A suitcase Mystery, part I
Ned Stevens (Steven nedelton)
Author Bio
Steven Nedelton writes suspenseful novels in crime, mystery and paranormal. Author’s published titles are: Dangerous Trade, The Raven Affair, Fear!, A Suitcase Mystery, Nemesis–the sequel, and Coma Sins/The Madness of Ben Bluman which he wrote with another author, Joseph F. Parente. Steven’s novels were evaluated by the Midwest Book Review, The US Review of Books, Book Pleasures, Apex Reviews and were rated Five Stars or the equivalent. Fear! received a special, five years, recognition from the Midwest Book Review Journal. Currently, Steven is working on his next novel, a thriller ‘DEMON,’ and this time the action is taking place in the New York City area. Author’s pseudonym is Ned Stevens. Author’s website is at www.snedelton.com
Description
A deadly secret in a suitcase with stolen gold leads to a series of unexplainable murders while the FBI hunts for a top foreign killer spy.
The story starts during the final days of the WW2. Young Ben searches an abandoned coal mine tunnel for stolen guns the soldiers hid inside. For many weeks he observed them bringing THE weaponries in trucks and hiding them in the tunnel. One particular morning, he decides to enter the tunnel and try to get one of the stolen pistols. But, unfortunately, he meets an AWOL foreign Army officer on the run. The officer is involved in the theft of a large amount of gold from one of his superior’s office and had it hidden in the same tunnel. Of course, the gold was originally pirated by the invading Army officers from the local banks. The boy and the AWOL soldier, Andris, become friends and, eventually, end up in America, in the US.
Many years later, in Minnesota, Ben’s father is murdered together with one of his good friends from the Old Country, Dr. Gulbis. The FBI assigns a group of agents to investigate the incident. The Special Agent Miriam Dokes and Agent Book are leading the investigation of this case that includes two murders and the torture of Ben’s father’s doctor friend, Goulbis. Neither the murders, nor the torture are easily explainable. They make no sense. There is no obvious motive for the killings. But, from then on, death stalks Ben and all other, direct and indirect participants in the gold heist.
The FBI manager, Bob Sawyer, has a hunch that there is something far more valuable involved, that there is a highly classified secret at stake. And the continuing murders are confirming his suspicions. On the surface, they don’t appear to be related to the original killings except that Agent Dokes stumbles upon a few clues pointing at Ben’s old AWOL friend, Andris. In order to find the answer to the puzzle, Ben and Andris, the two principal characters, are sent back to Switzerland, to a bank where the gold is hidden. Will the FBI find the reason for so many deaths? Nemesis is the second part of A Suitcase Mystery, and it provides the final answer.
Book excerpt
“Shut up, bitch, or we’ll beat the fuck out of you!” someone barked at her.
The man behind her held her arms back and had his knee planted into her rear, she was in real pain. The man in front of her now removed his hand from her face and she began to scream.
He slapped her real hard several times and she shut up though the pull on her arms was brutal and agonizingly painful.
“You want to listen or I’ll punch you in the stomach?” the man in front yelled.
She quickly nodded ‘yes,’ several times.
“Let her stand up…release her a bit,” the man in the front said to the one holding her. She stood up rubbing her shoulders, first the left one, then the right, and for the first time looked at the man facing her. He looked old and skinny but his hands were like steel. Her face ached from the slaps.
“Listen!” he said, “is anyone around, is anyone coming to see you right now?”
“I am alone,” she mumbled.
“No one coming to visit you?” She nodded twice in agreement.
“OK, then,” the man said, “Here’s what I want you to do. Calm yourself, no more fucking shrieking…understand?”
She nodded yes.
“OK, you go and sit on that chair, OK? Calm yourself a bit.”
She began to walk and almost fell but a giant from behind her held her up and then she fell on the chair.
“Give her a wet rag, a towel from the kitchen or bathroom,” the older man asked the giant.
The man brought her a wet towel, and she cleaned her face and held it against her hot cheeks.
They kept quiet until she finally sat straight in the chair. Then the older man spoke again.
“Listen, girl! Are you listening?”
OK, then. All I want from you is to take us across the road to your neighbor’s gate. Understand?”
He had lowered his face to hers, now looking her straight in the eyes.
“OK, then. You ring that bell until the owner replies. You tell him your husband’s away and you need some help from him. Beg him, if you have to. OK, so far?”
She nodded.
“We’ll be on the side, he won’t see us. Now, when he opens the gate, we’ll take care of him and you, you go back here and lock up. Don’t you dare call the cops or anyone, understand? We’ll kill you if you do.”
She nodded ‘yes’ and began to tremble.
“Stop trembling—will ya!” he barked out then kept quiet for a while until she calmed down.
“Now, we walk. What’s your name?” he said.
“Theresa,” she said, “but they call me Terry.”
“Move then, walk, Terry!” the older man urged her.
After the two gangsters left him, Andris felt frightened to death. He sat in the living room alone and tried to think of a way to resolve this obviously very intimidating problem. Agnes stayed upstairs, quiet, probably
Author Website
http://www.snedelton.com