by J. D. Barker
“So, what are you thinking?” Nash asked. “He works in shoes?”
“Not sure. I don’t want to jump to conclusions. Just seems odd a man would spend so much on shoes without a comparable spend on his suit.”
“Unless he works in shoe sales and got some kind of deal? That does makes sense,” Watson said.
“I’m glad you concur. Silly comments will get your gold star revoked.”
“Sorry.”
“No worries, Doc. I’m just busting your balls. I’d pick on Nash, but he’s too used to my shit at this point. It’s no fun anymore.” Porter’s attention drifted back to the small composition book. “Can you hand me that?”
Watson passed it to him, and he turned to the first page. Porter’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the text.
Hello, my friend.
I am a thief, a murderer, a kidnapper. I’ve killed for fun. I’ve killed out of necessity. I have killed for hate. I have killed simply to satisfy the need that tends to grow in me with the passage of time. A need much like a hunger that can only be quenched by the draw of blood or the song found in a tortured scream.
I tell you this not to frighten you or impress you but simply to state the facts, to put my cards on the table.
My IQ is 156, a genius level by all accounts.
A wise man once said, “To measure your own IQ, to attempt to label your intelligence, is a sign of your own ignorance.” I did not ask to take an IQ test; it was administered upon me—take from that what you will.
None of this defines who I am, only what I am. That is why I’ve chosen to put pen to paper, to share that which I am about to share. Without the sharing of knowledge, there can be no growth. You (as a society) will not learn from your many mistakes. And you have so much to learn.
Who am I?
To share my name would simply take the fun out of this, don’t you think?
You most likely know me as the Four Monkey Killer. Why don’t we leave it at that? Perhaps 4MK, for those of you prone to abbreviate? The simpler of the lot. No need to exclude anyone.
We are going to have such fun, you and I.
***
The Fourth Monkey by J.D. Barker, coming in 2017 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing a book is a journey. Sometimes that journey ends at a destination. Bags are unpacked and life is resumed. Other times, you find yourself pausing at a rest stop along the way. You remain just long enough to grab a snack and take a break before resuming your trek. Forsaken was such a stop on a much longer wandering—a chance to tell a small piece of a larger tale. The people of Shadow Cove have many secrets, many stories left to tell. The Draper are still waiting for you in those woods.
Although Forsaken is a work of fiction, I borrowed heavily from the actual witch trials. Some of the people mentioned were, in fact, real. I can guarantee if I ever find myself in Salem, Massachusetts, I won’t do so much as a card trick for fear of the consequences.
Many thanks to my First Readers: Anna Boehnker Cadieux, Laura Cartwright, Heath Howard, D.J. Roberts-Jessee, Peter Jung, Julie Meek, Summer Schrader, Violet Szilvas, and Nancine Thompson. Without you, grammar and punctuation would have run wild and the residents of Shadow Cove would have surely been carrying the wrong types of weapons while eating Big Macs instead of cuisine appropriate to 1692. I appreciate your feedback, commentary, and guidance throughout this project. Thanks to my editor, Jennifer Henkes, for pointing out all the things that can go wrong when you sleep through English class in school.
Jack Ketchum, you have my undying gratitude for putting up with my many emails, making introductions, steering me in the right direction, and lighting a path down a dark, unknown highway.
I would also like to thank Stephen King. Over the years, your books have provided countless hours of entertainment, inspiration, and many dead lightbulbs which I forced to burn far too long into the night rather than extinguish and face the dark after pouring through your prose. Thank you for allowing me to take a peek into the life of Leland Gaunt. It’s nice to know his retail business is thriving in today’s economy. Should anyone visit Castle Rock, Maine, I hope they take the time to stop in and say hello. Needful Things has a little something for everyone, and Mr. Gaunt will welcome you with a smile.
Most of all, I would like to thank my wife. Without her, this book would still be an idea on a post-it note and I’d still be writing “people that” instead of “people who.” Thank you, PB.
I’ll see you again soon.
jd
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jonathan Dylan Barker holds a BA in English from Beaumont University and currently lives in Shadow Cove, Massachusetts, where he is hard at work on his latest novel.
Are you ready to pick a side?
The battle for our future is about to begin.
The witch of Shadow Cove lives.
Her story has been told.
Her numbers are growing.
Whose side are you on?
www.jdbarker.com/sides