Camouflage
By
Ivy Keating and Scott Spotson
Blurb:
A missing man, a new police chief and an
unexpected New England town mystery.
When Sean Dermott, the newly appointed police chief, sees the report that a popular local high school coach is missing, his growing fascination with the alluring Vanessa Strauss, who reported the disappearance, makes him determined to solve the case.
The investigation leads him and his team deep into Quarry Head Park, a local scenic preserve with nature trails and expansive views. There is no sign of the missing man, but what he does find terrifies him to the core.
From the depths of the park, a deadly prehistoric looking creature emerges, attacks swiftly and silently, leaving devastation in its wake. In the chaos which follows, it is up to Chief Dermott and a team of scientists to fight for balance by ensuring the safety of his town and preserving this remarkable discovery.
He will risk his career, his reputation and even his own life to stand by what he believes to be right. The question is, will he succeed, or will all be lost?
When Sean Dermott, the newly appointed police chief, sees the report that a popular local high school coach is missing, his growing fascination with the alluring Vanessa Strauss, who reported the disappearance, makes him determined to solve the case.
The investigation leads him and his team deep into Quarry Head Park, a local scenic preserve with nature trails and expansive views. There is no sign of the missing man, but what he does find terrifies him to the core.
From the depths of the park, a deadly prehistoric looking creature emerges, attacks swiftly and silently, leaving devastation in its wake. In the chaos which follows, it is up to Chief Dermott and a team of scientists to fight for balance by ensuring the safety of his town and preserving this remarkable discovery.
He will risk his career, his reputation and even his own life to stand by what he believes to be right. The question is, will he succeed, or will all be lost?
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Excerpt:
The
following week on Monday, when Sean returned to work, he found new information
on the homicide in Lakeside Park in his inbox.
“The fingerprints lifted from the evidence belong to Marcus Branca.
He is now the number one suspect. He’s also the prime suspect in a robbery
caught on tape in Litchfield. The security video from the drugstore robbery and
a mug shot are attached.”
The
next paragraph got him thinking.
“A current address for the suspect is not confirmed. His mother,
Evelyn Branca lives at 201 Daleview Circle in Norwalk, Connecticut. A
transcript of her statement is attached. She stated the last time she saw her
son was two years ago in October when he asked her for money.”
He’s robbing close to home. He has no
confirmed address, and he last called his mother two years ago.
Sean’s gut told him—she’s lying.
He
closed the email to focus on the open cases within his department.
The results of the forensic tests from the
soil samples should be in.
He
placed the call to the lab. The receptionist told him the tests were completed
and transferred him to a technician who gave him the results. “The soil samples
you sent over came up negative for synthetic and natural rubber. No trace
metals either. We found nothing man-made in it.”
Sean thanked the woman. Nothing then.
He
glanced at the time on his computer screen. In one hour, he needed to attend a
seminar on emergency protocols as outlined by the Department of Emergency
Services and Public Protection, given at the University of Connecticut. He
turned off his computer, preparing to leave when he saw Ryan standing in the
doorway.
Sean waved
him in. “What’s up?”
“I
have the report I promised on Jason Kenner last week.”
“Including
what happened to the car and the credit card statements?”
“Yes.
And some information from recent bank records,” Ryan said, handing Sean a hard
copy.
“Have
a seat.”
“Remember
the name on the account, Marsha Philips?”
Sean
nodded.
“She’s
an old girlfriend who lives in Albany, New York, about two hours away. I was
able to speak with her.”
“What
did she say?”
“They
lived together, and she was crushed he’s missing. It sounded like Marsha cared
very deeply about him, so I asked what the nature of their relationship was
today. She said they’re just friends. They broke up because he has a gambling
problem.”
“Is
that why he has so many credit cards?”
“Yeah.
He uses cash advances to get money. Marsha said he’s been doing that for years.
He wanted her to open a card in her name and take out an advance for him. She
refused and gave him an ultimatum. Get help for his addiction, or it’s over. He
never got help.”
“Does
she know there’s a credit card statement in her name going to his house?”
“She
does. She knows he opened a card in her name illegally, but she doesn’t want to
press charges. Two months ago, Jason told her that he owed someone money and
they’re after him. He asked Marsha if she could loan him two thousand dollars,
but she refused. He opened the card without her permission but then called her
to confess what he’d done and closed the account. She feels terrible for him.
She said he’s a good man; he just has a problem.”
“That’s
very forgiving considering what he did,” Sean said.
“Yup,
but the story checks out. I followed up with the credit card carrier, and they
did receive a request to close the account. And there’s more. Marsha said when
they first started dating Jason owed someone $11,000 for betting on football
games. He was so scared they would come after him, he told her if he didn’t get
the money he’d have to leave town. She gave him a small loan, and he took a
second job to cover the rest. Marsha said he would tell her he stopped
gambling, but she knows he never did. He was always short of money the entire
time they were together.”
“I’m a
little surprised none of his friends said anything. There’s nothing in the file
about it,” Sean said, wondering if Vanessa knew about Jason’s addiction.
“From
the way Marsha spoke—he was good at hiding it. He held a steady job, and for
the most part they had a good relationship.”
“I can
see that. Jason’s very popular around here. He was working with kids coaching
the winning basketball team. Looks like a model citizen. Any idea who he owes
money to?”
“Not
yet, but his landlady said he hasn’t paid his rent in two months. I did some checking,
and he’s behind on all his other bills. There are some illegal gambling
operations in neighboring towns that local law enforcement is building cases
against. I could contact them.”
“Yes.
Do that.”
He
nodded. “Right away.”
“Oh,
did you find out what happened to his car?” Sean asked, standing and gathering
his things.
“As a
matter of fact, yes.” Ryan followed Sean to the door. “The car was repossessed
for non-payment. He hadn’t paid in almost six months. It was pure coincidence
it was taken away now.”
“See
what else you can find and keep me updated.”
Ryan
returned to his office, and Sean left the station. On the way to his police
car, he detoured into the building next door which housed the Animal Control
Department.
After
exchanging greetings with Officer Benjamin Gibson, the head of Animal Control,
Sean asked if anyone claimed the dog he found.
“No
such luck. No one’s called, and the poor creature’s been staying at the animal
hospital since you had him brought in,” Ben said.
“How
come?”
“He
tested positive for Lyme disease. He’ll be okay, but they wanted to start him
on antibiotics so they kept him there.”
Sean rubbed his chin. The dog’s been through
enough. “If no one calls you today, I’m going to pick him up
and take him home.”
“Good
for you,” Ben said with a smile. “Hey. Since you’re here, a video just came in
of a mutilated animal in Quarry Head Park. Want to take a look?”
“Someone
filmed it?”
“Yeah.”
“I
don’t have much time. Is it long?”
“Not
at all. Just shy of two minutes.”
“Sure.
Let me see.”
“I
just want you to be prepared. It’s pretty gross.”
“I
appreciate the warning,” Sean said, even more interested.
Ben
pulled the file up on the computer and turned the screen toward Sean.
The camera caught every angle of the
gruesome sight. Sean flinched. What the hell?
The
body in the footage looked like a deer. The features on its face were squashed;
the eyes no longer clearly defined. The neck of the animal was bent in the
middle—the head lay flat on the ground twisted to one side. Two stumps, which
were once the deer’s front legs, jutted out just past its ears. Its back legs
were crushed and wedged into position under its belly. Even more bizarre, the
lifeless mass had a gelatinous looking coating over its entire body.
“Do we
know what happened to it?”
“No.
The footage was taken by a fifteen-year-old boy on his cellphone. He was riding
his bike with a friend in Quarry Head Park. They went off the path, and his
friend fell from the bike when he hit this dead animal.”
“Who
gave you the video?”
“His
mother sent it in by email. She wanted to make sure someone cleaned it up
before anyone else got hurt. She said her son’s friend developed an itchy rash
from the slime covering the animal’s body.”
Sean
pointed to a marker on a tree in the video. “This is next to the yellow path,”
he said. “Hold off on removing the animal for just a few hours. I have to go to
a seminar at the University of Connecticut, but when I come back I want to take
a look at it myself.”
“Sure.
Hey, when you get to the school you should talk to Dr. Greg Mitchell. You can
show him the video.”
“Why?
Who is he?”
“Greg’s
a professor at the University and the head of the Biology Department. He knows
a lot about animals and specializes in herpetology.”
“Herpetology?
The study of reptiles?” Sean asked.
“That’s
right. Actually it’s reptiles and amphibians, so he covers both land and water.
Greg lives right here in town. Last year he helped us relocate a Bog Turtle
found in someone’s yard. They’re endangered, you know.”
“But
even I can see this looks like a deer.”
“I
know, but he’s very knowledgeable. He might be able to help. Anyway, it’s just
a suggestion, and you’ll be there anyway.”
“Okay,
can you send me the video?”
“Not a
problem. I’ll email it to you now.”
Sean thanked Ben and left for the
University. Once in his cruiser he scrunched his nose, mulling over the grisly
video. Natural
causes or foul play?
Author
Bio:
Motivated by nature’s mysteries and the
complexity of human behaviour, Ivy Keating writes science fiction and fantasy
novels exploring the relationship between mankind and the natural world. A
master’s degree in social work helps her explore the nature of her characters
and give them added depth as they grapple with the repercussions of their
actions. This novel was inspired by the landscape and natural beauty of New
England. An area that inspired the question... what if?
Social
Media Links:
www.ivykeating.com
Twitter @ivy_keating
facebook @ivykeating
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