Dark Justice by Kristi Belcamino (smallest ebook reader .txt) 📗

Everything in me wanted to say no. But…if he knew who the killer was, it could help me clear up this nonsense with the police. I’d hear the guy out.

I was sleeping in an oversized T-shirt, so I tugged on baggy sweatpants, grabbed a thick hoodie, and stuck my feet through my furry flip-slide slippers. No reason to get too dressed up. I was just going to turn around and go straight back to bed.

The elevator dumped me in the dark restaurant, and I quickly made my way through it to the door leading to the private roof.

I pushed open the door and shivered.

It was foggy and freezing up that high.

In the distance, I heard the low bellow of a foghorn. Creepy.

Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea ever. I didn’t really know Carlton. He seemed nice, but what if he wanted to do something to me? If he made a move, I’d give him a swift kick in the balls. He didn’t look very strong. Even if he had a weapon, I could probably take him down.

As I thought all this, I looked around. The roof appeared empty, but there was something dark by one of the huge air conditioning units. Even though the roof was lit by the hotel sign above, there were still pockets of shadow.

“Hello?”

Maybe I’d beat him there? No. He said he was already up there.

I cautiously made my way over to the dark shadows by the air conditioner.

Then I froze. It was Maxwell Carlton. He was lying on the ground.

“Mr. Carlton?”

I knelt down to feel for a pulse.

My hand came back sticky. I whipped my phone out of my pocket and turned the flashlight on. Lifeless eyes reflected in the glow.

He was dead. His head lay in a pool of blood. A pair of scissors stuck out of his neck.

I called 911 first and then the hotel front desk. Then I called James.

“I got a call from the hotel’s general manager, Maxwell Carlton. When I went to meet him, he was dead.”

“Jesus, Gia.”

“I know.”

“This isn’t helping your case.”

“Obviously, someone is setting me up, James.”

I sounded strangely calm even though I was shaking.

It didn’t matter how many dead bodies I saw up close, it never didn’t affect me. I had never wanted to kill people. But it had happened. I’d seen my fair share of bodies, some had died from my own hand.

“On my way. Where are you?”

“Roof above the restaurant.”

“Wait? There’s a dead body at your hotel?”

“The roof.”

Hotel security arrived first. Two burly guys drew their weapons on me as soon as they came out the door.

“I’m the one who called.”

Seeing them made me realize I’d been sitting there, unconcerned, the whole time when the killer might still have been around. Unlikely, though. I was sure Carlton had been killed as soon as we hung up and was miles away before I even made it up to the roof. It would have been stupid to stick around.

Finally, the police arrived. A red-faced young officer who looked Rose’s age took me aside. Where the hell was James?

“I’m freezing,” I said. My teeth were chattering, and I was shaking. “Can I at least wait in the restaurant downstairs.”

He frowned and then his partner shrugged.

Down in the restaurant, I was told to sit in a corner until the detective could interview me. I wanted to drop James’s name but figured they’d find out soon enough.

I was curled up in the chair and nearly asleep when a man in an overcoat and messy hair rushed in. He spoke with the police officers at the door and then they all looked over at me.

“I’m Detective Stone,” he said. “I understand you are a guest at the hotel?”

“Where is the commander?” I asked and blinked.

He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know. Is there a problem?”

I reached for my phone and texted James.

“Should I talk to Detective Stone? Do I need an attorney? Where are you?”

“Something came up. Yes. Talk to Stone. Probably best if we just get this cleared up now.”

I turned to the detective. “All clear to talk to you.”

“I just have a few questions, then you can get back to your room. Why don’t you begin with where you were right before you came up to the roof?”

I told him about the call from Maxwell Carlton.

“Do you know each other? Is it normal for him to call you in the middle of the night?”

“Not normal,” I said. “I only met him the other day.”

“How did he get your number?”

“Good question. I wondered the same thing,” I said. “I’m assuming Dante gave it to him. But that doesn’t really seem like Dante, either. Usually, he would have asked me before giving it out. Dante is my business partner. He was the one who had me join the gala fundraising committee. Which is where I met Mr. Carlton.”

“Does it seem odd to you that he called?”

“Yes, very.”

“But you agreed to meet him anyway?” he asked in a voice that contained no emotion but instantly felt accusatory.

I shook my head. “Yeah. In hindsight, it was sort of dumb. I guess my only excuse is that I was tired. I still have some jet lag and was in bed when he called. At the time, it seemed to make sense, but now? No.”

“And he said he was calling because he had information about Rosenbloom’s death?”

“That’s what he said.”

“But you just met?”

I nodded. “Listen,” I said. “It doesn’t make any sense to me either.”

A woman in a beige trench coat and shaggy hair called his name. When I looked over, her eyes were cold.

“Excuse me,” he said and got up. “My partner is calling me.”

As soon as he walked away, I texted James.

“What the fuck is going on? Why aren’t you here. I’m starting to think my attorney should be here and I shouldn’t be saying shit.”

He didn’t respond for a few seconds. While I waited, I watched the detective and his partner across the room. They were speaking and glancing