Science fiction: Losting corridor

Losting Corridor is a recent week's installment of Sci Phi Journal - a mystery story by Matt Wallace, read by Drew Beatty. Here's the text, and check out other formats as well:

The first room’s dark and The Detective almost trips over a big black lump quivering at his feet. The priest is on his hands and knees, sobbing, his rosary soaking in the puddle of tears and snot he’s dripped onto the carpet. Standing a few feet away is a pixie of a girl, tiny, wearing a pink baby tee, “fides” spelled in glittery letters across breasts that are perfect round plums.

“Looking for a little faith?” she asks The Detective.

“Looking for a shooter,” he says. “I lost him in the park. Lamp lights tripped off the water in Bethesda Fountain and when I blinked he was gone.”

“The only light in here belongs to the Lord Jesus,” the girl says. “And to Allah, and to Ishvara. It’s the light of Dharma, for those who’ve gone back to sleep after waking. I and I shines brightly here for its lost children so that they may return to their homeland one day.”

“It’s dark in here,” The Detective points out. He’s a detective, he notices things like that.

“You’re not looking for the light,” she says simply.

The Detective nods. “I’m looking for a shooter. Lost him in the alley behind O’Hanlon’s. I pickled a rat movin’ in the ash cans. Saw the thing, eyes-up in the muck. It wasn’t the shooter.”

This sounds like US hard-boiled to me, doubtless a sci-fi angle.