were outside and had walked a couple of blocks, Natalie hauled Linda over into the shadow of a building and shook her.
“Get it together, girl!” she ordered in a no-nonsense tone she thought even Kai would have liked.
Linda shook her head and kept crying. “I don’t want to get shot ten times and found in the Hudson.”
“Is that how you die in The Story?” Natalie asked with a sigh. She had looked up Linda’s movie and book history, of course, but she was too distracted to remember any of it.
Linda nodded. “Not in the Hudson, but that
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