Carnival Noir by Craig McDonald

Author:Craig McDonald [McDonald, Craig]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Amazon: B009XZI7YE
Publisher: Night Town Books, LTD
Published: 2013-11-07T23:00:00+00:00

30

Sable, looking haggard and engrossed in his leatherwork, nodded Salome to a chair. She sat and waited for him to give her the signal to begin.

A radio playing softly from somewhere deeper in the trailer: “Atlantic City police say that the unnamed child’s body was found under the boardwalk near Pounder’s Point. The child was strangled. Among articles of clothing found with the girl’s body were a pair of red shoes decorated with rhinestones and silver stars.

“Police confirm they suspect the girl is a victim of the killer dubbed the Cobbler, who is considered by FBI officials to be responsible for similar child murders in South Carolina, Georgia, south Florida and Alabama. The most recent killing, officials say, is the second to occur in the northern region of the country. Another body was found by New Jersey police some days ago, deposited close to the same site of the most recently discovered corpse. The Cobbler’s nickname is inspired by the strange and hand-fashioned footwear he places on victims’ feet.

“In local news, a 29-year-old prostitute has been found guilty of solicitation despite her claims that sexual relations are an integral element of her spiritual instruction. Chiffon Mercedes, a self-ordained reverend, claims she and her female associates are not prostitutes, but instead, ‘passionate missionaries’ for Mercedes’ so-called ‘Church of the Agape Way.’ Mercedes claims that money paid herself and her associates following ‘rhapsodic recitations’ should be regarded as nothing more than religious offerings and therefore should be exempt from state or federal income tax.”

Sable flipped off the radio, laughing at that last. “Saving souls, one cock at a time, eh?”

Salome nodded at the rumpled, bleary-eyed carnival manager. “Got your page.”

Sable rubbed his puffy eyes. “I had a bad dream,” he said hoarsely. The carnival manager looked like he was coming off a three-day drunk. His formerly neatly combed hair was disheveled. He was wearing wrinkled black jeans and a lint-specked black sweater with no shirt underneath.

“Tell me about your dream,” Salome said softly.

“I dreamt that I was walking alone in a pasture, naked.” Sable said. The shadow of a smile. “I confess I was feeling a bit smug, content with the knowledge of a wonderful and strange secret.” He raised a hand. “No, before you ask, I don’t remember what it was. The sun was up and glowed orange on my skin. The grass was tall and wild and covered with dew. My feet and calves were wet with the dew. I walked on a time, calm and unashamed. Suddenly, I came upon a procession of giant Tarot cards, each card as large as myself and thrust into the grass. I moved uneasily from card to card. All of them were upside down, except the last.”

“And what was that last card?”

“The Judgment. I knelt before it, shaking, studying the image of the Angel Gabriel, blowing his horn and the naked dead rising from their coffins in answer to his call. I realized I was being watched. I looked around me, moving my hand over my loins.

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