Cobblestones

By J.T. Cummins

A hotshot, Martha’s Vineyard, Deputy D.A. becomes embroiled in a web of lies, murder, and puritan New England politics when he’s assigned to prosecute two modern day witches accused of ritual sacrifice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.T. Cummins
• Release date: Sep 28, 2009
• ISBN: 9781452302218

J.T. Cummins

J.T. Cummins (aka James Cummins) is an American suspense author and screenwriter who utilizes internet distribution to micro-publish his fast-paced, short enovels directly to econsumers everywhere.By coupling the active voice and minimal exposition of the screenplay with the narrative conventions of the novel, Cummins produces lean, mean, mind’s eye movies designed to be read in about the same time it takes to watch a feature length motion picture. This technique provides digital consumers with an exciting reading experience specifically geared to their electronic devices, and busy, modern day lifestyles.THE MOVIE YEARSCummins studied art and film/video at the California Institute of the Arts under the only full character animation scholarship awarded by the Walt Disney Company during the institute’s 1978-79 academic year.J.T. Cummins’ early career was as a conceptual illustrator, sculptor and special make-up effects artist for film and television, notably The Thing, House, Strange Invaders, and Enemy Mine. Frustrated by the way his work was being presented on film, Cummins left the effects industry in 1990 to establish himself as a screenwriter and director with the horror movie classic The Boneyard, followed by Dark:30, and Harbinger.A CAREER DETOUREarly in 2002, Cummins’ life took a dramatic turn as a direct result of open heart surgery to replace a defective mitral valve. During his recuperation, and in recognition of the debt he felt he owed the Los Angeles branch of the American Heart Association for providing information that helped save his life, Cummins wrote and illustrated the inspirational picture book for all ages Good Things to Share. Through book sales, bookstore signings, school appearances, and special AHA fundraising events, Cummins raised and donated proceeds to benefit the organization’s venerable children’s health education program Jump Rope For Heart. JRFH reaches over 5 million elementary school children every year, and since its inception 25 years ago, has raised over $325 million for research against heart disease and stroke.THE eBOOK REVOLUTIONA prolific writer with a D.I.Y. aesthetic, Cummins carved out a niche for himself early in the ebook revolutioin by self-publishing efiction exclusively for the digital market. His extensive backlist includes the bestselling mystery Cobblestones, and the horror-adventure The Jitters. His suspenseful enovels are all available for digital download in the most popular formats for a wide range of ereading devices at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.WHAT READERS ARE SAYINGCompulsive reading -— Debbi Mack, Identity CrisisFast-paced —- Scott Nicholson, The Red ChurchEntertaining —- Red Adept, Amazon ReviewEasy and fun -— Kelley Sweet-Jensen, ReaderBlazing fast -— Kevin LeVick, Reader

Book preview

COBBLESTONES

By

J.T. Cummins

Smashwords Edition

Published by PopPix Press

Los Angeles, California

REVIEWS

With lean writing and cinematic style, J.T. Cummins has created a fast-moving, suspenseful story that makes compulsive reading, right up to its climactic finish.

—Debbi Mack, Author of Identity Crisis

The characters are intriguing and keep you hooked as the various plot twists untwine. Cummins is a writer to watch and brings that visual, fast-paced screenwriter feel to his fiction.

—Scott Nicholson, Author of The Skull Ring and The Red Church

The plot and storyline were excellent. This was an entertaining mystery. The writing style was also very good with excellent descriptions. Overall: An entertaining, quick read.

—Red Adept Review

As a certified CSI/Cold Case/crime drama nut, this novella was right up my alley. It was a fast, easy, and fun read. You simply must check it out. You will not regret it. It had me at cord wood.

—Kelley Sweet-Jensen, Reader

COPYRIGHT & LICENSE NOTICE

Cobblestones Copyright © 2009 James Thomas Cummins. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy at smashwords.com. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

DEDICATION

The late, great Richard Francis Brophy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Baptized in the Hollywood trenches, author and screenwriter J.T. Cummins began his career as a special make-up effects artist on such films as House, Strange Invaders, and The Thing, and later as a screenwriter and director of The Boneyard, Dark:30, and Harbinger.

As the writer of The Jitters, Softly: The Uninvited, Minus Four, Winstrom, and Weaker Sex (co-written with Douglas Nabors a producer of the Emmy winning TV series Monk), J.T.’s diverse creative background manifests itself in an aggressive narrative style that merges the immediacy of the screenplay and the intimacy of the novel. Utilizing an active voice and minimal exposition, J.T. creates lean, mean, mind’s eye movies geared to a busy, modern audience that enjoys reading smart, fast paced, exciting fiction — all in about the time it takes to watch a feature length motion picture.

E-mail J.T. at: [e-mail], or visit J.T. online at: www.jtcummins.com

ONE

On the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, wind driven snow lashes the empty cobblestone streets of the quaint New England village of Edgartown.

Amidst the grand Cape Cod’s and gingerbread Victorians resplendent in Christmas finery, a practical garden cottage stands apart at the end of a snow swept lane. Beyond her frosty windows, firelight flickers...

Inside, lit by the glow of a hearth fire, blue collar handsome, thirty-six-year old, Haylon Parker and nubile college bombshell, Vivian Coal make passionate love.

The bedside phone rings and Haylon curses, but answers. Whoever this is, your call better be a good one.

An indistinct voice speaks on the other end of the line, and Haylon’s brow knits. Who is this?

Without reply, the caller disconnects.

Haylon pauses to mentally digest the message, and then hangs up.

Important? Vivian asks.

We’ll see. Grim, Haylon rises from the bed sheets and begins to dress in his police chief’s uniform.

~~~~

Ninety minutes later, dawn on the horizon, Haylon leads Deputy Newman Carter, a search party of two dozen locals, and a reporter and his news cameraman through an icy scrub forest.

First on the scene, Haylon pushes through a thicket, stumbles, and lands face down in the remains of a spent bonfire. He lifts his head, spits ash, and comes face to face with the burnt remains of twenty-year old, Pamela Sue Potter. Hideously, her lovely arms and legs have been chopped from her torso, and like cord wood, bound to her trunk by a coil of rusty barbed wire. Overcome by the gruesome sight and stink, Haylon pukes into the virgin snow.

Ever vigilant, the cameraman swoops in and trains his lens on Haylon. When the contents of the chief’s stomach are spent, and he offers no further commentary save a weary groan, the cameraman moves on. With the instincts of a true professional, he documents circular arrangements of stones, the lumpy remains of black candles, and a large hand hewn wooden bowl.

Inside the concave ceremonial vessel are four partially burnt slips of parchment. Handwritten on their surfaces in bold calligraphic loops are the names Edwin and Cecilia, and on the final two, the surname Hubble.

~~~~

Across the island, a two-story mansion stands defiant atop the windblown clay bluffs of Aquinnah and the stormy Atlantic beyond.

Inside, motherly, fifty-five-year old, Cecilia Hubble places breakfast for two on a silver service tray. She hums happily as she shoulders open a door, slips into the foyer, and heads toward an ornate staircase. Unfortunately, she never makes it there.

Bam! A blow from a hand-held iron ram kicks open the front door, and like locusts, Captain Carter Burr and several police officers swarm inside.

Police, Carter shouts. Stay where you are!

Instinctively, Cecilia backpedals.

A force of nature, burly Officer Eugene Gains sweeps the tray from Cecilia’s hands and slams her hard against a foyer wall. "Listen