Big Apple Murders: Jim Richards Murder Novels, #28

By Bob Moats

An invitation to speak at a big book convention in New York City entices Jim to cross the country and appear. He and Penny, along with Buck, travel to the Big Apple and they fall into a murder of one of the authors promoting his books. It’s not the only murder, Jim’s curse seems to be working over-time and there is a second author murdered. Jim is pulled into the crimes along with an old acquaintance from his last trip to the city, Captain Lou Brege, and finds more than what he expected. Are the murders being committed by a serial killer called the Hangman? Or are the murders being set-up by Jim’s own publisher? Jim, along with Buck and a mob wise-guy hunt down killer as Penny backs them up with her handy .38 Smith & Wesson. The police and the mob join forces to bring justice to the convention before Jim gives his speech, but will the killer get to Jim before he can perform? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bob Moats
• Release date: Jan 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781497736641

Bob Moats

Detroit area resident, Bob Moats, has been writing short stories and plays for as long as he can remember. He has lost most of his original stories, typed or handwritten, in the numerous moves he has made from his hometown of Fraser, Michigan to Northern Michigan, to Las Vegas and back to Fraser, where he now lives. Moats became one of the causalities of unemployment a year ago, and had time on his hands to finally pursue a life long dream of writing a full blown crime novel. Thus was born the first book, "Classmate Murders".What followed was a series of seven books starting with "The Classmate Murders" which introduces the main character, Jim Richards, who has to admit he has become a senior citizen, reluctantly. Richards, one day, receives an email from a childhood sweetheart asking for his help, but by the time he reaches her, she has been murdered. His life turns around and he is pulled into numerous murders of women from his high school who he hasn't seen in forty years. Along with a friend of his, Buck, a big, mustached biker, they go off to track down the killer before he can get to one former classmate, Penny Wickens, a TV talk show host who Jim has just fallen for while protecting her. The killer is also murdering the women right out from under police protection, driving homicide detective Will Trapper crazy, and he slowly depends on Jim to help. There's humor, suspense, wild chases across suburban Detroit with cops, classic cars and motorcycle clubs; murder, mayhem, a good amount of romance and a twist ending.Jim and his crime fighters, continue in the other books, traveling to Las Vegas twice, back to Detroit and out to New York to solve murders involving dominatrix; mistresses; Bridezillas; magic and strip clubs.Book titles: Classmate Murders; Vegas Showgirl Murders; Dominatrix Murders; Mistress Murders; Bridezilla Murders; Magic Murders; Strip Club Murders and Made-for-TV Murders.

Book preview

Extra special thanks to:

My special thanks to Val Brooks who edited this book and has edited some of my other books.

Thank you for purchasing this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it for my faithful readers. Please feel free to email me to tell me what you thought about my stories. I love hearing from the readers. I can be reached at [e-mail] thanks again!

The Jim Richards Family of Readers is in the back of this book.

Big Apple Murders by Bob Moats

Chapter 1

So, what do you do for a living? the woman asked as she removed her dress and sat on the edge of the bed to remove her nylons.

Don't start an interview with me. You're a hooker, so hook. I'm paying you for a couple hours in bed ─ the works. That doesn't mean talking.  The man stripped down to his boxer shorts and excused himself to go into the bathroom.

The woman dropped the rest of her undergarments, and naked, crawled under the covers of the king size bed. Her john had picked one of the nicer hotels in New York City. They even went up to the room together as husband and wife.  He said she wasn't dressed like a tart, which is why the man had chosen her. They didn't draw suspicion.

She was relaxing, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom. The door finally opened. He stood in the doorway silhouetted by the light behind him. The main room was dark save for one small lamp in the far corner. It wasn't enough to fully illuminate the man.

He slowly walked towards the bed, the glow of the lamp revealing what he wore – a mask. A Halloween mask of a skeletal face covered his whole head. The woman thought of the Grim Reaper, only the man had no hooded robe on. He was naked.

Hey, I didn't sign up for a kinky trip, mister. What's with the mask? she said, as he crawled over to her on the bed.

You are going to make love with the devil tonight, bitch, he spoke from behind the mask.

She started to move out of the bed, but he grabbed her and pulled a noose he had previously attached to the bed post around her neck. He tightened it so the woman couldn't move away. She wanted to scream, but he tightened it more, cutting off any sound she could have made.

I want to look into your eyes as the life goes out of you, he said as he hovered over her and waited for her to strangle to death.

~~*~~

Penny was not happy with her hair that morning. She was trying to get ready to leave for her job as host of her talk show in Las Vegas, which was broadcast through a network to the country.

This won't do! she yelled as she tried to get a brush through her hair. I was standing just outside her bathroom door wondering what her problem was. Damn hair, she said as she fought with the brush.

Babe, your make-up and hair girls will fix it. Besides, you look cute with your Albert Einstein hair-do, I said, and had to duck when the hair brush came flying out of her bathroom.

I hate bed-head! she yelled, as I retreated from the bedroom with Willy, our toy Yorkie, following at my heels. Even he knew it was good to get out of her way.

I went to the kitchen to make my toast, and I even fixed Penny's oatmeal. She came flying out and said not to bother with her breakfast. She was going in early to have her groupies fix her rat's nest. She always referred to her make-up girls as her groupies because they were always around for her. She gave me a quick kiss, lifted Willy into his travel purse, and was out the door in record time.

I hoped she didn't rush to work in her car. The chances of a ticket or an accident worried me. But I knew she was careful, she valued her life.

I sat munching on my toast and watching the local news. I hated to watch the news, but this morning I felt like it. I don't know why. I finished the toast and the news and got dressed to go into the office. The office was nicer now, with the addition built onto the side of my building for Lynn and Buck to have their own work space. Plus, there was a lounge for us to relax away from the perils of crime.

Lynn’s been happier since leaving the homicide squad of LVMPD. She fit in with us at my investigating firm and was much happier being away from the grit and grime of murder and crime in Las Vegas. She also had a baby girl to take care of when she wasn't working a case. Her husband, and my friend, Deacon, had stayed with the police and had recently passed the lieutenant's test for promotion. Now, he had to wait for a slot to open up.

I headed out to my Crown Vic and drove to my building to see what was going on. I parked and went in the back, setting off Lacey's cowbell on the door. I waved to the camera and went down the hallway to my office. I went in and sat at my desk and waited for Lacey, my office manager and crazy person, to come bombing in to tell me about any new cases that came in. She didn't arrive.

I waited, still no Lacey. I was getting worried and went out to the main lobby where I found Lacey sitting at her desk typing on the computer.

Typing your resume for another job, I hope? I asked.

I'm answering an email for you. It's from a group in New York that wants you to come out to a book convention to speak on your success as a writer and private investigator. I'm filling in the background information on your career in crime fighting.

And how do you know what to write? I asked.

She lifted my latest book and said, I'm just copying what you wrote in your bio from your book. It's nice when you have it all made out for me.

So, why do you think I'll accept this invitation to go out to New York for a book convention?

Because you love the attention and if you don't, I'll shoot you.

I guess that's two good reasons. Where is this email that invited me?

She lifted a paper from her desk and handed it over to me. It was a copy of the email that came to the firm. It wasn't even personally sent to me, although it did acknowledge me as the recipient. I read it over and was thinking about what they said would be an all-expenses paid visit to New York City. That intrigued me.  If Penny could get the time off from her show, I'd accept. But, it seems, Lacey had already did it for me.

This says that it will be over the four day Labor Day weekend. Maybe Penny could take the time off, I said to no one in particular. I looked at Lacey and said, Penny and I just got back from my reunion last month in Michigan. I don't know about jumping across the country again so soon.

As I said, you need to go there. You need to get away from this office, you're beginning to bug me, Lacey said with a wry smile.

How am I bugging you?

You're always moping around. Since Lynn has been helping Las Vegas police with their cases, you've been bored. You won't take a cheating spouse case...

I don't like those, I've had enough of them, I interrupted her.

...And there haven't been any meaty cases to take. Earl and Trapper jump on the hard-core ones because they pay attention to who comes in. You're always in your office meditating. She tried not to laugh, just making a snorting sound.

Fine, I'll go to New York, but you'll miss me.

Not with a gun I won't, she said with another snort.

I gave up and went back to my office. I sat at my desk looking around the room. It was a lot bigger now that Lynn had moved into her new office. I liked my privacy, and could take a nap when I wanted to. Or as Lacey called it, meditating.

I picked up the desk phone after checking my watch to see if Penny's show had finished taping and called her. I waited for it to ring, when I heard a ringing from outside my door. It stopped and I heard Penny on my phone saying, Are you in your office?

Yes, where are you? I had a feeling she was outside my office on her phone.

She peeked around the door and smiled. Willy came bounding in and stood up against my leg. Penny hung up and came in the room.

So, I hear we're going to New York, she said.

I wish Lacey would stop filling you in on my news. I wanted to tell you myself.

Okay, I didn't hear anything from Lacey. So, what's new?

We're going to New York.

*

Chapter 2

––––––––

Why? I'll pretend like Lacey didn't tell me, she said with a smirk.

Thank you. I've been asked to talk at a book conference about my life as a famous author and crime fighter.

She snorted like Lacey and said, This sounds like our ocean cruise. You know that had murders. Is this going to be like that?

I hope not. My curse has to end. It will be in New York, I can feel it.

You better be right or I'll drop you off the Empire State Building. She snorted again.

Stop that, you sound like Lacey. Everyone is picking on me today.

Everyone? Have you seen Buck or Trapper yet?

No, but I know they'll pick on me, too.

Penny stood and said, I'll call Gordy and tell him I need that weekend off. You need to ask Buck to come along to protect us. New York is a dangerous town.

And you grew up around Detroit. You survived. If I ask Buck, it will be because he's a friend and he might like going back to New York again. We may even visit the Traviano family. I'd like to visit Gino and Frances again.

I'd like to see them, too. When did Buck go to New York?

You were sick, it was back when we went out with Earl to find the missing stripper for Angelo's cousin.

Ah, yes. I remember now. You were also shot in New York, remember that? Gino and Frances flew me out to sit at your deathbed.

I lived didn't I?

I'm wondering. Now, I have to go call Gordy and go shopping for my New York wardrobe, she said and left my office. I wasn't even going to say anything about her buying clothes.

Willy was resting on my desk where I put him. I reached over to scratch his ears, he loved that.

Buck startled me by popping in my open door. Hey Jimmy, what's up?

My blood pressure. I'm surrounded with people who want to drive me crazy. Would you be interested in going back to New York with Penny and me?

Buck sat in my client chair and smiled, Is this about the book convention?

Damn, has Lacey put my trip in the company newsletter? Yes, I'm being asked to speak.

I remember when that creepy woman came in your tiny office in Michigan to ask you to go on the ocean cruise for that writer's convention, Buck said with a laugh.

Yep, but this is going to be on dry land this time, and hopefully no creepy woman.

"You hope. I'd be glad to go with you two. I'll keep the weekend open. Are you going to charter another jet like the one we had to