The Indelible Shadow

By MARCOS NIETO PALLARÉS

Hard-boiled detective fiction in its purest form, comparable to Seven or the True Detective series. 

“I read a lot of detective fiction and about crime, but never before had a story left me with such a long literary hangover. For more than a week I was incapable of beginning any other book. So, what distinguishes this book from others? Many things. Above all, it is the passion with which it is written, the personalities of the characters, the explosive ending, the writer's imagination and much more.” 
Rebelión de Libros, Blog 

Intense, brutal and crude. This novel is a rollercoaster of emotions with an unexpected ending. While the novel is not lengthy, it has all of what is required for it to be an outstanding and complete story.” 
“Marcos Nieto is a very particular writer, very much a chameleon. One of his traits is to always present us with very meticulous work, but above all great content.” 
El Escritorio del Búho, Blog. 

“The Indelible Shadow offers intelligence and clarity to a story that (with the forewarning of a potential spoiler) provides intrigue through its characters, such as the protagonist and narrator or his partner, the ever-present cervantine counterpoint, all which break away from the stereotypes of the genre.” 
“For these reasons, the Indelible Shadow is an excellent suggestion for lovers of suspense and thrillers. You will not be disappointed, not for a second.”  
Falsaria, Blog 

On the whole, a realistic police story, nothing fanciful and quite harsh, no holds barred. We are presented with dissimilar characters, all with their own past and intricate personalities, helping us to understand their actions. The perfect book for any fan of crime fiction.” 
Devorador de Libros, Blog 

“I’m a big fan of the genre and I can say that for a long time I had not been engrossed by a book, one that intrigued me, kept me captivated right until the end, that was until the Indelible Shadow. Simply one-of-a-kind and marvelous.” 
LAPRINCESAYASEVE, Blog 

SINOPSIS. 

Perhaps destiny has carried me to where I am right now. Or maybe the Lord has delivered His judgment and my existential journey has come to an end - who really knows. I can’t guarantee that the cosmic laws of retribution, of Karmic cause and effect, had anything to do with it. Nor can I solely and exclusively hold evil itself accountable, as without the invaluable assistance of humanity, it lacks the strength required to cause so much pain. Undoubtedly, it would be more rational to consider less mystical reasons and just pin everything on chance or luck. I could even venture as far as to accuse the occult or witchcraft as the ways and means of casting this small town among the mountains into the darkness. 
Besides... why is the who of any importance, when nothing even matters anymore? What does the how or the why matter when everything has become distorted by the deepest of trivialities? What was the cause? What was the motive? The only thing I feel in my guts is that I will not walk out alive from that which awaits me. 
I never felt it possible to yearn for death, to indulge in the indifference groping at me with the selfsame verve and vigor that I had before stepping through the door separating me from the vile ravager of so many innocent souls. The Indelible Shadow had leached everything out of me. I was willing to dishonor my oath, to cast my badge into the abyss - just to see him pay for his sins.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Mar 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781507156100

Book preview

For my readers. Without your encouragement, this would not have been possible. Especially, for my sister, Ana.

"At times, life does not translate into living. Sometimes, in order to be happy, we must interpret what life wants to tell us."  

Marcos Nieto.

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

Friedrich Nietzsche

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prelude

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

PRELUDE

Perhaps destiny has carried me to where I am right now. Or maybe the Lord has delivered His judgment and my existential journey has come to an end – who really knows. I can’t guarantee that the cosmic laws of retribution, of Karmic cause and effect, had anything to do with it. Nor can I solely and exclusively hold evil itself accountable, as without the invaluable assistance of humanity, it lacks the strength required to cause so much pain. Undoubtedly, it would be more rational to consider less mystical reasons and just pin everything on chance or luck. I could even venture as far as to accuse the occult or witchcraft as the ways and means of casting this small town among the mountains into the darkness.

Besides... why is the who of any importance, when nothing even matters anymore? What does the how or the why matter when everything has become distorted by the deepest of trivialities? What was the cause? What was the motive? The only thing I feel in my guts is that I will not walk out alive from that which awaits me.

I never felt it possible to yearn for death, to indulge in the indifference groping at me with the selfsame verve and vigor that I had before stepping through the door separating me from the vile ravager of so many innocent souls. The Indelible Shadow had leached everything out of me. I was willing to dishonor my oath, to cast my badge into the abyss – just to see him pay for his sins.

THE INDELIBLE SHADOW

You might track him down... but, you will never erase his deeds.

Marcos Nieto Pallarés

CHAPTER 1

IRISH COFFEE

"Just fucking great... today is one of those days... my head is on the verge of exploding..."

As we drove ahead, the lights on my Mustang lit up the night air, piercing through the edge of the forest. They penetrated the darkness, guided by a line of bitumen that had been laid down among the tree trunks. Between Forests was nothing more than a fleapit of a town, a mishmash of souls forsaken within the depths of the pinewoods. The most important coal mine of the County was found inside this township, abandoned by God Himself. If it weren’t for the black mineral, Between Forests would not have even existed.

I don’t get it, my companion murmured, lighting a cigarette and getting comfortable in his seat. They found the guy right there, drenched in blood. So, what the hell do they even want us for?

I haven’t got a clue, I admitted, rubbing my temples. The call caught me by surprise with ten cans of beer as company, albeit empty cans... Not even the cold water is helping me focus, my voice was strained. I can only suppose they’ve found something out of the ordinary.

Something gives me a bad feeling.

What is it?

Nothing really. Just one of those feelings.

You need to pay attention to them... I mumbled out loud, lacking the strength required to keep my eyelids from half closing. Only the pain inside my head prevented them from doing so. If they are interpreted well, they may hold a whiff of what is to come. If you look at the future with skepticism, perhaps it may reveal some of its mysteries.

The future... I thought, my eyes on the road ahead, my head receiving every pounding, none of which I could sidestep. Someone should invent a device to glimpse into it. That way, we could decide whether or not to live a life before finding ourselves having to come to grips with it. Had there been such a device in my teenage years, I was lost in thought, pondering on the white line that divided the road, I wouldn’t be here right now and I would have saved myself a lot of pain.

You know, you really should stop reading so many books on parapsychology and all that mumbo jumbo.

Yeah... A sigh escaped through my smile. I felt exhausted.

I needed a coffee and soon at that.

Does it hurt? Dan asked, putting his right index finger on his left temple.

Don’t you know it?

separador2 marcos

I stopped at one of the few service stations found along the way. The car didn’t need filling up, but I did.

Two double coffees, thanks, I asked the assistant, a heavy-set man with a thick beard. And, if you don’t mind, a little dash of that hard stuff that you keep back there...

I gave him a wink.

Heat filled the air. It was dense, heavy and unpleasant. A fly buzzed around and landed on the moist forehead of the assistant, which was warded away with a quick flick of his hand.

Did you hear me?

Aren´t I just the fucking magnet for dimwits.

We don’t serve alcohol, here, he replied, feigning to be hounded by a persistent drowsiness.

I believe that you do... 

The large man moved his arm slightly, ever so slowly.

Move another inch and I will blow your head off. I unbuttoned my black Armani suit, revealing my badge alongside to my Beretta 92.

He stood petrified. His body stayed bent over for a few seconds, pretending ineptly that he wasn’t doing anything.

Do you want the good cop... or the bad cop? Pour some whisky into the coffee and quit looking at the gun under the counter.

My partner, Dan, was standing and observing the scene under the security camera, which he had covered with a handkerchief.

The attendant pointed to the stand behind him.

May I?

Sure.  Just don’t be so stupid about it.

He slowly turned around and removed a bottle of Jack Daniel’s from the metallic cabinet.

That’s how I like it... I nodded while the whiskey brimmed the paper cups. I threw a fifty dollar bill on the counter top. Keep the change, I said, staring back into the attendant’s eyes, while sipping the spiced up coffee.

I made my way to the exit and just before getting there, I turned around and faced the large bearded man again. My eyes locked onto his, conveying his disappointment and disapproval. I was tired of looking into pupils that did not appreciate my methods, those that believed that an agent of the law must always be righteous, an angel warrior, a savior. And that was exactly what I was, although many chose not to see it that way. The archangel pitted against evil, the demon slayer made of flesh and bone – the one and only – Jeff Sanders. I was entitled to bend the rules when I felt it was convenient and to make the necessary concessions in order to get to where I needed to go. Besides, I wasn’t up against any run of the mill bad guy. When you’re up against a cheater, if you fight by the rulebook with someone who doesn’t play fair... The law had become tainted, shackled by self-interests and power. Justice shouldn’t escape anyone, otherwise there would be no justice... and I had seen a lot of injustice in my day. I will not fight on the back foot against the most feared of adversaries – evil.

I should be collecting my pension. And here I am, working my shift, ready to land the killer. And what do I get in return? As always – diddly squat. Always disapproval. For fuck’s sake. I only asked for a drop of booze!

You got any idea of my line of work? I asked across the distance.

He shook his head.

Got kids? A wife?

A wife, two daughters, he replied, his voice a little shaken.

Well, should you ever find any of them left to rot after a jailbreak or killed, raped and mutilated... if, on that day you had any luck on your side, if on that day you had been blessed by the divine, well, it would be me who’d go after that son-of-a-bitch who had ruined your life. So, there’s a chance we’ll see each other again and, should that day ever come, you would be looking at me with a very different pair of eyes.

Sometimes you can be a little egocentric, Dan said smiling, as soon as we had started driving towards the crime scene, which, as it turned out, would be the most perplexing of our lives.

The world ought to kiss the ground we walk on, I replied, while sipping my coffee. Nothing can repay us for what we are about to go and see.

"Being your