Gus Mackie Calls in Dead: Gus Mackie Novella series, #6

By Bob Moats

Gus Mackie was relaxing in his office when his friend, Detective Bernie Longmire, stops in to ask a favor. It seems that he needs to hide a witness to the murder of a police officer who was going to give information on corrupt cops. Now the woman is marked for death if the bad cops find her. Gus agrees to take her in and the transfer is made. The woman is the weather grl for a local TV station and Gus' Daughter Angela welcomes her to the house. They do their best to keep her safe and while Gus and Angela are at the woman's apartment someone shoots up the building narrowly missing Gus and his daughter. They finally decide to fake her death to throw off the killers. Now Bernie and Gus have to go after the drug dealers who happen to be cops. A sting is set up and an attack on a drug deal nabs the bad guys. This the 6th book of the series and is a novella, shorter than a novel but longer than a short story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bob Moats
• Release date: Dec 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201410988

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

Chapter 1

Isat in my office throwing treats to Fritz, my faithful German Shepard as he was catching them. He came to me from a case that I solved and then I found out he was a military police K-9 dog, who could sniff out drugs, find missing persons and attack a person with a gun. The perfect dog a private investigator like myself could have. He was happy eating the treats as I looked out my big front window to the parking lot and saw that my friend Bernie, a police detective on the Detroit Police Force was coming towards my office. Bernie was a full blooded Native-American Sioux Indian. I’m told it’s not proper to call them Indians but Bernie said he didn’t care. He often called me white man amongst other less flattering names.

I threw one more treat to Fritz and told him to go to the door. He turned and waited for the door to open as Bernie came in. He petted Fritz on the head and came to my desk followed by Fritz and sat.

To what do I owe this visit? I asked.

Can’t I just visit my favorite P.I.? he replied.

Now I know you are up to something, I said. You never willingly visit me unless I have a case or you need something. I don’t have a case, so let’s get right to it.

You really have to improve your attitude Gus, he said. Okay, I do need a small favor.

I knew it. I’ve known you long enough to figure you out.

Gus, you don’t know what is going on in my mind. You know more that goes on in Fritz’s head, he’s on your level.

I looked at Fritz, standing, waiting for another treat. I threw one past him so he would move away, but he grabbed it, reversed and was back at my feet. Yes, I do know what goes on in his mind, we discuss it every night in bed.

Okay, before this gets too weird, I need a small favor. I have a murder that has a witness who needs protection. I know you have an extra room to put people who you need to hide, so can you put her up for a few days?

Her? Who is she? I asked.

Her name is Paula, and she is, was, the girlfriend of the man who was murdered.

Don’t you have the capability to hide her?

Easier said than done. Her boyfriend was a cop. He was from my precinct so someone knows about him and her. I’m not comfortable hiding her without giving away her location. So I need to ask you if you can help her?

I’d have to ask Angela if she is cool with having another woman in the house.

Gus, you had that rock singer in your house, Angela didn’t mind.

That rock singer was famous and Angela liked her music. Is this woman some celebrity?

"Actually she is. She’s the weather girl