The X-Man by Brian R. Lundin (shoe dog free ebook .txt) 📖

for Sunday Services

Deep dark shadows covered Mariah as she watched the praying man and the woman leave the church, the dozing man was snoring loudly. She watched Esau quietly got out his seat and walk over to the man who smelled of cheap wine and unwashed body. She didn’t see the man open his bloodshot eyes and give Esau a lopsided grin and closed his eyes again, but she did see Esau pop open a switchblade knife and slowly cut the man’s throat and returned to his seat. Mariah held back a scream and slouched further down in the pew as a patch of moonlight came through the tall stain-glass window. She wanted to run out, to get away but she didn’t move and tried to silence the beating in her chest. She heard the outer door of the church open and she turned to see Reverend Wilson enter, smiled at the little man and briefly looked at the dead man whom he thought was asleep as he walked to the pulpit. Mariah slid further down in the pew and watch the little man get up, paused, and looked to his right and left before walking to where the reverend was standing. Again silence and dark shadow covered her and she was a part of them, she felt a cool breeze and pulled her tattered coat tighter and listened.

REVEREND WILSON
Welcome, my son, are you ready to be saved?

She watched the little man smile, lower his head, nod and say “Yes I am, but could I use your facilities”
REVEREND WILSON
But, of course, my son follows me

She watched as Esau followed the reverend down a dimly lit, cavernous corridor, she wanted to warn the reverend and on her hands and knees she quietly crept out the safety of the pew and looked down the hall. When they reached the bathroom she watched in horror as Esau struck the reverend hard on the head knocking him to the floor, when the reverend opened his eyes, Esau struck him again. Esau straddled the unconscious man and stabbed him repeatedly carved a large X into his chest and smeared an X on the bathroom door. Mariah returned quickly to the pew and watched as the little man passed the dead man in the pew and carved an X into his chest and left the church. “Fuckin’ coward, huh,” she heard him say as he walked out into the night. Mariah waited and looked at the crucifix behind the pulpit, she felt a moment of shame and fear, the air seemed to shift but the silence was absolute. Mariah don’t know how long she waited but eventually she slowly rose from the pew and looked around the darken church. “Was he gone, where is the reverend?” she asked herself. Keeping low she crawled on her hands and knees down the dim hallway and suddenly bumped into the reverend the top half of his body in the bathroom the other half in the hallway. She covered her mouth and saw the surprised look on his face his no-seeing eyes looking up at the Cross. I was playing chess on the computer when Lieutenants O’Shea called, his voice trembled as he said, “That black minister has been killed in his church, can you believe that,” he shouted over the phone.

RINGO
Calm down Lieu, who are you talking about?

O’SHEA (SCREAMING)
That Reverend Wilson, get your ass down there, now, your partner is on the way

At eleven-thirty I arrived at the church, the police had blocked all traffic between 43rd and 44th South Prairie Avenue and blue mars lights on the police cars and red mars lights on the emergency vehicles cast an eerie glow on the street. I heard the wail of an emergency vehicle and the roar of police sirens filled the cool night air. As I walked to the church I noticed a large crowd had gathered outside and the news trucks were setting up. Irene Maudesa was being prepped by the makeup artist as she smoothed her dark blue pantsuit. Shortly, Evetta was on the scene with Doctor Dixon. A uniform sergeant and a young police officer were standing at the door.

RINGO
Hi Sarge, I’m Sergeant Ringo and this is my partner, Evetta from the Special Crimes Bureau and Doctor Dixon from the M.E. office, what we got?

SERGEANT (NODDING AT THE POLICE OFFICER)
Officer Brady?

BRADY
I Responded to a call of a man stabbed in the church, when I arrived I was met by an elder woman named Roberta Shacks who told me that when she went into the church at about ten fifteen to pray she saw a man sitting with his head down in the pew, at first she though he was praying and she sat in the pew opposite him but then she saw blood on the floor coming from his pew she went to see if he was alright, that when she saw he had been stabbed, she ran outside and call 911. I met Mrs. Shacks on the steps of the church, entered and she showed me the man in the pew, I immediately called for an ambulance, backup and the sergeant. Mrs. Shacks told me that Reverend Wilson often worked late in his office in the rear of the church and she accompanied me to the rear and that’s where I found the reverend in the bathroom. I secured the scene and waited for the sergeant, Mrs. Shacks also said that as she entered the church a woman ran passed her covered with blood and seemed hysterical. Mrs. Shacks said she felt sick and had to leave but I got her address and phone number

RINGO
Thanks officer, make sure you send me a copy of your case report

We ducked under the yellow police tape and entered the church and walked to the pew where a man was seated head down like he was praying. Crime scene technicians were taking pictures and dusting for prints, we walked down the hall to the washroom; Reverend Wilson was laying face down on the cold floor. The sergeant and the officer joined the other police officers trying to control the crowd in front of the church. Suddenly, Lieutenant O’Shea burst through the door accompanied by two of his lackeys.

O’SHEA
What the fuck we got, sergeant?

I told the lieutenant what I knew and he looked at the dead man in the pew.

O’SHEA
Shit, damn

EVETTA
Want to see the reverend?

O’SHEA
Hell no, he said turning on his heels and walking out

DIXON
Some leader

I watched as the lieutenant and his flunkies ducked under the tape and were immediately confronted by Irene.

IRENE
Lieutenant O‘Shea, what’s happened in there?

The lieutenant without breaking stride gave her an icy look and said, “No comment,” and ducked inside his car and drove off

EVETTA
It’s him!

RINGO
Yep, well let‘s go home and get a good nice rest, tomorrow is going to be a motherfucker

Evetta picked me up at seven thirty in the morning and as usual she had a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and a copy of the Chicago Sun-Times Newspaper was laying on the seat, in bold type the front page headlines read, “REVEREND CLARENCE WILSON MURDERED IN HIS CHURCH BY THE X-MAN.”

RINGO (SIPPINGED THE SCALING HOT COFFEE)
It’s going to be a long day

EVETTA (READING FROM THE POLICE REPORT)
Roberta Starks, female black born 1984, address 4125 South Wabash, third floor

RINGO
Let’s go talk to her

EVETTA
On the way

4125 South Wabash was an old building nestled between other old and abandon buildings. Evetta took the lead as I hobbled behind on my cane, when we reached the second floor I stopped and rubbed my leg.


EVETTA
You ok?

RINGO
Yeah, sometimes this leg hangs up, I’m ok

We finally reached the third floor and Evetta knocked on the door while I braced myself against the wall, on the second knock the door was partly opened secured by a safety chain.

EVETTA (SHOWING HER IDENTIFICATION)
Roberta Starks

STARKS
Yes

EVETTA
Mrs. Starks I’m Detective Lunden and this is my partner Sergeant Ringo, may we come in?

The door closed and in a moment it opened

STARKS
Please come in officers

Mrs. Starks reiterated what Officer Brady said but she also said, “I had been in the church earlier and met a nice very attractive young man who stated that he was new to the city and was looking for a good church, we talked and prayed together and I left, he said he wanted to wait and meet the minister

RINGO
What did he look like?


STARKS
He was a small man, maybe in his late twenties or earlier thirties, very attractive, black curly hair, a beautiful coffee colored complexion, sharp facial features and a high pitched voice

EVETTA
Do you think you would recognize him again?

STARKS
I’m sure I could

Evetta left her business card and we left for the office. When we arrived we were met by a cadre of reporters camped out in the small parking lot.
As we got out the vehicle reporters and camera men, assaulted us.

REPORTERS( SCREAMING)
Is it the work of the X-Man? “What is the department doing to catch this killer?

Evetta and I continued walking my only comment was, “No comment.”
When we entered the building we were met by the lieutenant.

O’SHEA(NERVOUS)
The Ist Deputy is in my office waiting on you two, what you got?

RINGO (Walking pass the lieutenant)
Nothing

The lieutenant didn’t say anything, just stood there his face a bleak red and his mouth opened. The Ist Deputy Superintendent really run the police department, he approves all promotions, transfers and the day to day operations. Ist Deputy Superintendent Dennis Gult was a thirty year veteran and had grown up in Chicago’s Ida B. Wells Projects. He had been a standout point guard at DuSable High School and Indiana University and played two years with the Chicago Bulls but suffered a career ending knee injury. When he was promoted to sergeant he was assigned to the Gang Unit and arrested many leading gang members. When promoted to lieutenant he was assigned to the Homicide Division for two years before being promoted to captain where he was the Commanding Officer of the Vice Control Division. When Horace Williamson, a black man was elected as mayor he appointed Gult to Ist Deputy. The Chief of Police, Robert Riordan was well connected to the old Irish regime and couldn’t be replaced by the mayor but the rumor was he was retiring at the end of the year and the odds on favorite was that Gult would be the next chief. Gult was impressive, his two hundred and ten pounds was spread over a six foot six frame and his jet black skins was accentuated by an all white full beard and mingled grey hair. Gult was seated in a chair in O’Shea office his assistant Captain Patricia Woods was seated next to him. When Evetta and I entered Gult rose and shook my hand vigorously.

GULT
Long time Sarge, how you been?

RINGO
Going along, sir, going along

O’Shea sat behind his desk, his face, if possible was redder.

CAPTAIN WOODS
What we got on the latest murder, lieutenant?

O’SHEA (SURPRISED)
Not much, better ask the sergeant, he’s in charge of the case
The captain gave the lieutenant a disgusted look