The Posting Method

By Andrew Davie

When antique dealer Lawrence finds out that his brother Jimmy has stolen a historical artifact, he hires McGill and Gropper to retrieve it.

Unlicensed private investigators, the two operate out of a diner and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Soon, they find out that the case is not as clear-cut as they expected. But can they figure out what really happened?

In this third book in Andrew Davie's McGill and Gropper Thrillers series. you'll also learn more about the duo's past, including Gropper's nomadic life and McGill's previous career as a police officer, and their early days as PI's.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Next Chapter
• Release date: Dec 3, 2021

Book preview

The Posting Method

THE POSTING METHOD

MCGILL AND GROPPER THRILLERS BOOK 3

ANDREW DAVIE

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

June 2015

June 1996

June 2015

June 1996

June 2015

July 1996

June 2015

July 1996

July 2015

July 1996

July 2015

July 1996

July 2015

July 1996

July 2015

July 1996

July 2015

July 1996

July 2015

July 1996

Next in the Series

About the Author

Copyright (C) 2021 Andrew Davie

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2021 by Next Chapter

Published 2021 by Next Chapter

Edited by Graham (Fading Street Services)

Cover art by CoverMint

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author’s permission.

For my mother

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you, Chris, for originally giving these characters a home. Thank you, Melisa, for suggesting the scenario. Thank you, Adam, for suggestions to make it medically accurate. Thank you, Jan and Heather for reading earlier drafts and providing feedback.

JUNE 2015

Lawrence felt the inertia build as the machine accelerated like the car itself yearned to go faster. It had been a long time since he had been in a vehicle which hadn’t been stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and almost forever since he’d been behind the wheel. To be able to take this beast out on the road and really open her up was a welcome relief. Of course, the car was a rental from the airport with about ninety-thousand miles on it, so opening it up meant going about sixty, tops. The rental agent had done a quick inspection and noted some previous marks on the paint, so Lawrence wouldn’t get charged for them. The agent hadn’t provided details on the automobile’s history, but once Lawrence had gotten it out on the road, the car had sounded like it was coming to the end of its journey. He gunned the accelerator. The car picked up speed, and while Lawrence had initially been worried that he’d look in the rear-view mirror and see parts drop on the road in its wake, he had seen nothing but asphalt.

When he’d left New York earlier that morning, the weather had been significantly colder. He glanced down in the passenger seat at his rumpled coat. Lawrence continued down the long stretch of road. Eventually, he got off the highway and went down some side streets. Before long, he was in downtown Charleston. At a stoplight, on his right he saw a sign for a diner, and his stomach growled. He still had some time to kill, so he pulled the car into the parking lot between two SUVs. The car sputtered for a moment and silenced after he turned off the ignition. He let out a deep breath and opened the door. The humidity came down on him like a wet blanket. He wiped his sleeve across his forehead and caught a glimpse of himself in the rear-view before he exited. He had bags under his eyes and disheveled hair. He reached into the glove compartment, removed a comb, and addressed his unruly appearance. His mentor, Dan Carr, had taught him, among other things, to always carry a comb and a pack of mints. There had been many other lessons from Dan which had served Lawrence well, but most of them had been work-related. The comb and mints were good for any occasion.

Inside the diner, two men sat at the counter that stretched all the way back on the left side of the room. Lawrence couldn’t place them, but they seemed like blue collar folk. On the right were booths layered in red polyester, which were all empty except for the final one which seated a family of four. Both parents were bordering on obese, which probably meant the kids wouldn’t be far behind. Although, the kids looked like they still had a long way to go. A solitary man sat by himself at a table in the back near some pay phones and gorged himself on what appeared to be pancakes and bacon. The man had a determined look on his face as if his breakfast was something which needed to be conquered.

A middle-aged waitress behind the counter busied herself with the crossword puzzle. She had short hair and bangs. The only thing missing in Lawrence’s estimation was a nameplate which read Flo. Lawrence sat down on one of the stools and absentmindedly ran his hands through his hair. The woman put down her paper, adjusted her uniform, and walked over. Her clothes were snug, and her face looked weathered and worn down. The rest of her hair had been pulled tightly into a bun and held in place with a pencil.

Get you something, Hon? she asked.

Some coffee, and uh, Lawrence said and glanced at the laminated menu, bagel with creamed cheese.

You want that toasted?

Yes, ma’am.

She went to get the coffee. Lawrence rubbed the bridge of his nose. The waitress returned with a chipped mug, cream, and sugar. She topped him off and returned to her crossword. Lawrence took out his Blackberry and cycled through his emails, invitations to some auctions, some artifacts which needed to be appraised, and a save the date announcement. Nothing that couldn’t wait. He had used the automatic reply to let people know he’d be unavailable for the day, and if they had any questions which needed immediate attention, they could contact his associate, Pamela. Lawrence swiveled on his stool and eyed the other patrons as he added cream. None of them paid any attention to Lawrence or anything else outside of finishing their meals. Both children in the back were busy coloring menus with crayons, and the solitary man continued on his stack of pancakes. Lawrence faced forward again and took a big gulp of his coffee. It was strong.

The diner was silent except for the sounds of the grill coming from the kitchen whenever the doors opened. Lawrence had never been in a diner this quiet before. Granted it wasn’t even close to capacity, but still. Lawrence thought about the other patrons