by B. A. Savage
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https://sites.google.com/site/mysterybysavage/
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MYSTERY THRILLER: BOX SET (8 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold….
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MYSTERY, CRIME AND SUSPENSE: BOX SET (10 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold
New Release Sale Price: $0.99 for a limited time. Purchased individually, the books in this set would cost $29.99. You save $29.00!
(DOWNLOAD HERE)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PA8VV1Y
FROM THE B.A. SAVAGE
Alex French Series
Book 1
Into Darkness
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR86F0
Book 2:
The Scorned
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L4T3MHO
Book 3:
Dangerous Game
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR8966
Book 4
Deception
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LR0O7S8
Book 5
Extortion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZFW3Z4
Book 6
Suspicion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MBQNWNI
Book 7
Skyjacker
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DGUH6
Book 8
Judgment
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDJ9ULU
Book 9
Suicide
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQJ5L5Q
Book 10
Psychopath
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3YPP8G
At Any Cost
An Randall Stone Mystery
B.A. Savage
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This Novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locates is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 B.A. Savage
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of the author.
Visit the author’s websites:
https://sites.google.com/site/mysterybysavage/
Follow me on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Bsavage50S
Two Free Gifts
As a way of saying thanks for your purchase, I’m offering two free mysteries that’s exclusive to my readers. Double Cross and Dead On Impact fast-paced, suspenseful plot… The story’s complicated and intriguing twists and turns keep the reader guessing until the chilling ending.
Sign up for the author’s New Releases mailing list and get a FREE copy of the latest novels Double Cross and Dead On Impact Randall Stone Mysteries…
http://bit.ly/1HvvhAD
MYSTERY THRILLER: BOX SET (8 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold….
FLAT RATE Sale Price $0.99 limited time. MYSTERY, CRIME & SUSPENSE: BOX SET (8 books in 1)…
(Download Here)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SQRMJU8
MYSTERY, CRIME AND SUSPENSE: BOX SET (10 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold
New Release Sale Price: $0.99 for a limited time. Purchased individually, the books in this set would cost $29.99. You save $29.00!
(DOWNLOAD HERE)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PA8VV1Y
FROM THE B.A. SAVAGE
Alex French Series
Book 1
Into Darkness
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR86F0
Book 2:
The Scorned
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L4T3MHO
Book 3:
Dangerous Game
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR8966
Book 4
Deception
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LR0O7S8
Book 5
Extortion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZFW3Z4
Book 6
Suspicion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MBQNWNI
Book 7
Skyjacker
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DGUH6
Book 8
Judgment
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDJ9ULU
Book 9
Suicide
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQJ5L5Q
Book 10
Psychopath
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3YPP8G
Content
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter One
It all started early yesterday afternoon. There weren’t any clients in my office. It had been a slow morning, and I was wondering if I should take the day off.
A few moments later, my phone rang, and the caller asks me to come over fast.
The woman on the other end of the phone was serious. She had long, red hair and ocean blue eyes and everything else in the right places, making it hard for a private eye to keep his mind on business.
"Mister Randall Stone?"
"Yes."
"I'm Judy Hood; won't you sit down, please?" I sat down on the couch, and she slid next to me, so close, her lips were inches from mine.
"What can I do for you, Miss Hood?"
"I was gambling at the Waterfront last night."
"Bob Brushoff’s place?"
"Yes, I guess that's his name. I was there when the place was robbed. You probably read about it in the morning paper."
"Nice piece of work until the robber shot one of the customers."
"He should have been shot."
“Why?"
"The fool tried to run."
"It didn't say that in the paper. You didn't try to run?"
She grabs my arm and squeezes it. "Mister Stone, when a man pulls a weapon, I'll do anything he tells me."
"I will remember that."
"One of the players had cashed in $150,000. He was smart, he didn't argue with the gunman."
"So, the robbery went down after he won the money?"
"Yes."
"That's strange."
"What's strange?"
"Never mind. How much did you lose?"
"He took my diamond ring and I want it back."
"Did you tell your husband about the robbery?"
"No, but I wasn't alone either. That's why I must have it back before tomorrow night."
"Is that when your husband comes back to town?"
She smiled but didn't reply.
"Why don't you tell him you lost the ring?"
"I'm not asking for your advice, Mister Stone. I want to hire you to recover my ring, can you do it?"
"What's the ring worth
?"
"It cost my husband $8,000."
"The ring's probably up to $9,000 or $10,000 by now. If I send a look out, the thief will know you want it back and up goes the price."
"I will pay it."
"By the way, my fee is $500 a day plus expenses."
"Here, this is $5,000. Get my ring back before tomorrow night and I'll give you another $5,000, Mister Stone.
"My friends call me Randall."
Chapter Two
The bar was called Shark. It isn't the place where you drop by to have a few drinks because a lot of the fences hang out there and they don't like to be questioned.
The bartender’s name is Eddie. He doesn't own the place, but he's the man to talk with. If you're looking for something, he was the stool pigeon to question. I ordered a bottle of beer and started talking.
"I hear someone hit the Waterfront last night."
"I heard that, too."
"You know who did it, Eddie?"
"Yeah, I heard a few things, Stone."
"And what was that?"
"I heard it was a guy named Batman. Want some salt for your beer, Mister Stone?"
"Yes, thanks. If you run into Batman, tell him a friend of mine wants her diamond ring back. She's willing to pay cash, no questions asked but it has to be tonight."
"She wants it back tonight?"
"Yes, my friend, or the deal’s off. It has “Love Judy” engraved on the inside of the band."
"I would like to help your friend, Stone, but I don't have any connections. You see, don't any criminals ever come in here."
I pulled out $100.00 and slid it across the bar. "Does that help?"
"I'll see what I can do." he replied, sticking the money in his pocket.
Chapter Three
I took some more salt and polished off my beer, and then I drove over to West Fifth Street to the gambling place called the Waterfront. Bob Brushoff owned several shotgun homes he turned into gambling stops. The location of the Waterfront was in the basement of a warehouse building on the Ohio River.
I talked to the house manager, and she told me Bob Brushoff wasn't in today. She added that Bob and his bodyguards were at the shooting range. As I drove out Old Frankfort Pike, to the Central City Public range, I wonder where the bodyguards were the night of the robbery.
Chapter Four
I spotted Bob Brushoff as I stepped out of my car. He stuck out like a sore thumb in his pink silk suit and snakeskin shoes. I consider Bob a friend, but that didn't stop his guards from searching me twice before I could get near him.
"Nice suit, Mister Brushoff," I said with a smile.
"This old thing, just something I found in the back of my closet."
"New security team?"
He frowned, shaking his head. "No, after what happened last night, I'm making a few changes."
"I heard about that, I also hear some guy won a shit load of money before the robbery happened."
"Yes, we had a little problem."
"I don't think it was a little problem if someone was shot."
"So, he killed a man. That's a shame but it comes with the game. Stone, what can I do for you?"
"One of your customers hired me to get her ring back. You have any idea who might have pulled this job?"
"Are you kidding me? I need a detective."
"Why do you need a detective?"
"I saw this beautiful redhead at the bar last night that I will pay you double your fee to locate."
"Why, did she have something to do with the hold up?"
"Yes, she stole my heart."
"If I do find her, what do you want me to do?"
"Tell me who she is, and I'll take care of her."
"Okay, Mister Brushoff, I'll be in touch."
Chapter Five
I drove back to my office. With any luck, I would hear from Eddie, the bartender. I didn't have long to wait, the phone was ringing as I walk through the door.
"Randall Stone's Investigation."
"Hello, Stone, this is Eddie. There is a letter here for you. Someone left it."
"Who left it, Eddie?"
"I don't know."
"Read it to me, please."
"Well, it says the ring will cost you $8,000. Have the money, and he will meet you tonight a Johnson Park at 9."
"Anything else, Eddie?"
"He said make it in small bills. That's all it said, Stone."
"Thanks a lot, pal."
I called Mrs. Hood and told her about the letter. She told me she didn't care and to come and pick up the cash.
Judy liked gambling and was having affair behind her husband's back. She also would do anything to keep her life a secret from her husband at any cost. I was thinking about that as I strapped on my Beretta and headed out the door.
Chapter Six
For the first 15 minutes, I was the only person in the park. Pretty soon, I had a gut feeling I was set up. After another 15 minutes, nothing happened, and I was trying to decide if I should go. I started walking back to the car when I heard a woman scream. The sound came from the river, and that's where I headed.
There was a boat floating around that hadn't been out there before. As the clouds gave way for the moon, I see the body of a woman with her legs trailing in the water. It was Mary Bailey, a stripper from the Court House Gentlemen’s Club. Her cold dead eyes looked at me with sadness that I felt deep inside. Mary would never dance again.
I get far enough away from the sounds of the police siren, and I pull my truck over and call Mrs. Hood.
I told her to meet me at the Court House Gentlemen’s Club and said I had something to show her.
"Did you get my ring?"
"Mrs. Hood, please meet me at the club."
"Why do you want me to meet you at a strip club?"
"It has something to do with your ring. Bye."
Chapter Seven
Judy was just as beautiful as ever as she stood inside the door with her red hair hanging down her right shoulder and the raspberry lipstick neatly applied to her lips.
"Where is the guy with my ring?" she asked, her eyes wide with excitement.
"He got away."
"Are you telling me you had me come all the way out here to this flea trap to tell me that?"
"No, I want you to take a look at this picture."
"I don't want to look at any damn picture, I want my ring."
"This has to do with the ring. Please take a look at her." I said, pointing at the wall.
"Which girl are you talking about?"
"Her, the lady with the long, black hair."
She looks at the picture a moment. A frown crosses her face, and she said, "Well, what do you want me to see? I've seen a lot better figures."
"You have?"
"Yes, I have, every time I look in the mirror."
"I still don't know your husband's name."
"I still don't have my ring."
"Are you worried that I'm going to tell him about your secret life?"
"Let's get one thing straight, Mister Stone. My husband loves me and I love him. Financially, he gives me everything I want, and I like a man who gives me a wonderful life and I'm not going to let some lowlife take it away."
"I know, that's what you are paying me for."
"What about this stripper?"
"You haven't seen her before?"
"Not that I can recall."
"Do you recall seeing her at the Waterfront last night?"
"I wouldn't have remembered her."
"Well, it was worth a try."
"My husband arrives early tomorrow morning. You know what that means?"
"I can guess. Maybe you should have been a good girl in the first place."
"Maybe I should have hired myself a better private eye."
"You can always call another private detective. All the other private detectives are fat and ugly."
"I think you are a smart ass, Mister Stone."
"Well, it's not a day in heaven workin
g for you, Mrs. Hood."
"You have until tomorrow, Stone." she said, walking away.
Chapter Nine
I called Brushoff at his club and he wasn't there. No one knew where he was or when he would be back. I left word for him to call me and drove back to the office.
As I stepped off the elevator, there is a young man sitting on the floor outside my office with a gun.
"You make one false move, you're a dead man."
"What are you doing in my office?"
"I'm sorry, are you Randall Stone?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you say something? I have been waiting for you."
"You need to come back in the morning, pal, I'm closed."
"I can't wait until tomorrow morning. I need to talk to you now."
"Well, I'm not going to talk until you put that gun away."
"Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry."
I unlocked the door, watching him stuff the pistol in his pants pocket.
"What’s your name?"
"Just call me Charles."
"Want a drink?"
"I'm here to make a deal with you. I know how you can get the money back from the Waterfront gig."
"I know where Jimmy Hoffa is buried."
"I heard you were a smart ass."
"I know, that's what people keep telling me. I'm thinking about changing my name from Randall Stone to Smart Ass."
"Well, Mister Smart Ass, I know where the loot is because I am the one who robbed the place."
"Well, you better get rid of that gun. The guy you shot died."
"That's what I came here for, something strange is going down. I didn't kill anyone."
"That's not what the guy said before he died."
"It wasn't me, Mister Stone. I never shot my gun. Here, check and see. I should never have taken this job. And now I am facing a murder rap."