The X-Man by Brian R. Lundin (100 best novels of all time .TXT) 📕

the door.

GLORIA
Sure, come on in the bathroom is down the hall. It’s not much, but its home care for some tea?

ESAU
Yes, thank you

Esau looked around the small two-room apartment, an old worn two-drawer dresser was next to a neatly made cot that was in one corner, a small television sat on two milk crates in another corner and a small card table chair sat in front of the television. Esau walked down the hall, past the bathroom and into the kitchen where Gloria woman was putting water in a teakettle. When she turned around the Esau struck her in the face with a stocking that contained rolls of pennies. The woman staggered back and fell on the sink; a look of utter terror and surprise was etched on her face, she tried to move but he struck her again and she fell unconscious on the floor. Esau pulled her limp body into the front room and began undressing her. Esau pulled down Gloria’s pink lace panties and closed his eyes as he sniffed them. He pulled two pairs of pantyhose from his pocket, tied one pair around her arms and another pair he stuffed in her mouth. The woman opened her terror filled eyes and looked up at him; he smiled as he raped her. After he had finished he removed the double condom and placed it in a small baggie. He then struck the terror stricken woman again with the weighted stocking, and dragged her into the bathroom and hoisted her into the tub. He spread her legs apart and propped her back against the edge of the tub and turned on the water carefully testing it so that it was lukewarm. The woman opened her glazed eyes; please she tried to say through the gag “Don’t kill me,” but the man smiled as he plunged the knife into her chest that gazed the left side of her heart, he pulled the knife free and plunged it into her chest again and again. He looked down at the dead woman and carved a deep X into her torso. He put his hands into her blood and drew a bloody X on the bathroom mirror. He then removed a jar from his pocket and put pieces of white skin under three of her fingernails. The man slowly backed out of the bathroom examining the area carefully as he removed the latex gloves. He looked for anything that could be used for evidence. He slowly backed into the living room searching the area. He spotted a small trace of blood on the floor where he had raped her. He took out an antiseptic soaked handkerchief and cleaned up the blood. He knew he couldn’t be too careful; a single drop of blood, a semen stain, a footprint or a fingerprint, a single strain of hair left could result in the coppers kicking in his door, and he knew that most criminals no matter how careful usually left something behind, but they were stupid and careless he was neither. He then slowly walked over to the dresser besides the cot and opened the two drawers, one had papers but the other had what he was seeking, he carefully removed the four pair of clean panties and held them to his nose for a moment. He removed a portable battery operated vacuum cleaner from his pocket and ran it over the floor and under the cot. He went through the apartment looking for anything that could indicate his presence, but found nothing, he was not worried about fingerprints or palm prints because he had worn latex gloves and besides he had never been arrested or fingerprinted. After taking a picture of the dead woman he slowly walked down the stairs, looked both ways and after seeing no one, slowly left the apartment.

INT: RIVER OAKS BALLY HEALTH CLUB POOL- 1 November 2008

I had just completed twenty laps in the pool and was in the locker room when my cell phone ranged, it was one of the secretary.

SECRETARY
Sergeant I, there’s been another one, at 4410 South King, I’ve also notified Evetta

Evetta and I arrived at 4410 South King Drive at the same time and made our way up the stairs to apartment 2B. There was a blur of activity in the room as forensic technicians, police officers and Area One Homicide Investigators attended to the business of preserving the crime scene and examining the apartment. Area One Homicide Detective Batoy gave me a copy of the preliminary report.

BATOY
Got a report from the tech he found skin under the victim’s fingernail belonged to a white man, think it’s a copycat?

RINGO
“Shit,” I said, “this city would go up in smoke if the blacks found that out.”

BATOY
Are you going to announce that?


RINGO
Hell no, not yet


Me and Evetta went into the small front room and I began reading the report as we walked into the bathroom were the victim was propped up in the bathtub her non-seeing eyes glaring at us.

EVETTA
Got word from Lieutenant numbnuts, Mr. Pepper was in the office for three hours looking at the mug book, no good but Mrs. Starks is suppose to come in later to view the mug book.

The latest murder in Chicago’s black community hit the national news that following morning and continued the entire day and was front-page news in the local papers and new shows. Over five hundred people organized by the community pastors staged a demonstration in front of police headquarters at 3500 South State Street. The growing crowd was growing edgy, taunts and accusations begin to ring out.

VOICE IN THE CROWD
The police don’t care about catching the killer because all the victims were blacks and in lived in all black communities

Another group of young blacks claimed the killing were part of a government conspiracy at genocide while some of the ministers spoke on loudspeakers claiming that white racists committed the killings. A surging crowd of reporters and news crews shoved their microphones at any police officer wearing a white shirt that indicated they were supervisors, but most of the citizens of Bronzeville were glued in front of their televisions as dour face newscasters flashed pictures of the victims across the screen and interviewed the mayor and the Chief of Police who stated that extra police officers were assigned to the community. The governor promised to assign State Police Officers to help in the investigation and request assistance from the FBI. What had been kept from the press were the thefts of each victim’s underwear. People started arming themselves, buying Pit Bulls and German Shepherds, making sure all the windows and doors were locked, installing burglar alarms and scrutinizing their neighbors.

INT: PERSHING MOTEL -420 East 39th Street - 11 October 2008
Esau Sneed awoke early he was feeling good as he turned on the television to NBC news and sat back on the bed a Irene Maudesa black female reporter was talking about the murder of Reverend Wilson and the murder of another black woman last night. He was amazed at how dumb and stupid the police was and he laughed aloud as he thought about the reverend, “Coward huh, I showed you who the coward was you black mutherfucker,” he said to the television.

IRENE MAUDESA
I’m reporting from the Special Crime Bureau and talking with Detective Sergeant, Doctor John Ringo the lead investigator on these murders, Doctor I anything new on the investigation?

Esau sat up and watches the television intently.

RINGO
I really can’t go into details, but we do have a witness and have some evidence.

Esau jumped out the bed and flopped down on a hard card table chair.

ESAU (SHOUTING AT THE TELEVISION)
What witness and what evidence?

RNGO (CONT)
The killer is very careful and he thinks he‘s clever, but like all criminals he made a mistake and will make another one


Esau started thinking about the recent murders, he relived everyone, and tried to think who could have seen him; he had been careful not to leave anything behind, he snorted a line of coke and hoped it would enhance his mind but it didn’t work. Who is the witness and what evidence? He repeated over and over and then did another line.


IRENE MAUDESA,
Thank you sergeant and good luck, Irene Maudesa, reporting for NBC news

As soon as the media had left, Lieutenant O’Shea burst into Ringo’s office.

LIEUTENANT O’SHEA (SCREAMING)
What fuckin’ witness and what fuckin’ evidence you didn‘t tell me anything about a witness or evidence?

I went to the refrigerator and removed a Coke.

LIEUTENANT O’SHEA (STILL SCREAMING)
Well, I’m waiting!

I sat the coke down on my desk and took a seat.

RINGO (SIPPING THE COKE)
Well, isn’t a lot to tell, I’m waiting to interview a possible witness

The lieutenant getting redder and angrier started to say something when over the loudspeakers, “Lieutenant O’Shea Captain Patricia Woods on line two.” Pointing his finger at me, the lieutenant said, “We’ll talk about this later,” as he stormed out the office.

EVETTA(SMILING)
You certainly know how to piss him off
A few minutes later Charley Turner entered and removed a report from his briefcase, “Good news Boss, we got a print and a match from the registered letter.

RINGO AND EVETTA
Great!

TURNER
The writer is a Mariah Woodberry, thirty-five, one arrest for panhandling and one for shoplifting baby clothes at Wal-mart but he bad news is she’s homeless

EVETTA
“Shit!

Evetta was at home preparing dinner for her family when her cell phone ranged. Her husband and two boys were playing a video football game on the machine.

BULL
Mama?

EVETTA
What’s up Bull?

BULL
Might have something for you, where and when can we meet?


Evetta though a minute and looked at her family in the living room. Jacobe, eight was sitting on the pillow next to Jamare, ten. Jashaun, three was sitting in his father’s lap. Jacobe was frantically working the controls on the video game and her husband La Shaun was rooting loudly as Jashaun yelled “Touchdown,” and high fived his father.


EVETTA
What about Sarge’s Joint in Roseland?

BULL
Cool, meet you in an hour

EVETTA (WALKINGED INTO THE LIVING ROOM)
Time out, Jashaun come into the kitchen a minute please

JASHAUN
Be right back, guys, what’s up?

EVETTA
Got to go to work baby, got a call from a snitch that might have some information on the X-Man

JASHAUN
It's late babe, can’t it wait until tomorrow

EVETTA
I’d better go; it might save a young woman’s life

JASHAUN
Is John going with you?

EVETTA
He’s my snitch he might not talk if John’s there, but I’ll call him for backup

Sarge’s Lounge was located on the far south side of the city n Roseland. It was a “Police bar,” with dark paneling and an equally dark ceiling. Leroy Ellison a retired police sergeant owned the bar and most of his customers were police officers. Evetta arrived at Sarge’s Lounge at 10 pm, two men were shooting pool and a couple was dancing to the music of the 4-Tops. Two men were sitting at the bar talking with the Leroy, she saw they were both armed and assumed they were police officers.
LEROY
Hey beautiful. Guys this is Detective Lunden, I broke her in, I mean on the job. These mopes are Elton McMann and William Jarvis; they work