The Condo

By Mario Soldevilla

After Philip’s daughter is killed in a truck accident, no one is held accountable. His attempt to gain justice through the legal system has failed. Philip, once a nice, mild-mannered guy, now has the poison of revenge in his blood. The only way to obtain justice, is to make them pay; pay - with their lives.

He starts with insurance executives and trial lawyers, doing his best to make everything seem accidental. As his need for vengeance grows, a hurricane inches closer and closer to the Florida peninsula. Miami is bracing itself, and so are Philip’s family lawyer, Tamara, and her husband, Marco.

Tamara is Philip’s last intended victim. Philip stalks her every step, all the way to the front door of her Vero Beach condo. What does it take for a man to become a killer? Is there a killer inside each of us waiting to be unmasked? Miami, beware; a storm is coming.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Mar 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483409443

Mario Soldevilla

Mario Soldevilla has always been interested in his spiritual makeup and growth. He has read many spiritual books, including books on shamanism and Native American teachings. Based on his readings, he developed a philosophy expressed in his writings of; love, compassion, acceptance understanding, and forgiveness. He studied mathematics at the University of Miami where he obtained a bachelor degree in education. He worked in both the private and public sector, and he retired in 2009 after twenty years of service to the city of Miami, where he was a director. Mario resides in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Theresa Girten, and they are surrounded by their children and seven grandchildren.

Book preview

SOLDEVILLA

Copyright © 2014 Mario Soldevilla.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-0945-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-0944-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014904540

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 03/18/2014

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CHAPTER 1: MIAMI, FLORIDA

CHAPTER 2: MIAMI, FLORIDA

CHAPTER 3: MIAMI, FLORIDA

CHAPTER 4: MIAMI, FLORIDA

CHAPTER 5: VERO BEACH, FLORIDA

CHAPTER 6: VERO BEACH, FLORIDA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to acknowledge the contributions of my wife Theresa, who continues to be an inspiration in my pursuit of a writing career. Without her support and critical insights, I would not have been able to embark in this new vocation. As an appellate attorney she is constantly writing and reading at her very demanding job, yet when she comes home she finds the time to listen to my stories and read what I have written that day. She never fails to make story line suggestions and correct me when I am being less than realistic. Thank you darling, I love you with all my h eart!

DARKNESS

We are born from darkness into the light

We grow, we play, we make our way

We strive to reach our goals with might

But, if along somehow we stray

We stand up straight to make it right

We fight for justice or so we say

When in our hearts, vengeance is in our sight

This tears our soul and in a spiral now we fall

And from the light we were born to see

Darkness.

Mario E. Soldevilla

The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.

William Shakespeare

CHAPTER 1

MIAMI, FLORIDA

Wednesday August 28, 6:30 AM – 6:30 PM

T he sun was struggling to light the fading darkness. Sunrise would occur in just a few more minutes, and the temperature will again rise to over ninety degrees. The inhabitants of the two-storied house were awake and had begun their morning rit uals.

That’s the main reason we bought the condo. This is probably the last time we’ll get to use it before the summer is done, Tamara said while sitting on the bed drinking her morning coffee and eating her toast. The toast was cut into four small pieces spread with whipped butter.

I know; I know, but my new job is a hassle, and I have a ton of work to do and even more to learn, Marco said while brushing his teeth.

I have a ton of work too and a case coming to trial, but I’m not going to let that stop me from enjoy the last days of summer. Besides, you’ll only be missing one day of work. It’s Labor Day for Christ’s sake!

Can I think about it and let you know tonight? Marco said.

No, because that means you are going to say no! We decide right now.

Okay, Okay, we’ll go to the condo. But what have you heard about this tropical storm that’s brewing in the Atlantic?

Oh, please, the season is almost over and we haven’t even had a single hurricane. Let’s not worry about it. We’ll go, and whatever happens, happens, Tamara said as she stepped into the shower. Her mood lifted.

You know the sound of the ocean and the warmth of the sand de-stress me. It’ll be good for you too, she said while turning on the water.

Okay, fine but we’ll have to pack tomorrow and get an early start on Friday, Marco said as he slipped on his pants and stepped into his shoes. He smiled inside; he really did like the condo and enjoyed the time they spent there. Besides, he liked to please his wife, and she deserved a weekend getaway.

We can buy the groceries once we get there. In any case, we don’t really need to pack much. We already have whatever we need at the condo.

Marco nodded and went downstairs to drink his coffee. He preferred the combination of coffee and newspaper. He would typically read the national news first, then the local news, and then sports. He couldn’t wait for football season to officially kick-off.

The first thing that caught his eye was the newspaper story stating that the tropical storm was in the Atlantic and did not pose any immediate threat to Florida or the East Coast for that matter. He shook his head and smiled. Tamara was right as always. His thoughts drifted from the morning newspaper and turned to the first night they had spent together.

The first time they had made love had been fast and furious, as they tried to satisfy a hunger that had been building inside of them. Later the lovemaking had been slower and detailed, as they explored each other’s bodies with patience and wonder.

Tamara was beautiful on the outside. Her smooth curves flowed with ease and grace from her shoulders to her legs and up her back. She had light blonde hair and intelligent, clear blue eyes that sparkled and changed hues with her moods. But inside, she was flawless. She had a deep understanding of human