The Night of the Scorpion-Paranormal Justice Series Book One

By Avia Belle Moon

Detective Valerie Von Danner is a police detective working in the sex crimes unit of a police department in a lovely city along the California coast. She finds herself swinging on a pendulum between the two extremes of caring for her autistic son Justice, and trying to keep the city clean of criminals. The stress from her job and caring for a special needs son takes its toll, as she wears the masquerade of a high functioning alcoholic. She contemplates changing her career, until the heartbreaking rape and subsequent suicide of a young college girl makes her decision. From that moment the true investigation begins in her heart, as she realizes her raison detre-to rid the world of injustice and rape. Meet supernatural sleuth Marvella Mellows, a psychic on Section 8, who uses her gift to to help Von Danner stop a serial rapist with supernatural powers. Trees cry resinous tears of blood, and the ocean waves turn red, as the city responds to the evil presence permeating its parameters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Avia Belle Moon
• Release date: Jul 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310081187

Avia Belle Moon

Avia Belle Moon is the pen name of a writer who started her professional writing career in Japan in 1995. She has written many articles on Japanese arts and culture. She has been published in various newspapers and magazines in Asia, including The Japan Times, The Daily Yomiuri, Kansai Time Out, and The South China Morning Post.She is involved in nuclear abolition activities, and works with peace organizations worldwide. She has been interviewed by the BBC regarding nuclear abolition, and edited Volume 6 of the Japanese graphic novel, Barefoot Gen-Story of Hiroshima. She went to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she studied art history. Upon arriving in Japan in 1991 she continued her studies in Japanese art history and the Japanese language.A Thousand Years of Love is her first novel, and was a Finalist for the 2006 Word/Work Self-Published Book Awards. The Word/Work Self-Published Book Awards are an annual literary competition to recognition the contribution of independently published work to the writing world. The competition is open to the public and awards prizes for both fiction and nonfiction books. Self-published, print-on-demand (POD), and independent publishers (small press) are all eligible to submit their work. We look for work that is daring, inventive, and engaging-work that has critical appeal, and the potential to find a wider audience if given the right push.Her interview of Japanese manga pioneer Hagio Moto was part of the required course readings at the University of Wisconsin Student Seed seminar(Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) that examines the impact of race, class, age, gender, ability, sexual orientation and other defining aspects of our identities on our learning environments and the community.She has written three print books in total. “Temple of the Dueling Heart” was released in 2010, and her third book, “Spiritland-The Ghosts of California’s Central Coast” was published in 2011 by Schiffer Publishing."The Night of the Scorpion" is her first book in her Paranormal Justice Series. Since 2007 she has been besieged by ghosts and spirits, and she has found that writing is a great way to balance sometimes stressful encounters from the other side.You can read more about her writings at www.aviabellemoon.com

Book preview

PARANORMAL JUSTICE SERIES BOOK ONE

THE NIGHT

OF

THE SCORPION

BY AVIA BELLE MOON

INTRODUCING

SUPERNATURAL SLEUTH

MARVELLA MELLOWS

Copyright 2014 by Avia Belle Moon. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, in any form whatsoever, without the written prior permission of the author.

Smashwords Edition.

Art direction and design concept-Avia Belle Moon

Cover design by Sean Somics

http://somicsdesigns.com/index.html

Formatting by Polgarus Studio

http://www.polgarusstudio.com

Very special thanks to the Santa Barbara Police Department and the Santa Maria Police Department for their assistance with police procedures. Very special thanks to Clyde George and Laurie Homan for their detailed assistance.

Also special thanks to Veronica Hendricks for assistance with astrology, and Nate Cotton for assistance with mapping.

This book is dedicated to the 2012 New Delhi rape victim, and all victims and survivors of rape, past and present. We must all work together to eradicate a culture of rape, that has no future.

CHAPTER ONE

Marvella Mellows lay sleeping on her futon, dreaming about her good life in the 80’s when she was beautiful, when her beloved husband was still alive. When her body was young, and not plagued with chronic disease. She suddenly woke up to find goose bumps on the skin of her arms, bare in the moonlight. She glanced at her digital clock. It read 111.

She walked to the window and stared out into the night. A red, ethereal light was forming around the moon, rising in Scorpio. A chill run through her, not from the rain, but from the evil presence that she sensed had entered the city. She felt the need and duty to seek out and identify this evil. She walked back and sat on the futon, and spoke into the night. She called out to her dead husband.

Wendall…. are you here?

Nothing happened. The room remained dark and silent. She retreated back into her dreams until she woke up to a bright light glaring down at her. She glanced at her clock. It read 333. She could sense that he was here, and that he knew something was wrong.

Sequins and sparkles lit up the Harbor Beach Bar as masqueraded college students gathered to celebrate the end of a four year relationship with academia. It was 80’s night. Send me an Angel was playing in the background when a tightly muscled figure walked in, wearing a face mask of Jesus. He sat next to Roxy Monroe, who was dressed in an angel masquerade. The bar was dimly lit, as the light from the fake rhinestones on her tiara shimmered in the dancing light. Underneath his mask the man was square jawed, handsome, and decisive. His tanned chest was visible underneath a white Armani shirt. The sting of the Scorpion lay subdued under Ralph Lauren cologne.

Roxy glanced at her cell phone. It was her mother, Adele. She debated whether a moment to pick up, then answered.

Hello?

Are you in a bar?

Roxy set her drink down on the bar. Yes.

Alcohol and women don’t mix. I told you to stay away from bars!

Her mother’s sharp voice irritated her ear. She held the phone away from her head. What about your drinking?

Ever since your daddy died it’s been hard for me, you know that.

How come you didn’t come to my graduation? Everyone else had their family there….I was the only one who-

Now don’t you go on making me feel guilty, if I didn’t have the money I didn’t have it. And I didn’t want to drive in that heat.

You had the money for Winston’s graduation.

Now you know that times were better for me then, I was working; your daddy was working-

Yeah, I think I’ve heard this before. I gotta go. Roxy hung up.

The Scorpion looked up from his drink. Family problems?

Yeah, something like that. The masquerade was creepy and kept her at bay. She could tell he was good looking though. She picked up her drink.

He stared at her. College grad?

Yeah, finally made it through the old grind. Four years of slaving over papers and all that fun stuff.

So what are your plans now?

She sucked on the ice cubes in her mouth. I don’t know. Make a contribution to the planet. Do something good.

Great. So what are you drinking?

Oh thanks, I’m good.

The Scorpion glanced at her key chain. That looks like a beagle.

My dad gave it to me.

For graduation?

Roxy looked down at her drink. No. A few weeks, before he died. No one in my family came to my graduation.

Your dad died? Sorry to hear that.

Roxy nodded into her drink. He loved dogs.

The Scorpion picked up his cell phone and showed her a photo of a sweet faced pit bull puppy with blue eyes. Check it out. That’s my girl.

Roxy’s expression softened. Oh, sweet, what’s her name?

Peaches. He picked up his drink. So, have you ever tried a Sea Breeze?

I don’t think so.

The Scorpion motioned to the bartender. One Sea Breeze for the lady.

A few moments later the bartender brought paradise in pink in a tall glass and set it on the bar in front of her.

Roxy took out her wallet.

He waved it away and raised his glass. Cheers to the college grad. And to an angel.

Roxy raised her glass as well. Thank you. The glass burned cold against her fingertips. Cheers to Jesus.

Right on. Hey, speaking of the sea, you like boats? Walks on the beach?

Roxy smiled. I think I love anything that has to do with the ocean. We don’t have too many waves in Modesto.

The Scorpion grinned, and showed her a picture of a mid-size yacht on his cell phone. This is Lady Luck. My brother and me went out last week and we saw this kick ass sunset.

"Actually, it’s ‘My brother and I.’

The Scorpion put down his glass. Say what?

Roxy drained her glass. It’s not ‘me’, it’s ‘I.’ My brother and I. She drained her glass. Sorry, I can’t help it, I was an English major. She knew he hadn’t gone to school; he was probably a construction worker or some other kind of blue collared position. He was older than her, maybe in his mid-thirties. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at him. He was clutching his glass, and his knuckles were white.

Good girl. College girl did her homework.

What?

He tightened his grip around the glass. Nothing.