Omens (Cainsville 1)

"I cheated you out of an exhilarating chase down filthy alleys. Let's play follow-the-omens instead."

He started off. I stayed where I was until two guys at the corner began calculating the distance between me and Gabriel. I hurried to catch up with him.

"You lied," I said.

"Undoubtedly. Which particular instance are we talking about?"

"Your aunt told you something about me."

"Only that I should trust your hunches, even when you don't." He stopped at the corner. "Now which way?"

I felt something tug my attention to the left, and he noticed.

"Excellent. Off we go, then. The game's afoot."

"I don't believe you just said that."

He smiled down at me and picked up his pace.

"Is that...?" I whispered.

I stared at the foot protruding from a pile of moldy cardboard. I kept telling myself it was a coincidence. Another passed-out drunk.

Lying facedown.

Covered in cardboard.

Gabriel hauled off the moldy pieces and tossed them aside without so much as a fastidious wipe on his trousers.

When he was done, we were staring at a man with a bullet hole through his back.

Gabriel didn't check for a pulse. There was no need, I suppose, but I did anyway, crouching and pressing my fingers to the man's neck. He was still warm. But dead. Definitely dead. Blue eyes stared at the ground.

Gabriel checked the man's pockets. "No wallet. No cell."

"Robbery then," I said.

Gabriel didn't seem to hear me. He was tapping away at his phone. After a moment, he turned it to face me. On the screen was a photo of the man lying in front of us.

"Josh Gray?" I said.

Gabriel nodded.

"But the killer took his cell phone and wallet...?"

"To delay identification."

"Right." I inhaled and collected my thoughts. "He hung up on you and came out to call someone without his girlfriend overhearing. Whoever he called told him to wait. He did."

"That's a plausible theory, yes, but--"

"Leave it as a theory until proven otherwise. I know."

I looked around. There was a Dumpster ten feet away. I walked over and climbed up until I could see inside.

"It's less than half full. If you're trying to hide the body, why not dump him in here?"

"Lack of time. Or lack of strength. I could manage it, but it would be difficult, and it would leave me covered with blood."