we came down here to check on him.”
“That it?”
“That’s it.”
“What’s the deal with that tattoo on his cheek? You ever seen it before?”
“No. The killer must’ve stamped him.”
Maggie asked Josephs, “What’s the status on the search?”
“The unis tell me this boat’s clean. We think whoever did this did it somewhere else, then dunked Froelich’s head in fly gel to preserve it before bringin’ it here.” To me he said, “Now why don’t you tell me where you fit in with Wu and Froelich.”
“We’re buddies.” Poker face.
“Fuckin’ bullshit. You got some shit goin’ with them two, and you’re gonna tell me what it is.”
“We’re just friends. Pals.”
“We got a dead cop. We can’t let that go unanswered. You know that. If you three were into some shit, you gotta let me know. You back to your old tricks?”
Maggie chimed in. “You know who did this, don’t you, Juno?”
Possibly, I thought with locked lips.
“A cop is dead,” said Josephs. “Fuckin’ decapitated. You understand how much pressure’s gonna come down on us? If you know somethin’, you can’t keep us in the dark. You can’t.”
I felt the pressure, their combined heat bearing down on me. But I held strong. “I told you everything I know.”
Maggie seized my wrist. My heart started it was so sudden. “Don’t you dare shut me out.” She raised an accusing finger, aimed it at the spot between my eyes.
“Trust me,” I said. “You don’t want any part of this. Leave it be.”
“Part of what?”
“I can’t even say for sure it’s related.”
“Talk.”
I didn’t like the way she was looking at me, her brows dipped in a deep V, her lips pursed, her pretty face gone sour. Her pointing finger felt like a drill aimed at my skull.
My resolve broke like I was a two-bit snitch. I wanted to keep her clear, but this was Maggie, my very last connection to the world.
“A badge,” I said, the words bitter on my tongue. “Froelich might’ve been killed by another badge.”
Maggie’s drill of a finger went limp.
Josephs’s face went blank, any vision of a clean case shattered. “Christ. The instant I saw you I should’ve known we were fucked.”
Josephs was old-school KOP. A pimp kills a cop, and it’s time to stomp some pimp ass. An O-head kills a cop, and it’s open season on every junkie who has the bad sense to sleep in an alley. A cop kills another cop? That’s a fucking minefield.
“Fuck me,” he said. “Don’t tell me he’s brass. He better not be brass. Is he brass?” He hung on the answer.
I nodded.
“Fuck! I hate you, Juno. You know that? I’ve always hated you.”
Their phones rang, both at the same time. A holo blinked into existence just beyond the rail. Captain Emil Mota’s feet floated high over the water. “You two running this investigation?”
“Yes,” they responded.
“I just got a tip. A credible tip. I want Juno Mozambe brought in for questioning.”
seven
I FLEW through holo-Mota, diving for the river, my shades gripped in my left. My hands punctured the water, next came a slap to the top of my head, and then I was under. I plunged deep below the surface, my ears feeling the pressure. I kicked deeper, waiting for the mad spark to ignite inside me, hoping it would come so I could end this miserable existence.
No such luck.
It was cold down here. My ears hurt and so did my strained lungs. Not so rapturous after all.
I needed oxygen. Aiming straight up, I flutter-kicked for the surface. Breaking through, I sucked air into my lungs. I couldn’t believe this shit. Damn river spat me out. Bitch didn’t like the taste of me.
I looked up. Maggie was there, looking down at me, her expression unreadable from this distance. She gave me a wave. Josephs was there, too, flipping me a double bird.
Holo-Mota reappeared as Maggie must’ve called him back. She’d hung up with him as soon as he mentioned my name. From there, things had gone quick, her
“That it?”
“That’s it.”
“What’s the deal with that tattoo on his cheek? You ever seen it before?”
“No. The killer must’ve stamped him.”
Maggie asked Josephs, “What’s the status on the search?”
“The unis tell me this boat’s clean. We think whoever did this did it somewhere else, then dunked Froelich’s head in fly gel to preserve it before bringin’ it here.” To me he said, “Now why don’t you tell me where you fit in with Wu and Froelich.”
“We’re buddies.” Poker face.
“Fuckin’ bullshit. You got some shit goin’ with them two, and you’re gonna tell me what it is.”
“We’re just friends. Pals.”
“We got a dead cop. We can’t let that go unanswered. You know that. If you three were into some shit, you gotta let me know. You back to your old tricks?”
Maggie chimed in. “You know who did this, don’t you, Juno?”
Possibly, I thought with locked lips.
“A cop is dead,” said Josephs. “Fuckin’ decapitated. You understand how much pressure’s gonna come down on us? If you know somethin’, you can’t keep us in the dark. You can’t.”
I felt the pressure, their combined heat bearing down on me. But I held strong. “I told you everything I know.”
Maggie seized my wrist. My heart started it was so sudden. “Don’t you dare shut me out.” She raised an accusing finger, aimed it at the spot between my eyes.
“Trust me,” I said. “You don’t want any part of this. Leave it be.”
“Part of what?”
“I can’t even say for sure it’s related.”
“Talk.”
I didn’t like the way she was looking at me, her brows dipped in a deep V, her lips pursed, her pretty face gone sour. Her pointing finger felt like a drill aimed at my skull.
My resolve broke like I was a two-bit snitch. I wanted to keep her clear, but this was Maggie, my very last connection to the world.
“A badge,” I said, the words bitter on my tongue. “Froelich might’ve been killed by another badge.”
Maggie’s drill of a finger went limp.
Josephs’s face went blank, any vision of a clean case shattered. “Christ. The instant I saw you I should’ve known we were fucked.”
Josephs was old-school KOP. A pimp kills a cop, and it’s time to stomp some pimp ass. An O-head kills a cop, and it’s open season on every junkie who has the bad sense to sleep in an alley. A cop kills another cop? That’s a fucking minefield.
“Fuck me,” he said. “Don’t tell me he’s brass. He better not be brass. Is he brass?” He hung on the answer.
I nodded.
“Fuck! I hate you, Juno. You know that? I’ve always hated you.”
Their phones rang, both at the same time. A holo blinked into existence just beyond the rail. Captain Emil Mota’s feet floated high over the water. “You two running this investigation?”
“Yes,” they responded.
“I just got a tip. A credible tip. I want Juno Mozambe brought in for questioning.”
seven
I FLEW through holo-Mota, diving for the river, my shades gripped in my left. My hands punctured the water, next came a slap to the top of my head, and then I was under. I plunged deep below the surface, my ears feeling the pressure. I kicked deeper, waiting for the mad spark to ignite inside me, hoping it would come so I could end this miserable existence.
No such luck.
It was cold down here. My ears hurt and so did my strained lungs. Not so rapturous after all.
I needed oxygen. Aiming straight up, I flutter-kicked for the surface. Breaking through, I sucked air into my lungs. I couldn’t believe this shit. Damn river spat me out. Bitch didn’t like the taste of me.
I looked up. Maggie was there, looking down at me, her expression unreadable from this distance. She gave me a wave. Josephs was there, too, flipping me a double bird.
Holo-Mota reappeared as Maggie must’ve called him back. She’d hung up with him as soon as he mentioned my name. From there, things had gone quick, her
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