Messiahs by Matt Rogers (bookstand for reading txt) 📕

yellow they were almost brown. ‘That’s good. That’s real good.’

He swaggered to the back door, opened it, and stepped down to a stretch of bare land behind the main building. None of the rooms faced out back — all windows faced the street. It was a dead zone for witnesses. But there was nothing incriminating, just dead grass and patches of dirt.

Wyatt led them to a corrugated shed that looked like a garage.

‘My tool shed,’ he explained. ‘A little bigger than most, but I do all the repairs here myself.’

Slater couldn’t fathom the disconnect — how lackadaisically the man discussed regular maintenance as he took them to a body.

Slater said, ‘Where is she?’

Wyatt cocked his head. He didn’t turn around, kept walking toward the side of the shed, but his tone changed. ‘You’re a grumpy one, ain’t ya?’

King said, ‘First job jitters. He’ll be fine.’

Wyatt approached the door and took a small ring of keys out of one of his pockets. He fiddled with the old lock. ‘Well, ain’t you two lucky, then. Maeve gets people like you to do this sort of business ninety-five percent of the time. But there’s the odd set of circumstances that sometimes means I’ve gotta get my hands dirty. This broad ended up renting a room by coincidence, and the Riordans had no one in the area. Picked up the phone and asked me to choke her out. Isn’t that funny? That sort of thing being discussed over the phone … I don’t know, maybe I’m old-fashioned…’

He got the door open, pushed it in, and stepped into the musty shed.

Slater didn’t budge.

He didn’t know how to control himself and maintain their cover.

King walked past, clapped a hand on Slater’s shoulder, and said, ‘Shame we didn’t get to gut the pig ourselves, hey, partner?’

It worked.

The disgusting remark helped dissipate some of the anger, spread it away so it wasn’t solely concentrated on Wyatt. Slater knew King didn’t mean it, and it was strange enough to shock him out of his rage.

He erected a mental wall, took a deep breath, and followed them into the shed.

30

King went in first, behind Wyatt, so he saw her first.

A thin middle-aged woman, naked, her face mutilated, her corpse dangling from a crude meat hook fixed to the roof.

Around her were shelves of tools and a couple of disassembled shells that were previously old cars. King didn’t notice any of it. All he saw was the woman, and Wyatt staring up at her with a smile on his face.

King said, ‘Well, that’s something. Who is she?’

Wyatt turned, surprised. ‘Maeve ain’t told ya?’

King shook his head. ‘It’s the first we’re hearing and seeing of this. But Maeve’d send us back for the body eventually, so we might as well take it off your hands now. So, who is she?’

‘Journalist,’ Wyatt said, returning his gaze to the corpse. ‘One of those independent ones, I dunno the term. She was sniffing around in places she didn’t belong. I can seem harmless enough when I’m just the simple fat man behind the desk, ya know? People tell me things. I struck up a conversation with her when she checked in. She said she was looking into a number of … uh … “unexplained disappearances.” I think that was it. But y’all must know how many of those “disappearances” take place at this here motel, so I ain’t like it when I heard that. I told Maeve, and she gave me the order. So there we go.’

King said, ‘You said she put up a fight?’

‘I asked for her help out back here,’ Wyatt said. ‘She didn’t like it. Came into the shed, but then she musta sensed something was off ’cause she tried to run.’

Silence.

Wyatt smirked. ‘I know what you’re thinking. I’m fast over short distances. Pinned her to the wall and beat her stupid head in. Not sure what exactly killed her, but … doesn’t matter, does it?’

King said, ‘Maeve gets you to do that often?’

Wyatt shrugged. ‘Usually Dane gives the orders. This time it was Maeve. I’ve had to do it … I dunno … half a dozen times? They kinda blur together.’

‘Who’s Dane?’

Wyatt took a long time to answer. ‘You sure you work for them?’

‘Who’s Dane?’

’They ain’t introduced ya, yet?’

‘No.’

‘Well, you didn’t hear it from me,’ Wyatt said. ‘He’s her husband. Them two run the whole setup.’ He paused, ruminating. ‘Hey, you tried some of that Bodhi yet?’

‘No,’ King said.

Wyatt’s face lit up. ‘It sure is something. Don’t be afraid to, either. Them Riordans have convinced all their “disciples” that it’s the key to spiritual enlightenment or some shit, but it’s just damn good. You don’t get sucked into their fancy words and just take the Bodhi and you’ll have yourself a grand old time. I guarantee that.’

King nodded. ‘Who else runs the cult?’

Wyatt grimaced. ‘I wouldn’t call it that in front of them. They’re sensitive, you know. But who you met so far?’

‘Just Maeve.’

‘That’s it,’ Wyatt said. ‘Maeve’s the big show and Dane’s like the … secret police. Does all the security and shit. But they don’t let anyone else up top. Maybe you two will be the first to get promoted, who knows.’

‘Thanks,’ King said. ‘We have all we need.’

Wyatt looked up at the body, grinned, and turned back. ‘You want to know—?’

King pulled his Glock and trained it on Wyatt’s face.

‘No,’ he said. ‘I don’t.’

31

Wyatt didn’t seem to compute.

His lips flapped as he stared down the barrel.

He said, ‘I’m sorry if I said something that offended you, sir.’

King said, ‘Really?’

Behind them, the body dangled limply on the meat hook.

Wyatt said, ‘Killin’ me would be a bad idea.’

‘Would it?’

‘Maeve’ll find out. I’m one of her best resources. Y’all ain’t want to get on her bad side.’

King said, ‘That’s where you’re wrong. We most definitely want to get on her bad side. And I’m not going to do anything to you. I’m just holding you in place.’

‘For what?’

Slater pushed past King, grabbed a handful of Wyatt’s hair, and kicked