New Glory

By Peter Menadue

SEQUEL TO LOST GLORY. The story that began with Lost Glory is brought to a triumphant conclusion in New Glory. Homicide detective Glen Tucker must search for memories deleted from his brain. They are the key to him toppling a dictatorship and finding true love. A fast-paced dystopian thriller.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Peter Menadue
• Release date: Jan 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798215038253

Peter Menadue

Peter Menadue grew up in Canberra, Australia. After a foray into journalism, during which he shared an elevator with Rupert Murdoch, he studied law at Sydney University and Oxford University. For the last 22 years, he has worked as a barrister at the Sydney Bar. He also writes courtroom novels under the pen name "Mark Dryden".

Book preview

NEW GLORY

by

PETER MENADUE

Copyright: Peter Menadue 2024

THE SEQUEL TO LOST GLORY

"…It is not your memories which haunt you.

It is not what you have written down.

It is what you have forgotten, what you must forget.

What you must go on forgetting all your life…"

Berlin Requiem by James Fenton

Peter Menadue was a non-prizewinning journalist before studying law at the University of Sydney and Oxford University. He has worked as a barrister in Sydney for more than 20 years. He has written numerous novels under his own name and several courtroom novels under the pen name ‘Mark Dryden’.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

This novel is a sequel to LOST GLORY. It begins immediately after that novel ends. Readers are therefore advised to read the earlier novel first.

CHAPTER ONE

When President Jacob D. Karber declared martial law throughout the United States and seized absolute power, Washington DC was already a decaying city with a high murder rate. Thirty years later, the city teetered on the brink of collapse and experienced more violent deaths every day than many war zones. For that reason, Detective Lieutenant Glen Tucker was not surprised that two of his colleagues on the Homicide Squad had been murdered during the previous two weeks. However, he found it deeply ironic a pair of Homicide detectives met that fate.

First, his partner, Mack Gilmore, was shot dead in his apartment. Tucker found his body. Then the detective investigating his murder, Brian Monaghan, disappeared while visiting the apartment building in which the crime occurred. His body was later found in his burnt-out vehicle several blocks away. Someone had shot him twice in the chest. Nobody on the Homicide Squad, including Tucker, had any idea who killed them or why. Their deaths created the sort of mystery the detectives really hated.

The chief of the Squad, Captain Barnett, told Tucker to investigate both murders. I want you to bring every resident of that apartment building down here for a memory audit - no exceptions. I bet one of them killed our guys. I’m sure of it.

Memory auditing was almost the only investigative tool that the Homicide Squad now used. It was cheap, efficient and, supposedly, foolproof. However, the apartment building had about 50 residents. They would all have to be funneled through the neuro-auditing section in the basement of Police Headquarters which was already overworked.

That’s a lot of people.

I don’t care. Those murders are a goddamn embarrassment. The top brass wants them solved and I want those bastards off my back, understand?

Yes.

"You’re the only person on this squad I trust, so I want you to personally make sure every resident is audited, OK?"

Will do. Is that all?

No, there’s one other thing.

What?

You need a new partner. A guy called Vincent Slocum has just been assigned to this squad. He spent four years in the Special Combat Unit and now wants to play detective. Take him under your wing.

The SCU was set up, ten years ago, to deal with the semi-militarized crime gangs that stole, raped and murdered with near impunity. Officers of the SCU strutted around wearing heavy body armor and carrying tremendous firepower. Few criminals survived an encounter with them. They were notorious for leaving SCU-embossed playing cards in the mouths of dead victims. Tucker had even heard rumors, which he believed, that they sometimes scalped them.

SCU officers were noted for their camaraderie and contempt for the rest of the Police Department. Tucker was surprised that one had transferred to the Homicide Squad. Maybe the Captain wanted Slocum to spy upon him. The investigation into the murder of the two detectives might turn up information embarrassing to the Captain. The Captain wanted Slocum to warn him if it did.

Tucker said: I don’t need a partner.

Yes, you do. You’re not Superman.

I don’t need one.

That’s an order.

A sigh. OK, when do I meet him?

He’ll be here soon. I’ll tell him to come and see you.

After the Captain left his office, Tucker decided that he had better warn the neuro-auditing section about the imminent deluge of work. He caught an elevator down to the basement and found the head of the unit, Lieutenant Paul Harper, sitting behind his desk in his office. Harper wore a white lab coat and spectacles to look scientific. Tucker had always got on well with him.

He explained that the Captain had ordered him to investigate the murder of the two detectives. His first job was to ensure that all residents of the apartment building were audited.

How many residents are there?

About 50.

Wow, that’s a lot.

This investigation has top priority.

I’m sure it does. Let me look at our schedule for the rest of the week.

Harper used his computer to access a schedule. Mmm, we can probably audit about a dozen residents each day for the next four days. I can’t allocate any specific times. If they get here early, I’ll fit them in when I can.

Fine. Do you want me to draft a prompt sheet for your auditors?

No, I’ll read the file and do that.

Thanks, I’ll be in touch.

Tucker turned to leave.

Glen …

Tucker turned back. What?

A concerned expression. Be careful.

What do you mean?

Be careful.

Do you know something I don’t?

I just know that two detectives were murdered in strange circumstances. Some people around here might not want you to discover the truth.

That thought had crossed his mind. Sure, thanks.

Tucker caught an elevator back upstairs and strolled through the lightly populated cubicle maze of the squad room. A muscular guy with a crew cut and chiseled features was leaning against the wall outside his office. Must be Slocum.

Tucker said: Waiting for me?

The guy straightened up. Lieutenant Tucker?

Yes.

A quick smile and killer eyes. Hi, Vince Slocum. I’ve just been transferred to this squad. The Captain told me to do whatever you say.

The Captain said you were a stormtrooper in the SCU.

Yeah, I was in the unit.

Not many officers leave the SCU to become detectives.

A shrug. I want to investigate crimes instead of take down crooks.

Tucker didn’t believe a word of that. Then, someone has lied to you. We’re not super-sleuths anymore; we don’t use our little gray cells to solve mysteries or collect evidence and build cases; we just round up everyone close to a murder victim and have them memory audited. If an auditor find an incriminating memory, they get convicted; if not, they go free. The job is boring until someone pulls a gun; then it’s too exciting. You still want to stick around?

A smile. Of course. I may as well see what it’s like. The Captain said you’re investigating the murder of two detectives: your partner and the guy investigating his death?

That’s right.

Got any idea who killed them?

Nope, though I’m sure it was the same person. My partner was shot dead and the investigating detective disappeared in the same apartment building.

How are you - we - going to catch the killer?

A smile. You haven’t been listening to me, have you? The Captain told me to send all the residents of the apartment building to the neuro-auditing section downstairs for auditing.

What if that doesn’t work?

If memory auditing fails, we usually abandon an investigation and start another one. We’ve always got too much work. However, the Captain is particularly keen to have these ones solved. He might tell us to use our brains and become real detectives for once.

That will be exciting.

It will be if you step up with some big ideas.

When are you going to start rounding up the residents for audits?

This evening, when they should be home from work.

Can I tag along?

Of course, that’s what the Captain wants.

Tucker considered giving Slocum a lecture on the importance of following his orders and showing loyalty, but did not bother. Slocum would not listen and Tucker would look insecure.

CHAPTER TWO

Just after 5 p.m., Tucker and Slocum climbed into an unmarked police car parked under Police Headquarters. Tucker drove it towards the apartment building in Capitol Hill where one detective was shot dead in his apartment and another disappeared several days later.

Though President Karber kept promising to rejuvenate Washington DC, the city kept getting worse. They drove past exhausted buildings that propped each other up. Half the shops were shuttered. The roads were rutted and pot-holed. The homeless competed with fetid piles of rubbish for command of the sidewalks. The sights made Tucker want to bathe his eyes.

Most wealthy citizens lived outside of the city and drove bullet-proof vehicles to work. They were driving home before darkness made the city even more dangerous.

Slocum said: I heard you fought on the Northern Front?

That’s right, though not for long. I commanded a platoon ordered to attack a Canadian strongpoint. Kanuck artillery tore us to shreds. Most of my platoon was killed. I lost a foot and was invalided out.

You don’t limp.

My artificial foot is very good. What about you? Lots of guys in the military end up in the SCU. I bet you served up north.

Yep. Did three tours in the Green Berets - mostly deep reconnaissance - before transferring to the SCU.

Why’d you leave Special Forces?

A quick smile. My superiors kept doing dumb shit that could get me killed. I got tired of that. It’s a stupid war, anyway. The US and Canada should sort out their problems. So, tell me: you married? Got kids?

Nope, single. What about you?

Same. You know, it’s impossible to meet a nice woman in this city. There are a lot of great women online, of course. But I ask them to meet me for a date and they get worried I’m a rapist or axe murderer or the like. They just want an internet friendship. No, thank you.

You tell them you’re a cop?

Yeah, and that scares them even more.

Tucker had similar experiences. I’m not surprised. Where do you live?

Got a tiny apartment in West Shores.