The Colombian Dope Smugglers -- Rafe Velez Mystery 6: Rafe Velez Mysteries, #6

By AB Stonebridge

A case of petty theft turns into a convoluted plot to smuggle heroin into the US. A Mafia Don wants it to stop. A local electrician is pulled into the web of criminal enterprise. The question becomes: who is the spider weaving the web and will this mean war between the Mob and the Colombians? A pivotal story in this series, with far-reaching implications.

Rafe Velez is a fictional character, based on a real person alive today. One thing you can be sure of: you will never, ever guess who he actually is!

As a private investigator, Rafe dealt with decades of crime, divorce, death and depravity – and barely broke even. Pushing 50, he had a few extra pounds around the middle, a sprinkling of gray hair and a cynical view of life, relieved only by a deadpan sense of humor. All of that changed one day, thanks to a windfall he didn't expect.

Enter the world of the Rafe Velez Mysteries: intrigue, suspense, mystery, crime and a cast of characters taken from real life (and changed just enough to protect their identities – at least, until the statute of limitations expires). Enter into the mind of a man whose life is an open book – that should be suppressed!

Meet his friends, frenemies and frequent locations for his adventures:

• Detectives Toole and Williams, Robbery/Homicide's finest – said nobody, never.
• Harpo, a stray dog that wandered into his life and has a great sense of humor.
• Jean Smalls, the first woman in a long time who threatens to take his bachelor card.
• Keith Verdi, electrical contractor, who has other talents – and secrets.
• Momo Argento, the semi-retired Don of a crime family, who keeps a hand in the game.
• The Greasy Spoon restaurant, a real tribute to truth in advertising.
• The Shiny Penny, your soon-to-be-favorite dive bar.

...and a motley crew of clients and suspects. Expect surprises: not every client is on the right side of the law and not every suspect is guilty.

You won't always know what's going on in the minds of the supporting characters. You will always know exactly what Rafe is thinking – unless he's not thinking at all!

Discover The Rafe Velez Mysteries. No, really, go ahead!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AB Stonebridge
• Release date: Jul 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781501483219

AB Stonebridge

You may have already read work by the author AB Stonebridge. As a ghostwriter for many different clients, his work has been seen all over the world. Writing a mixture of fiction, non-fiction and 'True Fiction' (also known as invented history), his work adorns many reports, stories, Web pages and more. Now, after repeated entreaties, pleas, threats and some mockery from fellow authors, AB Stonebridge is creating popular fiction for the Kindle Store. In it you'll discover a breadth and depth of experience that only an exciting life (that did not end abruptly in premature death) can bring you! AB Stonebridge has seen and done things in his life that most people shy away from. You are cordially invited to guess which plot elements are drawn from real life and which come from a rich imagination. In addition, he has met and befriended people from all over the world. Many of them appear in his works. The names have been changed to protect the guilty. If you like suspense, mystery, noir touches, cynical humor and surprise, you'll love his work. There will be characters you love, characters you love to hate and a wide-ranging view of life, in a world not unlike our own, that will draw you into its twists and turns. Take all the time you need, in the next thirty seconds, and decide to delve into the works and world of AB Stonebridge. The more you read, the more you'll find yourself entranced by the stories, personalities and just plain good fun packed into every work. AB Stonebridge is not a legend, myth or giant - yet. It's up to you, the reader, to discover the works of AB Stonebridge, share them with friends and family and decide for yourself. Without your support, he is nothing. With your support, more and more of his works will become available, for your delectation. https://www.facebook.com/abstonebridge/app_191387770912394

Book preview

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Epilogue

Chapter 1

On Mulberry Street, where the warehouses grow, three thieves in the night wearing ski masks were plying their trade. Avoiding security cameras, they found their way into a particular warehouse, with a particular stock of merchandise. They examined shipping labels and selected one case each. Lugging their load, they vanished into the night.

At that same moment, the household of Rafe Velez was sound asleep. Nothing disturbed their slumber and all awoke early, without benefit of an alarm clock. Rafe looked rumpled and groggy. His wife, Jean, looked lovely, any objective observer would agree. Harpo, the dog, looked exactly like Harpo always did – happy, tail wagging, curious.

Is today 'maid day', honey?

Yes. She'll be here around 10:00. Rafe gave his wife a suggestive look. She added, ...in the morning, you lecherous cad! Besides, you know how she feels about you.

Yes. I am handsome, but I am a 'playboy', which is not her cup of tea. Besides, she's too attached to you to cause such a loss of face.

Tin-Tin, a Filipina from the island of Bohol, was a widowed OFW (Overseas Foreign Worker) who sent most of her income back to the Philippines, supporting an extended family that lived across several islands.

She also knows what I'd do to you if you fooled around. She likes you too much to let that happen to you. Jean's expression was amused, but Rafe knew she'd be a holy terror if he ever strayed far from home.

Well, then, let's get cracking! We have a ton of housecleaning to do before the maid gets here!

Jean whacked him in the back of the head with a pair of socks as she headed towards her bathroom.

Rafe called out,I was wrong. I'm better now! to her back. Harpo nosed his way into Rafe's lap and was rewarded with scratching behind the ears.

After a leisurely breakfast, Rafe sat in his home office, tending to paperwork and other chores, so they didn't pile up. This was a relatively new habit for him. In the old days, he used to ignore the details until a deadline or lack of space made him clean it up. Now, with a wife, a dog and a steady stream of clients, he got organized and stayed that way, to devote free time to those he loved.

His phone rang. He put it on speaker. Rafe Velez here.

Hi, I'm Hal Willis, calling from Allied Warehouse, over on Mulberry. Listen, I've had a string of robberies in the past few weeks. The cops have nothing to go on. They make a report and it dies right there.

Do you have security cameras? Is there anything to go on?

Yeah, we have the cameras and they work. Whoever's doing this either has a key or it's one of my own people. Can you come see me about this?