Slivers
of Glass
By
Janet
Elizabeth Lynn
And
Will
Zeilinger
Summary
Southern California 1955: the summer Disneyland opened,
but even “The Happiest Place on Earth” couldn’t hide the smell of dirty cops,
corruption and murder.
The body of a woman thought to be killed three years
earlier is found behind a theater in Hollywood.
Movie stuntman Skylar Drake, a former LAPD detective, is dragged into
the investigation. He can make no sense of the crime until he discovers a dirty
underworld and unearths deep-seated… greed.
The hunt takes Drake to places he’d never expect. He’s anxious to close this case and get back
to his business in L.A., but he’s constantly haunted by the memory of his wife
and young daughter, killed in a mysterious house fire.
With more than enough dirty cops, politicians and crime
bosses to go around, Drake can trust no one including Martin Card, the cop
assigned to work with him.
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Excerpt
There
were a dozen other things I could’ve been doing besides standing in line at the
drug store listening to Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” piped in
overhead. Though, it was a treat to
watch the cashier move behind the counter in her form-fitting white smock. I
shook my head and plopped a tube of Pepsodent and a couple of toothbrushes on
the pharmacy counter.
She
looked up and said, “That will be seventy-five cents, Mr. Drake.”
I
dug in my pocket and dropped three quarters in her hand, “Thank you, Miss
Abernathy.” She placed my items in a small white paper bag and folded over the
top. “Here you are, and quit calling me that.
My name is Emily. Anyway, this should keep you smiling brightly. I only
wish I could see yours sometime.”
In
all the times I’ve walked to this drug store, I couldn’t remember a day she
didn’t smile at me. Too bad there was a ‘y’ at the end of Emily’s name.
Women with names like Sandy, Cathy or Abby were bad luck. Those ‘y’ women were always trouble and it would be
dangerous to get mixed up with another one now.
“Thanks,”
I tipped my hat, "When I have something to smile about, I might just show
you.” I knew Emily pretty well since this place was only a couple of blocks
from my apartment, an apartment I lived in because a fire took my home along
with my beautiful wife Claire and Ellen my little girl.
As I
turned to leave, I winked at the two little old ladies behind me. They stepped back and stared as if I’d just
sneezed in their faces. I turned and waved goodbye to Emily only to see her
pointing behind me in horror. I followed her gaze and saw a dark green car
hurtling toward us - right through the huge windows at the front of the store! The
gigantic crash at my back sent shelves, boxes and cans hurtling in our
direction. I turned around as glass, smoke and debris seemed to explode in a
cloud around us. At that moment my training from the Marine Corps took over. I
instinctively swept up the two ladies and Emily and pushed them to the back of
the store. The other customers ran screaming out the huge opening where the
storefront windows used to be. I shielded the women against the back wall with
my body all the while knowing that my weight could suffocate them, but what
else could I do? The ceiling could come down on us at any moment. I held them
against the wall while listening to my heart pound. Slowly the tinkle of glass subsided and I
released them. Tiny slivers of glass and wood had embedded themselves in my
sweater and trousers. “You’d better be careful,” One of the little old women
chirped, “Your backside looks like a pin cushion. Best not to sit down for a while.”
Bio:
JANET ELIZABETH
LYNN was born in Queens, New York and raised in Long Island, until she
was 12 years old. Her family escaped the freezing winters and hurricanes for
the warmth and casual lifestyle of Southern California.
Janet has always wanted to write
and made it a quest to write a novel. Ten years later, with much blood and
sweat, her first murder mystery novel, South
of the Pier, was published in 2011. She has since written seven more
mysteries. Miss Lynn has traveled to the far reaches of the planet for work and
for pleasure, collecting wonderful memories, new found friends and a large
basket of shampoo and conditioner samples from hotels.
At one time Janet was an
Entertainment Editor for a newspaper in Southern California.
Contact info:
Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4-KRRAbyUA
LinkedIn:
website: www.janetlynnauthor.com
WILL ZEILINGER has been writing for over
twelve years. During that time, he took novel writing classes and joined
writer’s groups, but what has helped the most are published authors who mentor,
encourage, critique and listen to him while he continued to learn the
craft. At the time of this writing, Will has published three novels
(Ebooks.) The Naked Groom, Something’s Cooking at Dove Acres, and The Final Checkpoint (also in
print).
As a youth he lived
overseas with his family. As an adult he traveled the world. Will lives in
Southern California with his wife Janet Elizabeth Lynn, who is also an author.
Will says that finding time to write while life happens is a challenge.
Contact info:
Twitter: @Will_Zeilinger
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wzeilinger
blog: http://www.booksbywilzeilinger.blogspot.com
