Read Wild Cards [09] Jokertown Shuffle for Free Online

consciousness and bring it back to her body. I can settle with her later."
    "I hope it will be that easy," Father Squid said as Brennan picked up Brutus and unzippered his leather jacket. Brutus snuggled down inside it and reclosed the zipper until only his head was showing.
    "Easy or not," Brennan said, "if she brings Jennifer back, we'll settle fairly. Now tell me what you know about Kien's death."
    "You suspect him?"
    "Always."
    Father Squid nodded ponderously. "I don't know much of anything beyond that which was in the papers. It was a heart attack, apparently, sudden and unexpected. Wait a minute," he said, his long, slender fingers waving in sudden excitement. "There was something else. I remember talking with Cosmo Cosgrove-you know, from the mortuary"
    Brennan nodded. The Cosgrove brothers were Jokertown's preeminent morticians.
    "Now," Father Squid continued, "the Cosgrove Mortuary did not handle the affair, but, well, apparently morticians talk among themselves, and Cosmo told me that Kien's mortician mentioned that there was something irregular about the body."
    "'Irregular'?" Brennan asked. "Like what?"
    Father Squid shrugged. "He knew no details. Just that there was something odd about the corpse."
    "I'll bet," Brennan muttered. "Is Fadeout the head of the Shadow Fists now?"
    The priest nodded. "As far as I can tell. The Fists have kept a very low profile in recent months. As profitable-and cold-blooded-as ever, of course, but the Shadow Fist Society has been avoiding rather than seeking headlines recently."
    Brennan nodded. "That sounds like Fadeout, all right."
    He'd try to operate as circumspectly as possible. He'd consider it a good business practice. He looked into the priest's eyes. "Thanks, Bob," he said.
    "For what?"
    "For being here when I needed help."
    "What else is a priest for? I still have high hopes for your soul, Daniel."
    "At least someone does. Keep an eye on Jennifer for me." Father Squid nodded and went back into the room. Brennan and Brutus went down the corridor, took the elevator back to the first floor, and went out into the night.
    Brutus, huddled under Brennan's leather jacket, shivered. "I'm cold, boss."
    "Don't worry," Brennan said. It had started to snow again, and the wind was blowing hard. Brennan turned his face into the driving snow as he headed toward his van. "I'm sure things are going to warm up very soon now"
    "Shit," Brutus said, and huddled down even more.
    Kien looked up from his desk when Rick and Mick entered the office. The joker brothers were Siamese twins, of a sort. They had one pair of legs and one trunk, though their body bifurcated halfway through the rib cage, giving them two chests and two sets of arms and shoulders. Though they were impressive physical specimens, Kien sometimes thought that they didn't have half a brain between them.
    "Guy here to see you," Rick said.
    Mick looked at his brother with a hurt expression. "I was going to tell Fadeout that. I spoke to the guy, after all."
    "You spoke to him, but it was my idea to see the boss first before letting him in."
    "Your idea? I-"
    "Please," Kien said, holding up a hand. It was times like this that he missed Wyrm. "Does the gentleman have a name?"
    They both thought about it, said "Cowboy" simultaneously, then glared at each other.
    Kien stiffened. That was the name Daniel Brennan used when he'd gone undercover and joined the Shadow Fists in an attempt to bring them down from within. His ploy failed because he blew his cover to save Tachyon's life, but he managed to do a fair bit of damage to the Fists before giving himself away.
    Kien knew that Brennan and Cunningham had been chummy. Now, he thought, he'd discover exactly how chummy. "Show him in," Kien told his joker bodyguards.
    He made himself sit calmly when his longtime enemy entered the room. Brennan was wearing a mask, a simple black hood, that he took off after Rick and Mick had left the room, shutting the door behind them. He looked fit and tanned