Clearwater Extortion

By Al Rennie

Joe is in trouble again. He tries to prove to Mia that he has a romantic 'bone in his body' and ends up in the middle of a national conspiracy. Jeremy 'hacked' the wrong company and is hauled in by Homeland Security. Mia and Janille work a protection gig that drives Doug crazy. Ida May is overworked and needs help. Billy is having some issues. Extortion is in full bloom. Another romp in paradise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Al Rennie
• Release date: May 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301036394

Al Rennie

I was born and raised in Toronto. I attended Upper Canada College before taking a degree at Queen's University. I have worked as a lifeguard for the Toronto Harbour Police, a youth worker for the Toronto YMCA, and an English teacher in Lakefield. I am married with two great daughters and an extended foster family. My interests include Maple Leaf hockey - this is our year - New England Patriot football and writing.

Book preview

Clearwater Extortion

By

Al Rennie

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2013 by Al Rennie

All Rights Reserved.

Cover Credit: Rita Toews – probably the most caring, patient and inventive cover creator ever!

Image Credit: 61056391_31343afdc6.jpg 4268073192_428809b7fa.jpg

Cover designer using the above public domain JPEGs – Rita Toews

Formatting Credit: L.K. Campbell – as always just great – and thank you for the Kindle stuff…

Dedication

For my wife – Marsha

Always there for me and always keeping my moral compass headed in the right direction!

And Ilker of Altin Bilek Yaylinlari

Who liked Clearwater Journals enough to get it published in his home country of Turkey. As an encore, he is publishing Clearwater Diaries in July of this year.

Thank You Ilker

Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank the growing number of readers who are enjoying the Clearwater Series and who have sent me their kind and encouraging comments. I have enjoyed meeting a number of those people on Face Book. I have been tickled reading the many very interesting and informative e-mails sent my way. California Michael is a special regular correspondent I have enjoyed; he supplied the joke I used in Danger. A few of the other regulars include: Debby, Sandra, Dwight, Diane, Warren, Angie, Kathy, Pat, Bonnie and Merle. Thank you.

You do not know how encouraging it is for a writer like me to read that his or her work has been read and then re-read and enjoyed. Beyond that, to be told that I had better be writing quickly because of the interest in what is going to happen next is gratifying. Thank you Joe and Mia fans, whoever and wherever you are. You are making this ride so much fun. Let me assure the readers who have written asking for more Mia and Joe – I am writing as fast as I can bubbas!

My three excellent editors editing have returned again to make my life miserable but your reading experience better. I’d like to thank my wife, Marsha and daughter, Jane as well as Annmarie Schwanke for their masterful work in editing this novel. Their efforts have made the story much better and the content easier for you, the reader, to decipher.

I’d also like to thank Deputy Chief Ken Jackman (ret.) Peterborough Police Force, for taking time out of his busy life to answer my questions about aspects of being a cop and working in the legal system. He was very helpful in helping me understand the intricacies of the extortion game. If there are errors in my representation of what we discussed, the fault is entirely mine. I must have been laughing too hard at the time I wrote down the information. Cheers Ken!

Warnings:

Note to the kid in Chicago who keeps e-mailing me with his suggestions – not all of them are too appropriate or even almost polite: Ask your mom to get you a med review bubba – soon! Go read Captain Underpants.

Note: There is no live racing on Monday or Tuesday at Tampa Downs. To suggest that there is, is called dramatic license. Fact is altered to serve the author’s practical purposes. However, there is simulcast wagering on races at other tracks and there is also a Poker Room that goes steadily throughout the week. If you enjoy live racing, Tampa Downs is usually open from December to May with live racing Wednesday to Sunday afternoons.

Notice to all young adult readers:

As a former teacher – and therefore someone sworn to be concerned about the minds of our young people – I have to warn the under eighteen group that Clearwater Predator, much like the other books in this series, contains a number of bad words, but maybe not as many as a few of the earlier works. And really, what is a bad word? I must also tell you that you will come across some pretty suggestive scenes and some very bad people – but nothing is likely to overly stimulate you or disgust you. Sorry about that. In any case, good reading bubba – enjoy.

Best Regards,

Doc

(Back home in Ontario and not loving it so much! Damn it’s been a cold April!)

P.S. – If any of you feel a strong need to communicate with me – try

[e-mail]

or visit my revised website courtesy of Chance Faulkner Photography alrennie.com

Note: Clearwater Beach and the area surrounding it is truly my idea of paradise. It is a beautiful place to visit and to live – if you can afford it. The violence depicted in the Clearwater series is just that – fiction – i.e. – it never happened. Go there and find out for yourself. You’ll love the place. Say ‘hi’ to Betsy if you grab a bite to eat at Cooters, but don’t start chatting with Captain Frankie Donner; you’ll lose hours of your holiday.

A few Reader Responses to Clearwater Journals after it appeared on Free e-books:

If you like Jack Reacher, then you’ll like this. I enjoyed this book very much. It was well written and tense with a dash of humour and kept me involved throughout. If it had been written by Lee Child, it would be an international bestseller. – Morris Kenyon

Brilliant! Couldn’t put it down, thanks – Catherine Cooke

What a riveting story with bouts of wry humor. Again Please. – Bruce

Excellent read with more twists and turns than a road through the mountains. Enjoyed every minute! – Kingstonbears

A really well written book. Loved it a bunch. Hope he does another soon. Maybe a series??? – Wa6ype

A truly fun read, great sense of humor and a good plot. I recommend this author with pleasure. – Evelyn

Excellent writing, fast paced, liked it a lot. – Toerien

Gripping story, believable characters. Would definitely recommend. Very well written. Thoroughly enjoyed it. – Rachel Caldicott

Put my life on hold until I finished it. Great read! You live the character’s emotions and you can’t be sure of the outcome until the last page. – Charles Hough

Great read! Interesting characters and twists – not to mention just enough quirky to make it more real. – Holly Atkisson Gilmer

Enjoyable reading – a combination of a thriller and a love story – Pentii Grant

Easy reading – I look forward to another from Rennie. A book you don’t want to put down; a book you don’t want to end. – Annie Welch

Fantastic, loved it, couldn’t put it down, and didn’t want it to end! – Eloise

Thanks! Great book – I can’t wait for more! – Abu Hamzah

What a great book! Fast paced and great characters. – Sara Walsh

One of those books that you can’t stop reading, but you don’t want it to finish. – Felicity Coakley

Loved it. It reads like the old Matt Helm books I enjoyed so much when I was younger. Good characters, lots of suspense and well written. – Mike Teter

"What a cliff-hanger!! Please tell me the next one is coming out sooner rather than later. Love the Clearwater Series – Jackie K

I have read all of the Clearwater books and enjoyed them all. Clearwater Heat is such a cliff hanger that makes it mandatory to read the next book. I hope you are writing fast and will have it available soon. – Cynthia Brooks August 28, 2012 at 9:22 pm

Dude – this series rocks!

Hi Al, I have read all of your Clearwater Books. I love reading about Joe, Mia, Max and everybody. I was excited to see Clearwater Magic is available through Smashwords. I have a Nook, and they are too slow in getting books, so I downloaded Clearwater Magic through Smashwords. I was so disappointed to see it's only 127 pages. Please keeping writing all of these great books, but give us more to read in each one. 127 pages is just a tidbit, so please give us more Doc, Mia, Max, Coop and Mrs. Thornberry in each book, because they deserve more reading material. I really hope there is a follow up to Clearwater Magic soon, because I'll be finished it by tomorrow. Thanks.

I just finished Clearwater Magic and I continue to love this series. I am looking forward to more clues to the enigmatic Max and will Doug be okay??? Keep them coming, Al! I eagerly await Doc's next day in paradise. – Jackie K.

I just finished reading Clearwater Showdown, I got Clearwater Journals as a free Nook book, but it was so good I had to buy the other books. I have truly enjoyed reading this series, and hope you plan on taking Joe, Mia, Coop and Ida Mae further. I'm anxiously awaiting another installment. Maybe Joe can take a trip to our area (Spokane, WA) or Glacier Park in Montana? We have a hockey team with lots of Canadian kids on it – the Spokane Chiefs. Can't wait to read more! Maybe see the movie?!

—Corrina Wilke

a Doc Holiday fan

(I'm your huckleberry lol)

Review by: Merle Felger on March 26, 2013 :

Clearwater Danger was great. I have read every book in the Clearwater Journals. I love reading about Joe and the things he manages to get himself into, and how Max, Coop and the rest of his entourage always have his back. I hope the next Joe and Mia adventure is coming out soon. But, I really wish the books were longer, I think they are just a little too short.

Reply: This one is a little longer…just for you Merle…Thank you for the kind review that you wrote on Smashwords.

The next endorsement is one that I cherish. It was written by another Canadian writer, RJ Parker.

I read a lot of books in various genres. I really enjoy reading a series of books that have continuous characters. I'm sharing my favorite series of all time with you my friends and fans and hope that you start this and love it as much as I do. I have two more to read which I will do over the next few days. It's the Clearwater series by my friend and fellow Canadian author Mr. Al Rennie. The first book in the series is the Clearwater Journals and it's free. This series is available in all the markets, ie, Amazon, Barnes, Smashwords etc. As an avid reader for 35 years, I'm declaring this series to be my all-time favorite. It simply rocks!! Fast-paced, lovable characters and Al has a great sense of humor. If you're having a bad day, any one of these books will make you laugh. This is Al's website with the books in order.... Let me know if you start these books and what you think.

Blessings, RJ

CHAPTER 1

Life in the Fast Lane

Joseph…Joseph…are you awake?

Oh, hi Mrs C, what’s up?

I need to talk to you, dear.

We were on the helicopter pad and I was multi-tasking. I had my Sony 16 gig MP-3 player ear buds plugged into my head while flopped back on my favorite lounge chair working on my tan and quietly snoring. I had my Vaio laptop open beside the chaise on the deck for cases just like this. It’s called the need for the illusion of labour. It’s also sometimes called deception.

Is this a one plug out or a two plug out talk, Mrs. C?

Two hearing buds out and your eyes wide open this time, Joseph…

So it is an important talk then…?

Yes dear, an important talk…

Okay, what’s up? I’m all ears.

We just had a phone call from the Clearwater Beach Business Men’s Association; a few of their executive members want to meet with us about a possible job.

Fred does that kind of thing…

Yes he does, and they said that he would be most welcome too, but they specifically asked for you. I told Fred about their request, and he said that he thinks they would probably like you to shoot someone.

I’m kind of tired today; I only got two hours sleep last night, Mia and the night terrors again. I told her not to watch that movie, ‘Gangster Squad’…what was she thinking? Ryan Gosling probably…

She might just want you to hold her for a while. Anyway, Joseph…they said they would meet you at Crabby Bill’s in two hours; they’ll pay for lunch.

Well, why didn’t you say so; tell Fred I’ll be ready to go over with him at five to whatever time they said. Was there anything else they said?

No dear; just that they were looking forward to meeting you. Get your rest. I hope you are wearing your sunscreen.

Mrs. C is actually Mrs. Thornberry, now Mrs. Cooper, the elderly retired librarian for the now non-existent Clearwater Beach library and she wouldn’t be deceived by my feeble efforts with the open laptop that easily. She is also the business manager, computer hacker, jack-of-all-trades- and dogsbody for CHIPs, the Cooper Holiday Investigative and Protective Services business that I am in a partnership with her husband, retired Tampa police detective, Fred Cooper. My less than kind critics call my multi-tasking when I’m supposed to be working on the top deck, goofing off. Sometimes it’s hard to deny that criticism. This would have been one of those times. I was really knackered.

I was just resting my eyes, Mrs. C, really. The glare on the laptop screen…

Of course you were dear… Ida May said without much conviction before she returned down to her work-station in the reception area of the boat that we call our office.

Mrs. Thornberry, now Mrs. Cooper, is kind of like the mother you wish you had. She is a very talented person with an infinite amount of patience. The first time I met her, the library was still in business and she kicked me out of it for making too much noise. I was laughing at all the blond jokes I found on line that I planned to use to impress Mia. Mrs. Thornberry was not amused and told me that in so many words as she closed the door behind me. Now, without her, I don’t think CHIPs would have become the success story it is. The blonde jokes must have worked though. Mia and I have been together for almost three years now. They have been the best three years of my life if you throw out the time I got shot by a loony tune kid and Mia demolished a brand new Cadillac Escalade during a test drive and lost the triplets she was carrying at the time.

At eleven fifty five, Fred yelled up to me that we had to get going. I pulled on my almost clean navy T-shirt with the, ‘I love Clearwater Beach’ slogan on the front of it, slipped into my Teva flip flops and headed off to join him. Fred Cooper was no longer a slave to the standard suit and tie expected of a working police detective. He still looked tired and a tad dishevelled, but Mrs. C has worked her magic on him too. He was wearing cotton navy coloured slacks, a LL Bean blue check short sleeved shirt, and taupe coloured Rockport walking shoes, – natty