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 Case of the Perfectionist Professor, written in 2018, is my sixth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Late on New Year’s Eve in the small town of Boaz, Alabama, Snead State Community College teacher Adam Parker was found dead slumped over in his car. A preliminary investigation indicated the fifty-year-old biology professor died of a heart attack. Marissa Booth, Adam’s daughter and Vanderbilt School of Divinity professor, didn’t agree.
Four days later, Marissa hired the local private detective firm of Connor Ford to investigate her father’s death. She declared local police officer Jake Stone had likely murdered her father. She pointed Ford to a multi-month Facebook feud between Adam and several local people, including Stone and Boaz City Councilman Lawton Hawks. The controversy allegedly related to Adam’s research that contended that, in layman’s terms, long-term indoctrination caused actual genetic mutations that directly affected future generation’s ability to reason.
Over the next year, Connor Ford discovered multiple and independent sources of motivation to quiet and possibly murder the controversial professor. Ford learned that a civil lawsuit and widespread public outcry had effectively run Adam out of Knoxville, where he was a biology professor for over thirteen years. Ford also learned that Adam had become the number one enemy of Roger Williams, a self-made local businessman, and his son Alex, who is a Republican candidate for governor of Alabama. Adam had discovered Alex and Glock, Inc., the Austrian-based gun manufacturer, was exploring not only the possibility of setting up a large facility in Boaz but also supplying pistols for Alex’s highly touted and controversial ‘arm the teachers’ proposal.
Connor Ford has his hands full enough with these suspects. Add in his need to determine whether Lawton Hawks and Jake Stone are friends or foes of Roger and Alex, which accentuate the pressure no normal small-town private detective can handle.
Will Connor’s discovery there is a link between Dayton, Tennessee, and the 1929 Scopes Monkey trial and a rogue group of CIA operatives bend Connor and his two associates to the breaking point?
Read this mystery/thriller to find out if Adam Parker was murdered and how, and what role the long-standing controversy between science and religion had in destroying the life of a single perfectionist professor.
Chapter 37
I had spent all afternoon in the war room. Two days ago, Blair had received a call from Marissa who relayed something she had discovered in the Evernote database. At the time I didn’t know that she even had access, but Blair explained how she had shared the password with Marissa a few weeks ago. I had come down hard on Blair about making these type decisions without my input but had been too excited about Marissa’s discovery to stay mad at Blair.
After nearly three hours staring at four walls, drawing lines, and moving index cards around, I concluded Marissa was right. Roger Williams had a very big reason to spend nearly a million and a half dollars to get rid of Adam Parker. Adam Parker had written about it in one of his journals. It seemed Glock had multi-billion reasons to court Alex Williams. He appeared to be the key to securing nationwide gun sales if the U.S. Department of Justice approved the Glock 34. Seth Jeffers, as U.S. Attorney General was a former senator from Alabama and good friends with Alex and Roger Williams. From what Adam had written, he believed that it was simply a matter of time before President Kane issued an Executive Order requiring all teachers to be trained and armed. Alex had someway caught the attention and support of the President with his bold move in Alabama offering similar legislation. Adam was convinced that Alex was in for a windfall kickback from Glock if they were approved as the only weapon supplier for teachers across America.
A few minutes after five Blair knocked on my door and said she was leaving. I came out and followed her out to the rear parking lot apologizing for being so hard on her about giving the password to Marissa. I tried my best to assure her how much I appreciated her tireless efforts towards resolving the Adam Parker investigation. As she got in her car she smiled at me and said, “I now see that even a client herself might need investigating.” She drove away, and I pondered her statement as I walked back to the office.
Just as I reached for the door handle I heard a car horn. I turned and didn’t recognize the car pulling into the parking lot. When the car stopped ten feet from our back door stoop I recognized the driver as Erica Williams. What on earth was she doing here?
She rolled down her window. “Mr. Ford, can we talk?”
I agreed wholeheartedly and invited her in. We sat down in the conference room. It was the closest I had been to her since I met her the first time at the Snead College cafeteria after hearing her husband speak. Then, she looked ten years younger. Even though she was still a beautiful woman, her eyes revealed her heart. It was apparent her makeup was losing its battle with the crow’s feet inching from her eyes. If ever there was a competition for a look of general sadness in a woman’s face, Erica Williams took top place.
“Mr. Ford, I suspect you are surprised I am here. In a way, I am too.”
“Please call me Connor. I’m not surprised. I’m shocked.”
“Before I explain, I want you to know I am here to help you if I can. It’s been nearly two weeks since I had to say my goodbyes to my precious daughters. I’ve been and continue to be a wreck. But, one thing I know is that I’m leaving Alex Williams. I’ve had enough. I owe it to Emma and Ella, and to Reece.”
I really didn’t know what to say. One side of me wanted to ask her a million questions but I also could feel her pain and felt I needed to listen as much as possible. “Erica, please know I’ve never had anything hit me so hard as the death of your adorable daughters. I think it had something to do with hearing them sing at the Independence Day celebration at church back in July. I can’t imagine how difficult it has been. You are a strong woman to have survived the funeral. It was so emotionally traumatic. Please know Camilla and I have been devastated over your loss.”
“Thank you for that. Funny you mention the funeral. Looking back, I think that was when I subconsciously made the decision to leave Alex. I fully blame him for their deaths.” Erica said pulling a box of Kleenex from her purse.
“That’s a mighty big decision. I’m not being disrespectful of your decision but from an economic standpoint it would seem you are giving up quite a bit.” I said.
“Our marriage has been more a business arrangement for years. I know you know about Natalie Goble. She’s carrying Alex’s baby.”
“I know.”
“She’s not Alex’s first affair. There’s been several but as far as I know he’s only gotten two pregnant. Gabby Taylor from Guntersville was the other one. That’s when I had the balls, sorry for being so graphic, to stand up to Alex and his family and make my demands.” Erica said.
“Say whatever you want. Don’t worry about being polite.” I wanted to say, ‘tell me more.’
“When he and his father were trying to silence Gabby and her family I already knew he was a womanizer. I married the man knowing that. I told him that if he didn’t set me up a trust fund that I would leave him right then and there. I also told him that every time he strayed I wanted another million dollars. He agreed. Maybe that’s another reason I am determined to leave. I can afford it.”
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” I asked.
“Not at all. Ask whatever you want. I may surprise you with what I know.”
“What can you tell me about Alex and Adam Parker’s relationship?” I asked.
“I don’t think they had a lot of direct dealings with each other, but I know Alex kept up with the public squabbling that was going on. He would talk a lot with Jake Stone. It was like Jake was his go-to guy. They’ve been friends since high school. Alex told me one time, sometime last fall, that Adam was going to screw up everything if somebody didn’t shut him up.”
“That’s exactly what he said?” I asked.
“Pretty much. I never told Alex about the letter I received from Adam.”
“A letter? What was it about?” I asked.
“He was very polite. He said he knew Hannah Knott and that she persuaded him to contact me. In his letter, he pleaded with me to try my best to stop Alex from pursuing the teacher gun thing, arming teachers. Adam said that it was a very ignorant idea and if implemented, it would be only a matter of time until something horrible happened. He likened guns in schools to a big pig with an eight-foot fluorescent bulb strapped cross-ways across its back inside a Walmart. It was just a matter of time until something breaks.”
“Pretty good analogy.” I said.
“Of course, all my efforts fell on deaf ears. Alex wouldn’t listen. He was hellbent and logic didn’t matter. He’s that way with a lot of stuff, including his idiotic idea to teach Creationism in public school science classes.”
“I take it you’re not a fan of that either?” I asked.
“Fortunately, I didn’t grow up Southern Baptist. Thank God I’ve avoided the indoctrination.”
“That’s kind of funny.”
“I see your point.” Erica said, her face losing a small degree of its sadness. She had a nice smile.
“If I ask something that offends you please let me know.”
“We’ve already covered this ground.”
I was liking Erica more. She was logical and, like me, preferred getting to the point. “I’m pretty sure Roger was directly involved in Adam’s death. I know he was instrumental in having his autopsy falsified. What can you tell me about Alex’s role in any of this?”
“Sounds more like Roger. He was always trying to protect his two sons. If Alex was involved it’ll be harder to prove. He is sly as a fox. But, he’s not perfect. Look at this.” Erica said pulling an iPhone out of her purse. “Someway Alex’s little computer wound up in my purse.” I appreciated her effort at being funny.
“You are serious about helping me, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Connor, wake up and smell the coffee. I said I was here to offer you my help. What don’t you understand about that. Alex killed my daughters. He has to pay.”
“Okay. I’m on board now. I appreciate you coming.”
“These are photos. I know they were taken at Roger’s lake house. I’m pretty sure that’s Natalie. I don’t know the two guys behind her. And, I don’t know when they were taken.” Erica said.
I looked at the photos and knew right off they were pictures of Beanpole and Tommy Lee following Natalie into the front door of Roger’s lake house. It seemed odd to me that Alex would have taken these shots. “Here’s a thought. Is Jake Stone a handyman for Alex and Roger?”
“My bet is he’s more loyal to Roger than Alex. Even though he and Jake were best buds in high school, there has been some tension between them. Before we married, both were in hot pursuit of Sandy Mohler. She’s now Jake’s wife, but at the time she was married to Zach, Mayor Zach Mohler. Her affairs with Alex and Jake busted up her marriage. Jake truly loved the woman, but Alex was just being Alex, feeding his sexual appetite not thinking of the consequences. He and Jake nearly came to blows over the woman. Finally, Alex backed off, I guess he wanted a new flavor, that’s when we started dating. Of course, at the time I didn’t know the real Alex. Sorry, I rambled. Did that answer your question?”
“Yes, I think it did.” Now I had a little better understanding of why I had the niggling idea in my last two sessions in the war room. I had subconsciously wondered if Jake Stone had instigated the Natalie kidnapping, including hiring Beanpole and Tommy Lee to do his dirty work. Natalie was certain that we had met Jake on Signal Point Road as we were escaping the lake house. This was solid ground to conclude he was involved. Now, with this news from Erica, that Jake might have reason to hold a grudge against Alex, my mind wanted to conclude Alex might simply be a pawn in the entire Adam Parker case.
The Pencil-Driven Life 