After the Reaper Calls

By Joe Bob Newman

Following the tragic deaths of Alex and Sherry, Gary and Nico must track down the killer Bert, before he kills them. Rather quickly, they find that they are overmatched and need help. Why won't the police help? They make up a trap for Bert, but as luck would have it, he escapes again. How can Bert be so lucky?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joe Bob Newman
• Release date: Jul 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463270578

Joe Bob Newman

I have been writing mystery and fiction books since 1982. I have never considered having any published until now. My career has been in writing technical documents for the defense industry. By profession I am a mechanical engineer, P.E. I have six grand children.. During the summer months, I spend a lot of time in the mountains of New Mexico. Watching wildlife and observing the ecology. i also enjoy riding my 4-wheeler. I built a cabin by myself, just above a stream filled with trout, perhaps i should say am building, I have been working on it for twenty years and it is still not finished, but it is livable, it has electricity, running water and a septic system. With that, I am happy to live there in the summer months and for a week or two in the winter, but I have found that I am not much of a "snow" person.I do hope you read and enjoy my books as much as I enjoyed writing them! Thanks for visiting my page.Joe Bob Newman

Book preview

Book 1 Synopsis, When the Reaper Calls

Life at USC - The Beginning

Gary Sanders was the most highly recruited football player to ever come out of the state of Texas. Gary accepted a scholarship to the University of Southern California, or USC. As happens to many all star players, he winds up behind a Heisman Trophy winner and he is stuck on the bench. For two years he sits on the bench watching Phil Simone lead the USC Trojans to two undefeated seasons. When Phil is lost for the season, Gary gets his chance to play. After getting his chance to be quarterback at USC, he realizes that winning is everything, losing is not an option. A winning tradition has been established, and literally everyone expects Gary to carry it on another year.

Along the way, he meets his girl friend Sherry’s mother, Alexandria. Alex is the most stunning woman that Gary has ever met. Not only does he fall under her spell, she becomes his source for morphine pain killers that keep him playing. His world of drugs, sex and football begins to teeter. But, Gary is true to what is expected of him, he has led the team to an undefeated season right up to the title game. Only the University of Texas stands in his way of fame and glory.

When Alex disappears, it is up to Gary and Sherry to find her, no one else seems to want the job, not the police, the Sheriff nor the FBI. When Gary realizes that the mob is involved, he takes matters into his own hands. As Gary continues to search for Alex, he realizes that he is in love with her and must find her at any cost. Then he finds out that he must make a choice, save Alex or win the National Collegiate Football Championship. The mob will kill Alex if Gary doesn’t lose the championship game. It is a no-win situation.

A persona friend who is a private eye, Gary, Sherry make a daring raid on the hotel where Alex is being held. She is freed but in a terrible twist, Gary loses the Championship Game to Texas.

All is not lost, the mob comes through and leaves Gary a bag full of money. As if this apex in his life isn’t enough, following graduation, Gary goes to work for Alex in her fashion company as a male model. There he meets the super-model Nico. Nico is heralded as the top female model in the world.

Gary survives his encounter with Nico and again resumes his pursuit of Alex. Gary is drafted by the Washington Redskins to play football. However, in a twist of fate, he finds a knot on his neck, an Oncologist confirms it. It is cancer! His football career appears to be over. Even after successful surgery, no one seems to want Gary on their team.

Gary asks Alex to marry him, even though she is twenty years older than he is. Alex timidly agrees to marry Gary as he goes off to the Oakland Raiders to resume his career as a professional football player. But, before the wedding, Alex is involved in a horrible automobile accident where a huge semi-dump truck runs a red light and T-bones her car in the drivers door.

Gary finally gets to the hospital and finds that Alex died instantly, however on his cell phone there was a message from Alex. It simply said, Gary, I love you! Was Alex really dead?

They never did find her engagement ring that she had worn on her left ring finger. The Grim Reaper had called again!

After the Reaper Calls

When I began the tryout at the Oakland Raiders Practice Field, I didn’t know anything about the accident. There were a number of coaches leading the tryouts, and I was assigned to the quarterback coach with fourteen other wannabe quarterbacks. They had us run and jump and throw the ball as far as we could. After an hour of this, receivers began to drift over to us, and we began throwing simple pass routes. I wasn’t as accurate as I once had been, but I could still put some zip on the ball. At the end of the three hours, I had made the cut; I was one of five quarterbacks selected to continue the drills. The other ten quarterbacks and about seventy percent of the applicants were sent home. Lunch was provided, and we were allowed to sit around for thirty minutes and visit with each other. I got to know each of the other quarterbacks by name. I wasn’t sure why, but I began to root for them. They likewise began to root for me, and we had many group hugs. We were all in the same boat and wanted to make the team desperately. The other guys were rookies, and I was the only guy with actual experience. That gave me a slight edge, but not much!

At about one thirty, the practice drills resumed. I was now right on the mark; my passes were accurate, sharp and free of wobble. I just had a sense that I was going to make the team. I felt sorry for the other guys; my confidence in myself was back. I could play quarterback again, and I could do it good. Not just good, but very, very good. I was quite pleased with my performance. I knew that I had turned some heads in the coaching staff and I hoped that Alex noticed. I looked around for her but didn’t see her anywhere.

By five o’clock, my chest was hurting, and I was worn out. I was very happy when they called an end to the drills. Unknown to me, they cut two more quarterbacks, and I was left in the three that would work out with the team. I was thrilled and again looked around for Alex, but I couldn’t find her. I tried both her and Sherry on their cell phones but neither answered. I waited thirty minutes. Nearly everyone was gone from the clubhouse when I called a cab and had them take me home. It cost sixty-eight dollars, which really irritated me; I would take it out of Alex’s hide. I was so angry with her; she had promised to be here. Was this the way that our married life was going to start out? Something important must have kept her away, I reasoned.

Alex was Sherry’s mother, and I was lucky enough to live with both of them. That is, Alex was now my fiancé, and Sherry lived with us. Alex, short for Alexandria Kristopherson, was also forty years old and I was twenty-two, not a problem as far as I could see. I had been dating Alex since I was a junior in college at USC, or the University of Southern California. I had just proposed to her, and she had obviously accepted, and I was higher than a kite in love with her! I couldn’t wait for us to be married, so that I could call her by her new name, Mrs. Gary Sanders! That was my birth name—that is, Gary Sanders. Our age differences didn’t bother me. Even though she had told me that she couldn’t have children, I was thinking about adoption. I wanted a son. Heck, I just wanted a healthy child.

When I got home, the garage was open, and both cars were gone. I thought that was strange but went inside, took a shower and put on shorts and a tee shirt. I had a light meal and a heavy dessert, then gave up on the two of them and decided to go to bed. I was dog tired. I took the tee shirt and shorts off and got into the bed.

I was in our bed, asleep, when I felt the bed move. Thinking it was Alex, I reached up to pull her down onto me. I heard an unusual voice, Don’t! I sat up, and Sherry was sitting there. Her face was streaked with tears, and she blurted out, Mom’s dead! I’m sorry!

Shaking my head like it was a bad dream, I said, What? What are you talking about?

Sherry stood up. She was killed this morning in a car wreck. She was coming to watch you practice.

I got out the other side of the bed and stood up in just my underwear. Sherry, I am so sorry. What are we going to do? Shock was beginning to set in. I still wasn’t certain that I had heard Sherry correctly. How could Alex be dead? That wasn’t possible!

She shook her head and continued to sob. I don’t know, Gary. I just don’t know. I knew that I had stupefied haze showing on my face, but my heart was breaking. I had lost the love of my life. What was I going to do. I couldn’t imagine my life without Alex. It seemed like the end of the world for me. My shoulders sagged and I let out a long breath of air.

Sherry, are you sure?

She made a face and wiped tears from her eyes, Yeah, they searched for her engagement ring, but they couldn’t find it. I am so sorry Gary.

The tears burst out from my eyes. I couldn’t hold them back. I seemed to flood the room with tears. I sat down hard on the bed. I wanted to scream out at God, I wanted to cuss, I wanted to change history! It came to me quickly, Sherry how did she die, I mean, did she suffer?

Sherry shook her head, The doctor said that she died instantly of head trauma. I don’t think she suffered at all/

I did my best to calm down, but my heart really was broken, then I thought about Sherry, it was her mother, she would never see her mother again. I jumped up and hugged Sherry fiercely. I am so sorry Sherry, if there is anything that I can do, please tell me. I have never had anything like this happen to me before.

Sherry walked into the kitchen, with me following her. She began to make a pot of coffee. She looked at me. Have you eaten? It was obvious that Sherry was in shock, her eyes had a glazed over look about them.

I shook my head. I missed dinner. Want to go get something to eat? I was not above eating again. I was in shock myself, I need to call my mother and tell her. My mother liked Alex a lot. May she didn’t like Alex, I couldn’t remember. In fact, I couldn’t remember much at all, my world was rapidly crumbling into a pile of nothingness on the floor.

She looked me up and down. Put on some clothes, Gary, and let’s go have breakfast.

Sherry was driving us to the pancake house, when I asked, How did it happen?

She closed her eyes for a second. A large gravel truck ran a red light and hit her broadside in the driver's car door. They say she died instantly.

I shivered. It just doesn’t seem possible, Sherry. I don’t know what to do or say.

She reached over and put her hand on mine. We have to stick together, Gary. She would want that. How could Sherry be so calm. She was much more of a woman than I had given her credit for.

I still don’t remember what we ate, but I paid the bill and left a tip. It was about all that my feeble mind could handle. Sherry was handling this better than I was. I was a big baby. I still had not called my mother. I would do so when we got back home.

We went back home, and Sherry lay down on the sofa. To my amazement, she went right to sleep. I went and got in Alex’s bed; I cried myself to sleep. I woke up to Sherry snuggling up to me. I got up carefully, went into the living room, took my phone and noticed that I had a call waiting. I pushed the button, and it was Alex’s strained voice. Gary, I love you! At that moment I realized that those had to be the last words that she had ever spoken. I went into the kitchen, and the pot of coffee that Sherry had made was still hot. I poured a cup and put a lot of sugar in it. I sat down at the table and tried to make sense of everything. What was I going to do now? I had no place to live; I didn’t want to live with Sherry. I thought about flying home to Odessa and living with my parents. I still had plenty of money. What about my shot at playing for the Raiders? What should I do about that? My heart wasn’t in it right now. I needed help, probably some counseling.

I punched in my parents phone number and my mother answered, Hello?

I blurted it out, Mom, Alex was in a car wreck, she was killed. I don’t know what to do!

In my mind, I could see her hazel eyes fill with tears, Oh Gary, that is horrible, I am so sorry!

I nodded like she could see me, Mom, they say she died instantly, but she left me a message, she said, I love you, Gary." My throat stuck and I couldn’t finish the sentence.

She said, Gary, I know that she loved you. That is a terrible loss for you, how is Sherry?

I couldn’t answer the question, I honestly didn’t know how Sherry was, Mom, she is doing okay, I have to go, will talk to you tonight. I hung up the phone without hearing her response.

A movement at the kitchen door caught my eye. It was Sherry. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down across from me. She looked up at me. Gary, you can stay here as long as you need to; Mother would want it that way.

I said, I need to go see her. Is she at a funeral home?

Sherry nodded. I will take you. I need to go finish making arrangements; maybe you could help me. There is so much to do; I don’t know where to start.

I tried to keep a normal face. I will help you, Sherry. What do you need from me?

She seemed so fragile. Gary, could you just hold me for a minute? She started to cry. I was afraid that she would break down, but all she did was sob.

I stood up and walked over to her. For the first time, I realized that I was just in my underwear and she was just wearing her bra and panties. I put my arms around her and held her tightly, and we both cried. It did us both good. Clinging to Sherry felt like the right thing to do.

We got dressed, went to the funeral home and they already had Alex in a casket. She just looked asleep. I took one look at her and then looked away. She was such a beautiful woman. I remembered that old saying: When the Grim Reaper Calls! He had called Alex and taken her whether I liked it or not. I hated the Grim Reaper!

The next two days were a blur. I followed Sherry everywhere that she went, even to Alex’s business. Sherry tried to take over, but she just couldn’t do it. One of the company’s vice-presidents agreed to take over the business until Sherry was able to do it.

Alex had been the owner of Marketing Fashions, a high-end company that led the industry in expensive women’s clothing, toiletries, and sexy undergarments. The company was worth about ten million dollars and Alex was a genius at finding the latest styles and fashions. Even though she had been wealthy, you wouldn’t know it to be around her; she was just a mother and business lady. She was also very beautiful! You only had to see her in the casket to know that.

Sherry had picked an expensive casket, and Alex looked good in it. What was I saying? She was dead and I was alone, lonely and lost.

The next two days went by horribly slow. I missed my workouts with the Raiders and was afraid that they would drop me. I met a multitude of Alex’s friends and family. So many names—I didn’t try to remember any of them.

The day of the funeral, Sherry’s uncle Bert had come, and he seemed to take care of Sherry. I had never met him before and Sherry’s dad Ron obviously didn’t like Bert. Bert seemed to push Sherry’s dad out of the way. It made him mad, but I never saw him cause a problem. I sat like a zombie all through the service. I wanted to stand up and shout, You people don’t understand! Alex had agreed to marry me. I told a few people that we were supposed to be getting married, but no one seemed to believe me or even care.

I actually grieved over the loss of her engagement ring. I wondered who had taken it. Perhaps it had just been knocked off her finger and fell in the dirt. I liked that story better than someone had stolen it. I wondered why I missed the ring, it seemed that it was something that was important to her, and me, and I wanted it back. But, I would never see the ring again.

After the burial, Bert and Ron both escorted Sherry to the limo and left me standing there. I had to call a cab again. I was going to have to ask Sherry about my Camaro—where was it?

The next two weeks, I lived in the house but rarely saw Sherry. I rented a car, but not a fancy one. It would have to do for a while. I went back to working out with the Oakland Raiders, but my heart wasn’t in it. It showed up quickly, and I was on the bubble to be cut. Nathan, the team scout, came and talked to me. Gary what is going on? I can’t keep you on the team if you don’t improve.

I made a face, told him about Alex and that I would try harder. Nathan hugged me and said that he would do what he could to cover for me.

By the second week of June, I was working out every day and really doing quite well. At the house, I had moved into a spare bedroom, and Bert had moved into the master bedroom. I had never given it another thought; it just seemed natural to me. Bert was Alex’s older brother, yet no one in the family seemed to like him at all. Bert was in his mid-forties and seemed like a klutz. I didn’t have a problem with Bert, and we both left each other alone.

The morning of June eighth I got a cryptic phone call from Sherry. She just said, Meet me for dinner. You know where.

At six, I was sitting outside the pancake restaurant, when Sherry pulled up in her BMW. I got out and walked over to her car. What’s up?

She stared at me. I need help, Gary!

I took her by the arm and headed toward the restaurant’s front door. Sounds serious.

She nodded. It is. I will tell you all about it when we are seated.

We were placed in a booth, and I noticed that Sherry looked all around. I smiled. Why so cloak and dagger?

She took a deep breath. Well, it is like this. In Mom’s will, the business goes to me, but Uncle Bert has moved in and taken over. He now sits at her desk and tells everyone what to do, including me. He is ruining the business. Everyone is complaining about him, but I don’t seem to be able to do anything about him.

When she took a breath, I asked, What about your dad?

She glared at me. "I wasn’t always truthful to you about my dad. For the most part, he is worthless. Mom took care of him and gave him money. He can’t even hold a job. He would be living under a bridge if Mom hadn’t given him money and a place to live. I can’t depend on him for anything. Bert is giving him money now, and Dad thinks Bert is the best thing since sliced