Into The Black

INTO THE BLACK ~~~A Novel~~~ By Crystal Allen Nautilus Books Into The Black: A Novel This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. ISBN: 978-1-7374484-3-3 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Editing: Holly McKinnis, Jane Karwoski, Lyn Roberts Cover Photo Illustration: Engin Akyurt Cover Design: 100Covers, Crystal Allen Publisher: Nautilus Books Nautilus Books Table of Contents The Deceased The Detective Office Politics The Coverdale Police Department The Widow Pete’s Beer and Bar-b-Que Marisol Surindar Samantha Mr. Jones City Hall Travis Big City Sacramento The Triangle Darian Dealer School The Former CEO Yve Two Months Earlier Ocean Park Mind and Body Wellness Melissa and Miguel The Doppelganger The Former CEO After the Fall Dr. Stuart Meredith Flowers The Turn of the Screw The Recruit Bozarth La Bella Covina The Catbird Recovery Congressman Spiker Nance Yve List of Characters for Into The Black Big City aka Tyrone Lucius Sparks Chicago drug lord pushing into Long Beach territory Boyko (see Kostova) Carter, Officer Michael Long Beach police officer, receives investigative training from Detective Spinosa Dan Harcotte Attorney found drowned and attached to his yacht’s propeller blade Darian Moore, Private Detective, aka Ray Works with Nance undercover on the Chicago case Dr. Stuart, Valerie Psychiatrist Doyle, Murphy Recruited to sell drugs at Willie O’Reilly’s L.A. night club Earl Sturtevant Chief of Long Beach Police Department Eddie Wilkins Triangle area gangster recruited to meet Big City’s partner, O’Reilly, in Chicago Fields (see Travis Fields) Harcotte (see Dan) Jesse Ludovic CEO Hammer Games, former friend of Harcotte Joshua Stuart Dr. Valerie Stuart’s teenage son Kapur (see Surindar) Kelvin (see McKiernan) Kostova, Boyko Murphy Doyle’s hired assassin, killed in action Laura Spiker Congressman Mitchell Spiker’s wife and campaign manager Linda Cortez Friend of Yve Sinclair, admin assistant to Mayor McKiernan Marisol Detective Nance Spinosa’s sister McKiernan, Kelvin Mayor of Long Beach, best friends with Yve Sinclair Melissa Yve Sinclair’s sister, librarian at Orange Grove High School Meredith Flowers High School Girl who was abused at party Miguel Long Beach prosecutor, dating Melissa, brother to Linda Cortez’s boyfriend, Hector Mitchell Spiker, Congressman Former friend of Harcotte, politician from Washington State Michael (see Carter) Nance Spinosa, Detective Lieutenant head of Long Beach Homicide Division O’Reilly (see Willie) Pete Owner of Pete’s Beer and Bar-b-Que, helps Detective Spinosa with the Triangle investigation Rafé Marisol’s son, Detective Nance Spinosa’s nephew Ray (see Darian Moore) Ryan del Vecchio Former friend of Harcotte, died just before graduating high school Samantha Sevier Prostitute, drug dealer, former friend of Dan Harcotte Spiker (see Laura or Mitchell) Stuart (see Dr. Stuart or Joshua) Surindar Kapur Biochemist and former friend of Harcotte Travis Fields Former captain of Long Beach Homicide and Vice Divisions, becomes Detective Spinosa’s mentor Vince Bozarth Former friend of Harcotte, owner and president of building security company Willie O’Reilly Accountant, drug trafficker, Big City’s silent partner Yve Sinclair Prosecutor for the City of Long Beach, best friends with Mayor Kelvin McKiernan Zach Marshall Former friend of Harcotte, paraplegic due to an accident in college years, helps Detective Spinosa with investigation To Ken My husband, life partner, and best friend. Thank you for standing by me all these years. Looking forward to many more. Part I SHARKS −One− The Deceased Dan Harcotte jolted awake when the cold water hit his head and engulfed his body. He had no idea how long he’d slept. It was so dark he could barely see. The harbor lights twinkled through the waves beyond his feet and this confused him. He didn’t dare breathe. He struggled to right himself but nausea overtook him and he belched a stream of vomit into the pressing ocean. Gasping for air, he sucked bitter salt water into his lungs and vomited again. His heart pounded so fast it hurt. Death hovered about him like a sick joke. He shuddered, wracked with panic and regret. How could it be over so soon? He —Two— The Detective A row of dim lights extending into the ocean caught Lieutenant Nance Spinosa’s attention. She tapped the brakes. It was hard to see much detail in the dark, but she had a feeling it was the marina. Up ahead was a sign for Linden Street, the one Officer Carter had mentioned. She turned into an avenue of palm trees, glancing at her phone. It indicated Carter was to the southwest. The road went in a different direction so she pulled onto the lawn, reminding herself she was a homicide detective for the Long Beach Police Department and would not get a ticket for driving on the grass. Shrubs leapt into her headlight beams.