Retribution (The Harry Starke Novels Book 7)
Page 15
Me? I was in a somewhat pensive mood, thinking about my life, my family, my friends, and my brother, Henry. And I daydreamed. It was one of those rare moments when I was truly at peace with myself and the world.
“Harry. Wake up.” It was August that jerked me out of my reverie.
I turned and smiled at him. “Hey.”
“Well, are you going to tell us?” he asked.
I didn’t want to, but I did. I told them the whole story, from parking Bob’s Jeep under the tree to calling Amanda to come and fetch us, and the three of them listened in silence until I’d finished. The only thing I left out was Bob breaking Greene’s neck. I didn’t tell them how he died, just that he had. And I wondered if I’d pay for that omission one day, and for the deaths of Henry Gold and Kathryn Greene. Tree was out there somewhere, and like a bad penny he was sure to turn up again. And then there was the congressman. He would never forgive me for killing his daughter.
I shook the thoughts out of my head. And I surely didn’t mention them to Amanda and my father.
“I kept my word, Dad. I tried my best not to kill, but….”
He nodded slowly, his eyes on mine. “I know you did, son…. So Tree got away?”
“He did. He was the only one. They got everyone else.”
“Is he the one who killed Henry?”
“He was responsible, but no, he didn’t kill him. That was Duvon James. He won’t be charged, though. Other than what Tree said, there’s no proof, no evidence.”
August shook his head sadly. Rose put a hand on his arm.
“Don’t, Dad,” I said. “He’ll do his time. A lot of time. In fact, he’ll probably spend the rest of his days in a prison hospital. The surgeon who patched me up told me that he fractured his skull when he hit the concrete floor. He’s in a coma, and even if he comes out of it there’s a real chance he’ll have brain damage. If he does come out of it, and if he’s still sentient, they’ll have him on a whole litany of drug charges. He’ll get his.”
And we talked on into the night until I was almost falling off my chair. No, I wasn’t drunk. Far from it. I was drained, exhausted. It was almost midnight.
I was so tired Amanda had to lead me off, and then help me with my clothes. I lay down in bed beside her. The night was cool, the windows were open; she smelled wonderful, and that was… all I remember.
Acknowledgements
There are several people I’d like to thank for their help during the creation of this book.
Thank you Dr. Ron Coleman of Cleveland for allowing me access to your beautiful old and iconic building, and for allowing me to feature it in the story. Dr. Coleman purchased the Old Woolen Mill I used as a principle character in the story in 1999, and has since developed a unique vision for the complex. Way to go, Dr. Ron.
I would also like to thank Cleveland Police Chief Mark Gibson and Police Captain Robert Harbison for taking the time to talk to me, for their patience, and for their invaluable help and advice.
I would also like to thank all of my retired ex-cop friends for their help and insight, especially Ron Akers for his support, generosity, and expertise in firearms, and ex-Chattanooga homicide Detective Lieutenant Richard Heck for patiently answering my questions. Google Detective Richard Heck. I think you’ll get a surprise.
My friend Jack Knapp: thank you for your unwavering support.
My editor, Sarah Jacobson: thank you for cleaning it up and making it readable.
Tim Brenner, for the cover concept. Thank you.
Finally, I’d like to thank my wife, Jo, for putting up with my quirkiness during the writing process. Honey, I know I ain’t easy to live with when I’m spending so much time with Harry and his friends. I love you.
Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to read Retribution. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review on Amazon (just a sentence will do). Word of mouth is an author’s best friend, and much appreciated. Thank you. —Blair Howard.
Reviews are so very important. I don't have the backing of a major New York publisher, and I can’t afford take out ads in the newspapers or on TV, but you can help get the word out.
To those many of my readers who have already posted reviews to this and my other novels, thank you for your past and continued support.
If you have comments or questions, you can contact me by e-mail at blair@blairhoward.com, and you can visit my website http://www.blairhoward.com.
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This story was Book 7 in the Harry Starke series. If you haven’t already read them, you may also enjoy reading the other Harry Starke novels. They are all stand-alone stories: no cliffhangers.
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Harry Starke—Book 1
It’s almost midnight, bitterly cold, snowing, when a beautiful young girl, Tabitha Willard, throws herself off the Walnut Street Bridge into the icy waters of the Tennessee. Harry Starke is there, on the bridge. Wrong time, wrong place? Maybe. He tries, but is unable to stop her. Thus begins a series of events and an investigation that involves a local United States congressman, a senior lady senator from Boston, a local crime boss, several very nasty individuals, sex, extortion, high finance, corruption, and three murders. Harry has to work his way through a web of deceit and corruption until finally.... Well, as always, there’s a twist in the tale. Several, in fact.
You can grab your copy here:
Amazon U.S. http://amzn.to/1K8zCrl
Amazon U.K. http://amzn.to/1RUx5XW
If you're a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for free.
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Two for the Money—Harry Starke Book 2
Who Killed Tom Sattler? Who stole $350 million from New Vision Strategic Investments?
It's up to Harry Starke to figure it out.
The call came on a Tuesday evening in the middle of August at around nine thirty. It was from an old school friend that Harry Starke hadn’t heard from in almost five years, and he hadn't thought about him in almost as long. Tom Sattler wanted to meet with Harry urgently, and it wouldn't wait until morning. When Harry arrived at Sattler’s luxury home less than an hour later, he found him dead, lying in a pool of blood, a single gunshot wound to the head, and .22 revolver lying close to his hand.
Suicide? If he was going to do that, why the hell did he call Harry?
The search for an answer to that question starts Harry on a wide-ranging investigation that involves murder, corruption, organized crime, and deception.
You can grab your copy here:
Amazon U.S. and here’s the actual link: http://amzn.to/1MRsdmo
Amazon U.K. or http://amzn.to/1KlQk6n
As always, if you're a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for free.
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Hill House—Harry Starke Book 3
For more than ten years, she lay beneath the floorboards of Hill House. For more than ten years, she waited. Who was she? Who put her there? Why? Harry Starke vows to find the answers to those questions, but to do so he must embark upon an investigation that will put him and those close to him in deadly danger, take him deep into the underground city, the Dark Web, murder, organized crime, prostitution, and human trafficking. One by one, he peels back the layers, and with each one, he sinks a little deeper into the morass, the seamy underbelly of a world few know of, and even fewer want to be a part of. Hill House has many doors. None of them lead anywhere but into darkness and despair.
You can grab your copy here:
Amazon U.S. http://amzn.to/1P7KFYU
Amazon U.K. http://amzn.to/1ZbMqY3
If you're a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for free.
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Checkmate—Harry Starke Book 4
They found Angela Hartwell lying in the shallow waters beside the golf course. There was not a mark on her, yet she was dead, strangled. How could that be?
Once again, it’s up to Harry Starke to find out. The investigation takes him into a world he’s very familiar with
, a world of affluence, privilege and… corruption.
To solve the mystery, he must deal with three murders, a beautiful used car dealer, her lovely twin sisters, and a crooked banker. Not to mention Burke and Hare, two crazy repo men who will stop at nothing to protect their employer’s interests. There's also the matter of an ingenious, sadistic killer. But nothing is ever quite what it seems....
You can grab your copy of Checkmate here:
Amazon U.S. http://amzn.to/1SQhf4q
Amazon U.K. http://amzn.to/20AVnc7
If you're a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for free.
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GONE – Harry Starke Book 5
Emily Johnston is gone. She’s been gone for more than a week. She's also the daughter of Harry Starke’s one-time boss and nemesis, Chattanooga Police Chief Wesley Johnston. Harry and Chief Johnston haven't seen eye-to-eye in a long time, but when Johnston needs help, he knows there's only one man he can turn to.
But Johnston’s jurisdiction ends at the city limits, and when Emily’s body is discovered in a remote part of the county, Harry has to deal with the imperious sheriff, Israel Hands, and two incompetent county detectives. So begins an investigation that will take Harry on a wild ride across Signal Mountain, a case that will include a second murder, two cold cases, sex, alternative lifestyles, and deadly danger for Harry and his friends, until... well, as always, there’s a twist in the tale.
You can grab your copy here:
Amazon U.S. http://amzn.to/2aePpwG
Amazon U.K. http://amzn.to/29PsLJS
If you're a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for free.
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Family Matters – Harry Starke Book 6
Harry Starke loves a cold case, but this one is really cold—more than a hundred years cold.
Family Matters is a whimsical tale, a flight of fancy. It takes place on the lonely coast of Maine, where Amanda, a true believer in the paranormal, has inherited—you guessed it—a haunted house. Or at least that’s what the rumors say.
It all begins when Amanda inherits the house, substantial assets, and a large sum of money from her grandmother. The windfall comes with a request to look into the disappearance of Elizabeth, Amanda’s great-great-grandmother, more than a hundred years ago.
Harry, a skeptic, a down-to-earth investigator who believes only in the facts, has a tough time dealing with Amanda’s… fantasies? We all know that the imagination can play tricks on a susceptible mind, especially when that mind is under stress. But is it just their imaginations? Could it be something more?
You’ll have to be the judge.
You can grab your copy here:
Amazon U.S. http://amzn.to/1VgRv1R
Amazon U.K. http://amzn.to/23ulMM6
If you're a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for free.