The Crucifix Killer(63)

Hunter’s steady expression remained unchanged.

‘This is a computer image,’ D-King said a little surprised.

‘Yeah!’

‘And why is that?’

‘I’m afraid I can’t disclose that information.’

‘I’m afraid I can’t help you.’ The reply came almost immediately.

The two detectives exchanged a quick look. ‘Look Mr Preston, this is extremely important . . .’

‘Sister Joan used to call me Mr Preston in lower school’ – D-King raised his right hand interrupting Hunter before he had a chance to finish his sentence – ‘you can call me D-King.’

Hunter didn’t like being interrupted. ‘As I was saying, this is a very important matter.’

‘I’m sure it is, but let me tell you how this works. If you want me to help you, you’ve gotta give me something, baby. I’m a businessman, I have no time for bullshit and you won’t get no freebies here.’

Hunter didn’t like negotiating, especially not with people like D-King, but he knew he didn’t have much of a choice. He’d observed D-King and Jerome’s reaction while their eyes analyzed the picture on the table. He knew they’d recognized her. If he wanted them to help him, he needed to play ball.

‘She’s dead. She’s been killed in a very horrific way and her face . . .’ Hunter searched for the appropriate word. ‘Is unrecognizable. We had to use a special program to hypothesize what she looked like.’

D-King kept his stare on Hunter for a while longer before reaching for the picture. He considered it for a few more seconds. Hunter had no doubt D-King had recognized the woman in the picture, but there was something else. Some hidden emotion.

‘What makes you think I’d know this woman?’

Hunter knew what he was trying to do. ‘Listen, P-Diddy . . .’

‘D-King . . .’

‘Whatever. I’m not interested in you or in what you do. Whatever illegal business you conduct, I’m sure the law will catch up with you soon enough, but today is not that day. You might not believe this, but you aren’t a suspect in this investigation. The person who killed her killed again yesterday, and he’ll keep on killing until we stop him. Her identity could give us a clue as to who this monster is. If she is one of your girls . . .’

‘One of my girls?’ D-King interrupted Hunter once again. He wasn’t about to admit to being a sex merchant.

‘You wanna play dumb, go right ahead, but at this point in time I couldn’t give a shit if you were the biggest pimp in the world, I’m not after you. We’re Homicide, not Narc.’

D-King placed the picture back on the table. ‘Nice speech, Detective.’

Hunter took a deep breath. His stare was still fixed on the man sitting in front of him.

D-King quickly saw an opportunity opening its doors. ‘If you need my help, maybe we can get into some sort of agreement.’

‘Agreement?’ Hunter knew what was coming.

‘Every once in a while I need some help from the boys in black and white. I help you, you help me and everyone’s happy. It can be a very profitable partnership for both sides.’

Only then Garcia realized what D-King meant. Unlike Hunter he was unable to contain himself.

‘Fuck you! Someone has tortured and killed one of your girls and you couldn’t give a damn? I thought you were supposed to protect them, to be their guardian. Isn’t that what pimps do?’ Garcia’s face flared red. His voice angry and loud, causing the occupants of most of the neighboring tables to turn their way. ‘Now you’re using her death to try and get us into your dirty-cop pay list? Some kinda king you are. Maybe you should think about changing your name to D-Loser.’ Garcia got up and waited for Hunter to do the same. He didn’t follow.

Garcia’s antics made D-King laugh. ‘Oh c’mon now, you’re not gonna play the old “good cop, bad cop” crap on me, are you? Do you take me for a fool? That shit only works in movies, and this ain’t fucking it?’

‘We’re not playing games here,’ Hunter said calmly, ‘but the killer is. Detective Garcia is right. This killer took one of your girls from you and left you a big “fuck you” as a souvenir.’ Hunter leaned forward placing both of his elbows on the table. ‘We don’t think you’re a fool but the killer certainly does. He’s laughing at you and I’m not surprised. He waltzed into your turf, snatched one of your girls and you didn’t even know. Did you think she was on vacation? What’ll happen if he decides to take another one of your girls? Maybe one of the girls who were sitting with you just a few minutes ago.’