Gus Mackie and the Rock Star: Gus Mackie Novella series, #5

By Bob Moats

Who could possibly hate a famous female rock star? That’s what Gus is hired to find out. The rock star’s manager requests that Gus locate the person responsible for numerous threatening letters, so Gus takes the case. With help from his friend and police homicide detective, Bernie Longmire, Gus starts his investigation by going to the recording studio where Tracy Jean has started a new album. While there someone takes a shot at the woman and it now becomes a goal to protect the singer. Gus harbors her in his home for now but he and Bernie decided on a plot to draw out the attempted murderer. Will they narrow down all the suspects who aren’t fans of the singer, especially since she has a big streak of mean that riles everyone she deals with. She’s not well loved by many, except the people who buy her records. This is the fifth book in the Gus Mackie novella series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Magic 1 Productions
• Release date: Feb 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781507086346

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

Gus Mackie and the Rock Star

A Gus Mackie Novella #5

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Copyright © 2014-15 by Bob Moats.

All rights are reserved.

Rev. 0209151000a

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This book is licensed for your personal use only. This 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 recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

This is a work of pure fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

For information and address:

Magic 1 Productions

P.O. Box 524, Fraser MI 48026-0524

Website: http://murdernovels.com

Cover by Bob Moats

Photo: www.fotosearch.com

Extra special thanks to:

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Special thanks to Val Brooks, who edited this book and for her great suggestions.

Thanks to the beta readers Cindy Valstad, Al Norris, Carolyn Linington, Sherry Tull, Judy Franklin, Lisa Creasap Keller, Fleur Wilkinson, Dawn Carpmail, Arianda Sugar, Pat Barry, Genaveve Thomson, and Dianna Juneau. If I missed a name, I apologize.

Thank you to all the people who purchased this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it for my faithful readers.

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

Gus Mackie and the Rock Star

Chapter 1

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Bernie took Fritz outside to have a run and do his business. I wondered if Bernie would pick up the doggy doo-doo left by Fritz. I laughed to myself thinking about him doing that.

I was sitting in my office waiting for a possible client to show up. I had a phone call from the manager of some female rock star who was having threatening notes sent to her. I had heard the name of the singer once or twice on TV, but I wasn’t into her type of music. Bernie came back in with the dog and threw a forensic evidence bag on my desk containing Fritz’s efforts. I laughed and put the bag in the trash.

That’s disgusting, thank you for the image, I said as he sat.

Glad to oblige. Did this guy say when he was coming?

He said he’d be here soon. That was about an hour ago. I guess these rock stars don’t worry about time.

In my misguided youth back in South Dakota, I went to a couple rock concerts that didn’t start on time. One was because the band was still in their motorhome partying.

I’ve never been to a concert. Wait, does Frank Sinatra count? I asked.

It does, Gus. Where did you see him?

At the old Pine Knob outdoor theater. We sat on the grass up on the hill. Sinatra looked to be about two inches tall from where we were. The music was good, though.

The front door opened and in walked a man in torn blue jeans and a t-shirt with Tracie Jean - Rock Goddess printed on it. He wasn’t my idea of a manager. I pictured them in suits, but this is the new wave, I guess.

Fritz suddenly jumped up from his bed and went to the man as he came up. Fritz sniffed around the man then made soft growling sounds. Bernie stood and went to Fritz, taking him by the collar.

What’s wrong with your dog, man? the guy said nervously.

Bernie got close to the man and said, He’s trained to sniff out drugs. You wouldn’t be carrying any drugs would you? Bernie pulled back his jacket to show his badge.

The man’s eyes widened, and he spoke quickly. Hey, I got no drugs on me. The dog probably smelled the ones used by others I was with.

Bernie smiled and said, I’m sure. Then he took Fritz back to his bed and told him to lie down. The dog obeyed but kept an eye on the man.

Have a seat, I told him as he watched the dog nervously. Don’t worry, he won’t attack unless you pull a gun, or we command him to charge.

Good to know, man. He relaxed and sat back. So, are you Mackie, the P.I.? he asked.

I am, are you the manager of the rock star?

That’s Rock Goddess, he said pulling his t-shirt out so the printing could be seen. I’m Dickie Flynn, Rock Goddess manager.

Yes, I’m sure she is. Now, what’s the problem? I asked as Bernie sat behind the man.

Tracy has been getting threatening messages from someone claiming they will kill her.

So, you want a bodyguard? I asked.

Hell no, man. She has bunches of those around her all day. We need to find this person so we can convince him to leave Tracy alone.

I can’t condone violence. If you are going to use legal means to stop him, I could find the man.

What? One of those restraining orders? Shit load of good they do. Tracy’s ex-old man had three of them against him, and he still came around bothering her. We finally convinced him to back off.

I figured what he meant, either a shallow grave or a ticket to Europe. Well, what you do is up to you, if you want me to, I’ll see if I can find this person.

That’s what we were hoping. We talked to the cops, he glanced at Bernie and continued, but they said they couldn’t do much unless this guy makes a move on Tracy. Hell, by then she could be dead.

Okay, is Tracy in town for a concert? I asked.

"She's from here, man. Born and raised in good old Detroit. She’s here after her successful national tour, she needs the rest and came back to the old homestead. Her mother is still around, but her old man died years ago during a bad drug deal. You can talk to her later. She’s recording a new album at a recording studio