Read Online Random Victim by Michael A. Black - Free Book Online Page A

and went out to his car. It was eight thirty, but he was just a few blocks
     away. Ryan had said nine and that still gave him plenty of time. When he got to their temporary office in room 110, he saw
     Ryan sitting at one of the desks, carefully sipping a large cup of steaming black coffee. He looked up and flashed a weak
     grin.
    “You look raring to go,” Ryan said.
    “Yeah, that makes one of us.”
    Ryan shook his head slowly, as if it hurt to move.
    “Oh, fuck me,” he said. “The girlfriend ended up working late, and I kept drinking till she got to Heaven and joined me.”
     His fingers massaged his temples. “We ended up closing the place down.”
    Obviously a match made in heaven, Leal thought.
    “Then today the bitch calls in sick,” Ryan said. “Shit, that’s what I should’ve done.” He took another small sip of the coffee.
    The door opened and Hart came in wearing a tan pants suit with a white blouse. Leal nodded to her and smiled.
    “Good morning,” she said.
    “Maybe for you it is,” Ryan said. “You seen Smith?”
    “No, Sergeant Ryan,” she said.
    “Oh, Christ, Hart,” Ryan said. “Don’t start with that ‘Sergeant Ryan’ shit this early in the morning.” His vocal cords stretched
     for tenor as he mimicked her voice.
    Leal watched Hart’s face redden.
    “Hey,” he said, “lay off my partner.” She glanced at him, her cheeks still showing circular red patches on each cheek. “Don’t
     mind him. He’s just extremely hungover.”
    Hart looked away without saying anything and Leal wondered if he’d done the wrong thing sticking up for her. Maybe she has
     to learn to hold her own around here, he thought.
    Ryan had procured an electric coffeemaker that was still half-full. Leal grabbed the pot and a paper cup, refilling Ryan’s
     before pouring his own. Just as he did this, the door flew open and Joe Smith hurried in, nodding and smiling. He looked sharp
     in a lightweight dark suit and pale blue shirt. His unknotted tie was draped around his lapels.
    “Sorry I’m late,” he said. “My wife’s pregnant and I thought I was going to have to take her to the hospital this morning.”
    “False alarm?” Leal asked.
    Smith nodded again.
    “Fabulous,” said Ryan. “Now why don’t we all sit down and decide how to proceed with this cluster fuck.” He drank some more
     coffee and closed his eyes.
    They each sat at their respective desks, turning the chairs so they faced each other.
    “Well, hopefully everybody’s had the chance to review the file. Any ideas?” Ryan looked at Leal first.
    Leal shook his head, holding his hand out for the others. At this point he was content to be a counterpuncher, seeing what
     the rest of them had to offer.
    Smith leaned forward and smacked his file into the palm of his hand. “It’s a cold trail, Sarge. The way I see it, she could’ve
     been a random victim. Somebody after her purse, her ride, or maybe even her. Maybe she got jacked, and it went too far, so
     they killed her and dumped the body.”
    Ryan stopped massaging his temples and looked up.
    “All right, I’ll buy that so far, but if it was just a simple car thief, why wouldn’t he have just followed her and ripped
     the ride when she went in the restaurant? Or if it was a carjacking, why not just dump her on the road if the killer did ice
     her on the spot. Why take the chance of riding around with a dead body on the seat next to you?”
    “Well, she was dumped in the pond,” Hart offered.
    “Yeah, in a fucking trunk,” Ryan said. “How many carjackers carry one of those around?”
    Hart sat back.
    “So you’re ruling out robbery then?” Leal asked.
    Ryan scratched his cheek, then reached in his pocket, withdrawing a pack of cigarettes. He stuck one in his mouth and lit
     it, exhaling a stream of smoke.
    “As big as this case is, we can’t afford to rule out anything,” Ryan said. “It could have been that she was targeted for a
     crime—robbery, rape, whatever,