The Cold Light of Day Read Online Free

“We’ve retrieved five thumbs from the mess already, so that’s at least three victims with that one shot.”
    “Where would a citizen get hold of a shell like that?”
    The Judge shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me. They haven’t been manufactured since the war, and they’re pretty unstable. That’s why no one makes them any more: they have a tendency to spontaneously explode all on their own. I remember back in ’71, when I was assigned to Texas City. A guy found a dozen of them and thought they’d make nice paperweights. He gave them out to his friends. Man, that was messy. Four of them exploded on the same day. We thought it was a terrorist attack. Took us ages to track down the rest of them.”
    In the diner’s kitchen, Sector Chief Daniel Mendillo looked on as another Judge was interviewing a young woman. She trembled as Dredd entered, and tugged tighter on the blanket around her shoulders.
    “He came in shootin’,” the witness said. “I never bin so scared in my life!”
    “Can you describe him?” the Judge asked.
    Dredd said, “She can’t. She’s lying. Opportunist, hoping for air-time on the networks or compensation from the diner.”
    Mendillo—a short, stocky man with grey hair and heavy bags under his eyes—turned to face Dredd. “What?”
    “Perp didn’t come in shooting,” Dredd said. “Positions of the bodies, fallen shell-casings and bullet-holes in the walls show that he was already inside before he opened fire. He shot his way out of the diner, not in. Suggest you book her for obstruction and order a psych-eval.”
    The interviewing Judge took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Listen, kid, don’t tell me my job, okay? I’ve been doing this since before you were born. Witnesses often confuse the order of events. She—”
    “You seen the room out there?” Dredd asked. “Perp had two weapons besides the grenade. One with large calibre rounds, explosive tips. Probably a point-seven-six recoilless. Standard mag contains ten rounds. Used that first, took head-shots. When he ran dry, he switched to a high-velocity handgun. Gut-shots, chest-shots.”
    “I don’t see what any of that’s got to do with the veracity of the witness’s statement.”
    “There’s no blood on her,” Dredd said.
    Mendillo sighed through gritted teeth. “Stomm. He’s right. Get her out of here, Carney. Just... Just throw her out. There’s more than enough to worry about without having to book her too.”
    Judge Carney took the woman by the arm and wouldn’t look Dredd in the eye as he manoeuvred her around Dredd toward the doorway.
    Mendillo began, “Dredd, this concerns you because—”
    Dredd interrupted. “Hold it.” He turned and called after Judge Carney. “The other way, Carney. Take her out through the back. Don’t contaminate the crime scene any further. And if you want my advice”—this was directed to Mendillo as much as Carney—“if you’re not going to charge her, you’ll put her somewhere secure until the scene has been released. The networks pay well for early inside scoops.”
    “Do it,” Mendillo said. “Thirty-six hours at least.”
    Wordlessly, Carney led the woman out through the back door. Dredd and Mendillo watched them go, then Mendillo said, “Just want to check. You’re Joe, not Rico?”
    Dredd nodded.
    “Good. I called in Judge Amber Ruiz to head up this investigation—she’s on the way—and she requested you. You answer to her. Understood?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Mendillo took another deep breath, then exhaled quickly. “All right. Here’s the situation. Judges Collins and Pendleton were on patrol nearby, responded to the shooting. Perp took them both out. They were good Judges. Knew them personally: Pendleton and I were in the Academy together. So I want this drokker found. I don’t care what it takes. Got that?”
    “Understood.”
    “Ruiz will fill in the blanks. Until she gets here, touch nothing and keep your mouth shut.” He moved