Read Online Consumed by E. H. Reinhard - Free Book Online

two hookers the night prior.
    Richard readied himself. He saw the end of a flashlight tap on the door glass of the driver’s door. He heard the cop order him to lower the window. Richard did. His right hand wrapped the knife’s handle—about to yank it from under his leg and deliver the strike.
    The deputy looked in at Richard and made eye contact. “You have to be the stupidest son of a bitch I’ve ever laid eyes upon,” the deputy said.
    Richard stuck his left palm into his eye. “Mark,” he said.
    The deputy took a step farther to shine the flashlight’s beam into the truck. He made a circle with the flashlight’s light on the bloody seat. “Tell me you did not just dump another whore in my jurisdiction.”
    Richard remained quiet.
    “I’m waiting for you to tell me you didn’t.”
    “You haven’t been taking care of them. I had to get rid of them. You know what happens if I keep them around.”
    “Are you going to hear their voices?” Mark mimicked in a high-pitched voice.
    “Don’t make fun of me. You push me to the edge, and you won’t like the results.”
    “What are you going to do?” Mark reached into the truck and flicked the side of Richard’s face. “Huh, stupid? What in the hell are you going to do about it?”
    Richard yanked the knife up. The light from Mark’s flashlight shone off the blade.
    “I want to see that,” Mark said. “I’ll put a bullet right between your eyes. Splatter your shit for brains all over this truck. And you know what? Tomorrow, I’ll get the key to the city and a parade for doing it.”
    Richard set the knife down on the seat. “Just don’t make fun of me. Mom wouldn’t like it.”
    “Mom is dead, buried in your basement. I don’t think she has much say in what I do.”
    Richard said nothing.
    “Exactly,” Mark said. “Hold on. You said them . You said I didn’t come to take care of them . How many did you dump?”
    Richard looked down. “Two tonight,” he said, his voice low, just above a whisper.
    “Where?”
    “I don’t know. I was just driving until I found spots.”
    Mark let out a puff of air in anger. He pulled out his service weapon and rested it on the window opening of Richard’s truck. “Now, I want you to listen to me very closely.” Mark reached inside the truck’s cab and tapped the barrel of the gun on the top of Richard’s head. “Are you listening to me, stupid?”
    “Yeah,” Richard said. “Quit it.”
    “Turn this piece of shit around, go back to where you dumped the whores, and pick them back up.” Mark placed his gun back in the holster on his hip. “Now,” he said.
    “Where am I supposed to put them?”
    The deputy lunged into the truck and grabbed Richard by the side of the head, catching equal parts hair and beard. He brought his face inches from Richard’s. “Does it look like I give a shit where you put them? Dig a damn hole. Stick them in the basement. Just get them off my damn streets.”
    Richard grumbled something.
    “What?” Mark pulled Richard’s head to the side.
    Richard yanked his head away from his brother’s grasp. “Ow, I said that I can’t keep them around. You know that.”
    Mark spoke through a clenched jaw. “Just get them and leave them in the truck. I’ll be over tomorrow to get rid of them.” The deputy let out a long breath, and his shoulders sank. He shook his head. “You know what would have happened if someone else rolled up on your dumb ass sitting out here?”
    “I would have killed them,” Richard said.
    “Yeah, except they would have called the damn truck in. The plates are stolen, but the truck will still come back to me. You can’t be out here doing this kind of stuff, Richie. You’re causing problems for me now.”
    “What problems?”
    “There’s two feds sniffing around. They’re asking questions. They’re looking for you. Do what I say. Get the bodies and then take your ass home.”
    Richard started the truck as Mark headed back to his patrol