The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Scorekeeper, written in 2017, is my second novel. I'll post it, a chapter a day, over the next few weeks.
I was doubtful Fred would appear. After mine and Gina’s goldmine discovery, she had the idea of creating three fake Gmail accounts, one each for Fred, Wade, and James. She said she had gotten the idea from a book where the wife became suspicious of her husband. The wife set up a Gmail account descriptive of a secretary’s name where the husband worked. The wife also set up a fake Gmail account for her husband. Over the course of the first half of the book the secretary and the husband, with the ready assistance of his wife, carried on an email relationship with each always discouraging the other from any type of physical action for that could disclose their true feelings.
During one of our meetings, Gina had gone into detail showing me exactly how she had set up these accounts. She showed me how to log onto each account and even how to create a false message. Fred’s account was “fitz101972@gmail.com.” The ‘10’ was Fred’s basketball jersey number and 1972 was the year he graduated from High School. Wade’s account was tillman121972@gmail.com.” And, James’ account was “adams131972@gmail.com.” Gina showed me a copy of an email she had created and sent from Fred to Wade, “Wade, I just prepared a cashier’s check to Gina for $10,000,000.” Gina laughed and said, “I can only hope that you will settle my divorce case for at least this much.” I too laughed and told her she better lay off the meds for a while.
Yesterday, I had used Gina’s creation to attempt to lure Fred to Club Eden. I, as Wade, had emailed Fred’s actual email account asking him to meet Halloween afternoon at 3:30. Wade had told Fred it concerned James and not to reveal this meeting to anyone. Wade also told Fred in the email that their secrets, safety, and slush funds may depend on this meeting. Also, I, as Fred, had emailed James’ fake account requesting he come to the Club Eden cabin. Finally, I logged onto James fake account opened the email from Fred’s fake account, read it, and replied. I, as James, stated that I would be there but it might be as late as 4:00, but I would be there. I knew that no one except Fred would read or know about any of these emails, at least for now.
I had parked across the road beside the convenience store thirty minutes early, waiting and watching for Fred to arrive. At 3:20 p.m., he pulled off Shady Grove Road up to the gate, got out, unlocked it and then drove his red 2017 Camaro up the dusty trail to the woods and onto the cabin. As his car disappeared into the woods I drove through the gate. When I drove up behind Fred’s vehicle he was on the cabin’s porch about to unlock the front door. He turned and saw me getting out of my truck. The look on his face was priceless: surprised, no, shocked, bewildered. I even saw a hint of terror. He started walking down the steps towards me and I said, “Fred, Wade is on the way. He wants us to make a deal and stop James from destroying us all three.” This too surprised Fred but also relaxed his guard. I had a notebook in my hand that hid my taser. We reached the back of his Camaro at the same time. With his back facing the cabin I looked over his shoulder and said, “what is she doing here?” This was enough of a distraction for Fred to turn his head to look back towards the cabin. I then plunged my taser into his chest. He fell to the ground, getting his thousand-dollar suit covered in dust.
The Pencil Driven Life 