Split the Middle by Michael Golvach

Author:Michael Golvach
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: hard-boiled detective, hard-boiled crime, noir murder mystery, noir crime thriller, crime fiction
Publisher: Evolved Publishing LLC
Published: 2017-10-02T00:00:00+00:00

XVI

Bryan awoke to the shrill ring of his work phone. “Verrill,” he answered, reaching over and patting at Mindy’s side of the bed. He didn’t feel her there and didn’t bother to continue trying. After their last night’s row, he hadn’t expected she would be.

“Hey, Junior-G. It’s Beck. Autopsy came back this morning. Fucking unbelievable. I need you to come down here immediately.”

“Where are you calling from? Broker?” he asked, wiping his eyes.

“Yeah, Broker. Been here since, literally, five minutes after we parted ways last night. They wanted me to call you in too, but I managed to talk them off the ledge. The brass wants us here sitting on our asses—wide awake twenty four hours of every day—in case something breaks with this fucking murder and I figured you at least had a shot at getting laid. You can thank me later. And where the fuck else would I be? Oh yeah, I forgot for a second. Felt like the old days.” Payden’s response brought back the pain of the previous night’s argument, sucker-punching Bryan in the gut. “The fuck are you doing, anyway? My ass is getting numb waiting for you to show up. Say hello to your captain. And get the fuck down here. This is big.”

Bryan heard scuffling on the other end of the line. “Hello? What is this?” he heard the captain ask Payden. “Beck, what in Saint Mary’s blessed virgin tuppy-hole is wrong with you?” Then the phone went dead.

Bryan was dressed and out the door a few minutes later. He hadn’t bothered brushing his teeth. If Payden was saying what he thought he was saying, it was interrogation time. And that always went down better when he had a bad taste in his mouth to begin with.

Noticing his car was gone, Bryan called Payden back. “Yo, Beck, I need someone to pick me up. Can you come out?”

“The fuck are you talking about, you need someone to come pick you up? Tell Mindy you’re not a ride at an amusement park. Then get in that faggot-assed pimp mobile she stuck you with and motor. We don’t have time to fuck around. This is huge.”

The phone went dead again. He had to call back several more times before Payden realised he actually did need a ride. One of the troubles with familiarity. It makes everything wrong seem right.

A black and white came by to pick him up about fifteen minutes later and they arrived back at the station at approximately 10 o’clock. Bryan thanked the officers as he walked into the precinct lobby, past the gatekeeper and into the interrogation block.

Payden caught him immediately. “Did I just hear you thank those fucking pukes out there, Verrill? Tell me my ears deceive me? Are you going soft? Going limp?” He was laughing again, always at the expense of others.

“Give them a break, Beck,” he replied. “They’re just doing the job you couldn’t be bothered to.” Bryan’s face felt like uncarved stone.

“Fuckin’ A,” Payden replied. “If

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