by Alex Kava
It’s true that the Naval Tissue Bank at the Naval Medical Center in Maryland was the first to use frozen bone transplants and to set up the first body donation program. However, to my knowledge you will not find a similar tissue bank in Jacksonville, Florida. Nor will you find Captain Ganz’s surgical program at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola.
Likewise, I must offer my apologies to the Coast Guard’s Air Station Mobile and Naval Air Station Pensacola. I’ve taken a few liberties with takeoffs and landings, many of which would not include Pensacola Beach.
While it is true that before Hurricane Dennis there were homemade signs asking The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore to “stay away” or “go home,” I’m sure Mr. Cantore has witnessed many similar signs in other communities. Hopefully he views these with the same good-natured spirit in which they’re intended, and as a tribute to his expertise.
And last, Charlie Wurth would have found the Coffee Cup closed on Sundays, but if you’re in Pensacola any other day of the week, be sure to stop and try their award-winning Nassau grits.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Thank you to the men and women of the United States armed forces, especially the Coast Guard for what you do every single day to keep us safe. And special thanks to those few women rescue swimmers for quietly and bravely shattering glass ceilings that most of us wouldn’t dare attempt.
Thanks also to:
The incredible team at Doubleday—Jackeline Montalvo, Judy Jacoby, Alison Rich, Suzanne Herz, Lauren Lavelle, and John Pitts—for your warm welcome, your enthusiasm, dedication, and expertise.
Same goes to David Shelley and his crew at Little Brown UK.
Amy Moore-Benson, my agent, for refusing to use the words “never” or “impossible.”
Lee Child, Steve Berry, and Tess Gerritsen, three of the most generous authors in the business.
Ray Kunze, for lending his name to Maggie’s boss. Just for the record, the real Ray Kunze is a gentleman and all-around nice guy who would never send Maggie into the eye of a hurricane.
Lee Dixon, for giving me the idea of identifying a torso by its defibrillator implant.
Darcy Lindner, funeral director, for sharing your expertise.
My friends—Sharon Car, Marlene Haney, Sandy Rockwood, Leigh Ann Retelsdorf, Patti and Martin Bremmer, and Patricia Sierra—for keeping me sane and grounded.
My family: Patricia Kava, Bob and Tracy Kava, Nancy and Jim Tworek, Kenny and Connie Kava, and Patti Carlin.
My Florida neighbors: Lee and Betty Dixon, Terry and Bea Hummel, Sharon and Steve Kator, Elaine and Kelly McDaniels, Lee and Carol McKinstry, Mike and Jana Nicholson, Steve and Anna Ratliff, Bill and Barb Schroeder, and Larry and Diane Wilbanks.
The booksellers, book buyers, and librarians across the country, for mentioning and recommending my novels.
All you faithful readers—I know there’s plenty of competition for your time, your entertainment, and your dollars. I thank you for continuing to choose my novels.
And, as always, a special thanks to Deb Carlin, for everything. You are my Rock of Gibraltar.
Last, to Walter and Emilie Carlin. Walter passed away in September of 2008, and Emilie in November of 2005, but their enduring personalities, life stories, and spirit continue to inspire. Walter would have loved seeing his bright red, white, and blue Coney Island canteen come back to life, even if briefly and only in the pages of a novel.
DOUBLEDAY
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2010 by S. M. Kava
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.
www.doubleday.com
DOUBLEDAY and the DD colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Maps designed by Jeffrey L. Ward
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kava, Alex.
Damaged : a Maggie O’Dell novel / by Alex Kava.—1st ed.
p. cm.
1. O’Dell, Maggie (Fictitious character)—Fiction.
2. Criminal profilers—Fiction.
3. Hurricanes—Florida—Fiction. 4. Florida—Fiction.
I. Title.
PS3561.A8682D36 2010
813′.54—dc22 2009052285
eISBN: 978-0-385-53200-6
v3.0