Elusive Suspicions

By Paul Wolfle

Though he did nothing wrong, Jack Brewster, 15, is closely watched by Captain Harmony’s policebots in this apocalyptic small town tale of danger and doubt. Ordinary life patterns are set against Maplefield’s contemporary, yet isolated, existence during the terrorizing days of a future past.

Everyone seems to think that Jack’s younger brother, Dwayne, 13, committed a crime in the neighborhood. The cops want Jack to help them prove his brother’s guilt. The only problem is nobody has any proof. But that does not stop Captain Harmony and his policebots, or p’bots, as most residents call them.
Fictional prose with a neo-noirish teenage twist, would-be technology and the rise of sovereign city-states suggest 'Elusive Suspicions' takes place in another time. Nevertheless, the book manages to stay focused on the never-ending chronicle of the human condition. Recently, various authors, filmmakers and historians have suggested America could become a very different place in the years to come; 'Elusive Suspicions' touches on that same topic. It’s a fictitious tale, yet surely feasible.
Here’s to the future, because it may be here sooner than anyone thinks. But read 'Elusive Suspicions' today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Wolfle
• Release date: Nov 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311918741

Paul Wolfle

The underlying thread running through each of Paul Wolfle’s eBooks reveals a unique perspective about the relationships of women, men, families and employers. Fact or fiction, good, bad, but certainly not indifferent, Wolfle’s take surely captures the attention of readers. What’s more, Long Island is close to Paul’s heart and a topic that he intimately knows. The magnetic draw to New York City’s neighbor to the east only makes perfect sense, given that he was born and raised in Nassau County. Additionally, Wolfle Street, on the celebrated and sometimes infamous “Gold Coast,” is a testament to this inveterate Long Island name and has been for many years. Paul’s articles and blog postings can be found on a variety of social media platforms.

Book preview

Elusive Suspicions

By

Paul Wolfle

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Paul Wolfle on Smashwords

Elusive Suspicions

Copyright© 2015 by Paul Wolfle

Thank you for downloading this eBook. Your support and respect for the property of this author is greatly appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

*****

ELUSIVE Suspicions

Chapter 1: Harmony’s Unfriendly Tempo

Chapter 2: Suspicious Minds

Chapter 3: Going to the Kids Club

Chapter 4: Saint and Sinner

Chapter 5: In the Shadows of the City-States

Chapter 6: A Girl and a Missing Vox

Chapter 7: The Home Wars

Chapter 8: It Was Almost Like Being Marlon Brando

Chapter 9: The Confrontation

Chapter 10: Those Darn Doppelgangers

Chapter 11: Day of Reckoning

Chapter 1: Harmony’s Unfriendly Tempo

Jack walked towards the middle of town hoping to run into his younger brother, Dwayne. But when he reached the intersection of Main and Schoharie, a commotion broke out in the street which diverted his attention. Two policebots, or p’bots as everyone called them, were engaged in a tense standoff with an irate motorist who had just jumped out of his truck brandishing a gun. The man started shouting obscenities for no apparent reason. Jack had never seen him before.

Without any warning, one of the p’bots reached out both of its hands and squeezed the man’s head like it was a ripe cantaloupe. The unidentified driver didn’t have a chance versus the quickness and strength of a p’bot. The victim’s head exploded into hundreds of tiny fragments which went flying in all directions. The small crowd that had gathered to watch the skirmish quickly scattered for cover. Meanwhile, Jack observed the man’s body from a distance as it fell to the ground twitching like a headless chicken. He became queasy, but quickly ran home instead of vomiting.

When Jack reached his house he bolted straight through the front door. Once inside, he sprinted directly upstairs and collapsed on his bed. He trembled on top of the blanket while holding a pillow over his head, blocking out the reality of the day.

Jack was overwhelmed with what he had just witnessed downtown. He had never seen anyone die before, let alone in such a horrible way. The grisly deed prompted a bunch of unnerving questions. Why would the policebots take down an average motorist in such a shocking manner when they were supposed to represent law and order? They could have subdued the man without killing him. No matter what the guy may have done, the p’bots acted like judge, jury and executioner. For Jack, there was no other way to look at it. The police brought the man’s life to a brutal end.

As the minutes passed, Jack laid on the bed thinking about what had happened. Every so often he raced into the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. Each time, he placed a cold wash cloth over the back of his neck in order to calm down. It was working until a loud knock at the door interrupted his self-induced calming session.

With his mother at work and brother out playing in the neighborhood, Jack quickly galloped downstairs to answer the door. He was stunned to see a police cruiser parked outside on the street near his house. Even worse, a policebot was standing on the porch staring directly at him through the screen door. Sweat started gathering again on his brow.

I’d like to talk to you for a moment, said the uniformed machine.

Jack easily recognized the deep booming voice that was coming through a speaker in the p’bot’s mouth. It was Captain Pete Harmony, the top cop in town. Harmony patrolled the community remotely, using an elite force of tele-robotic police officers. Jack could see the captain’s face on a small video screen embedded in the center of the p’bot’s chest.

Hey Captain Harmony, said Jack.

Hello Jack, how are you doing?

All right, I guess.

I stopped by to talk to you about something important. I only have a couple of minutes though, so I’ll make it fast.

Yeah, I just saw what happened in town with that driver. I still can’t believe it. That was so violent, said Jack.

Yes, that was unfortunate. He presented a threat to the community, so he had to go. The ambulance crew is cleaning things up now. Yeah, that was a mighty shame, mighty shame, said Captain Harmony.

Captain Harmony protected Maplefield, a closed off community of 8,643 residents. Located on the North Shore of Long Island, about 50 miles east of the sprawling Manhattan city-state border, small town politics were the norm in Maplefield. What’s more, a social pecking order of authority existed, which included the ego-driven Captain Pete Harmony. Being the most powerful cop in town, when it came to giving orders, Captain