Crystal Clear, Rock Star Revealed!: The Fourth Novel in the Crystal Chronicles

By Chyna Dixon-Kennedy

From the acclaimed author of “Ice Palace, Crystal Dreams” comes a new exciting thriller. Everyone’s favorite couple is back to solve another baffling mystery- their best one yet! A wealthy heiress is discovered in a pristine park in sunny Los Angeles. Their brand new detective agency is hired to solve this peculiar crime. While investigating the rich socialite, they’re thrust into a whirlwind of strange happenings and demonic secret societies that will stop at nothing to preserve a lucrative empire.

The more they uncover, the more they’re sucked into a swirling vortex of deception, high tech conspiracy theories, and lies. Appearing at the center of this complex controversy is a promising teen whose social media platform goes viral, plus the narcissistic front-runner in a contentious presidential election; his true agenda remaining undisclosed.

As the nation is ravished by a fast-spreading and highly contagious mutating virus, key evidence is stumbled upon to unlock the case. Now Detective Don Dellevega and Dr. Crystal Knight-Davenport must even up the odds by battling against Russian covert operatives. It’s a race against time to reveal the apocalyptic plan to the masses. Before it’s too late! The stakes are high- as the fate of an entire country hangs in the balance, including the lavish lifestyle of one young rising rock star…

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: May 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781491768570

Chyna Dixon-Kennedy

Chyna Dixon-Kennedy developed a love of writing at an early age. A former model and jewelry designer, she has a passion for issues that affect women and children globally. With a Master’s Degree in Counseling, Ms. Kennedy provides inspiration to young adults through literature. Her collection of books reflects a lifetime of global travels, as well as a commitment to exploring critical social issues in modern society. She has served as a Multi-cultural Literacy Coach for over two decades, and is available to book workshops.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Life stories are really snowflakes, no two are ever going to be alike. Nor can they survive very long under the oppression of intense, domineering heat. Eventually, all life must succumb to the forces of nature, melting and withering away under the sweltering hot sun. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The grim reaper can no longer be cheated. No one escapes the progression of time, nor can one exist in the blind nebulous fog of forced self- deception forever. In time, all folly will be revealed...

For in the end, everyone will discover their own personal truth. Every man will come to face judgment!

That’s what Donna Fitzmarain ultimately discovered: the point at which she could no longer lie to herself about the atrocities that she had witnessed. Problem was, as soon as she came to her senses, deciding to live in authenticity instead of hate- she, herself, was discovered strangled and perched upon a park bench in sunny Southern California. The celebrity tabloids were keen to note the paradoxical irony of her final surroundings. A common end to such an affluent life- one filled with privilege, influence, luxury, and leisure. A life spent amongst the rich and famous because she was both; for Donna Fitzmarain was a wealthy heiress.

And that is exactly how it all began…

From the outside, it appeared as if this social media magnate had the perfect life. There was no shortage of grand family celebrations, elegant political soirees, public relations events, and red carpet appearances to post up to multiple TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. She was well known in the upper echelons of society, and often photographed smiling with assorted dignitaries. The paparazzi constantly hounded her, publicizing her whereabouts as it was often the top news story of the day. The popular gossip websites and blogs chronicled every salacious detail of her many scandals.

They say money can’t buy you love. Well apparently, it can’t purchase long-term loyalty either. Despite all of her big ticket charitable donations and philanthropic contributions, Donna Fitzmarain could not secure the type of safety and protection that would see her giddily through ‘the golden years.’ They say money is the root of all evil. So naturally she was befriended by wicked people who kept a watchful eye on her bountiful beanstalk. Lustful vampires who should’ve been happy enough with their own prosperity, yet greedily sought to acquire some of her fortune too. And they wanted it all.

These opportunistic treasure hunters, who themselves hoarded material possessions and great wealth, circled like sharks when they caught the scent of loose money.

Too much was never enough- their greed for riches was near insatiable. Between hopping a private plane to fly to Paris in the Spring, to dancing with the movie stars at the Monaco Grand Prix, their every whim and passion was expected to be fulfilled. In fact, one of the jetsetter crowd’s favorite jaunts was a massive spending spree at the world’s largest shopping mall in Dubai. Or leisurely enjoying Beluga caviar from the Caspian Sea while at Harrods. Or playing Baccarat at Atlantis Casino Hotel.

Even as they masqueraded around as advocates for the endangered planet Earth, this sector of high society cared absolutely nothing about the hoi pol loi, the ‘little man.’ Forget the environmental impact of their many travels; they only sought after their own indulgent self-gratification. Others merely existed to wait on them…

From owning a $40 million dollar, fifteen-bedroom mansion nestled high up in the secluded Malibu hills, to leasing numerous expensive sports cars and closets full of designer haute couture; Donna Fitzmarain appeared to want for nothing. To the random observer, Donna’s lavish lifestyle seemed to sparkle with abounding glitz and glamour. Yet all that glitters is not gold! Despite living in the lap of luxury, there was one hot commodity that eluded her very existence: the love and affection of a true friendship. Sadly, it was never to be hers; there weren’t that many selfless, altruistic spirits in her world.

And now here was poor Donna, found dead. Although she had always lived her life as part of the lucky 1%, her final day was spent swathed in a simple cotton plaid housecoat, sitting on a park bench like some suburban housewife who’d just simply lost track of time. Last whereabouts and final moments heretofore unknown. When the LAPD interviewed her family and so-called friends, everyone sweetly smiled and feigned ignorance about who could have wanted her gone badly enough. No one provided clues to help the police solve this puzzling crime.

And yet, as those same villainous vultures schemed like maniacs to get their greasy mitts on a piece of Donna’s exclusive estate, one curious person was secretly putting in a call for outside help. Yes, one lone crusader wanted to know the truth behind Donna’s untimely demise, and was unabashedly determined to enlist a couple of unbiased detectives to assist in the flailing investigation. Taking matters into her own hands, one young woman made the trip over to Santa Monica, and stepped gingerly into a brand new establishment that had only been set up two months prior: The Davenport & Dellevega Detective Agency over on world-famous Wilshire Blvd. The boulevard of dreams and fancy cars.

Despite the excesses of Donna’s all-American lifestyle, she did not pass away peacefully in her sleep. Nor was she the unfortunate victim of a ‘slip & fall’ accident. She hadn’t choked on a chicken bone, died in a plane crash on her private jet, or drop dead from omicron...

In a world most wicked and foul, an evil narcissistic killer lurked in the shadows waiting to take advantage of a rich elderly woman who lived alone. Waiting to pounce, waiting to offer up a blood sacrifice of pure savagery and brute violence. While everyone had their speculations, no one had the perspicacity to delve into the situation to get to the bottom of this horrid mystery.

But now, because of the actions of one solo honorable individual...life in these parts would never be the same way again!

CHAPTER 1

Dr. Crystal Knight-Davenport sat mindlessly twirling the tangled curly cord on her office phone extension. Gazing out the window at the beautiful sunny day, just as she once did while a daydreaming young girl, always seeking to get away elsewhere. She desperately longed to be outside in that hot sun, hiking and huffing up a woodsy mountain trail. Instead, here she was trapped in this well-appointed office, air-conditioning blasting, answering every line and setting up meeting schedules.

She knew that she should rejoice that her carefree days were over. She knew that she should’ve been thanking God for this lion share increase in responsibilities. No more designer footwear shopping sprees, no more lazy days spent by a sparkling azure blue infinity pool, and no more gluttonous food fests- consuming enough savory calories to land her in a sleepy two-hour coma.

Welcome to the big leagues! Playtime was over, and this was her official moment to bask in everlasting glory. This was truly her time to shine, as she stepped faithfully into her destiny. After persevering through a long journey of painful self-discovery, this was her true calling. Her reason for having been preserved on this earth was linked, inextricably, to this very moment…

Now that she’d been handed the ‘keys to the kingdom’ there was a certain level of accountability for how she spent her precious time and resources. She was now a trusted gatekeeper- anointed a careful guardian to watch over an extremely large legacy. Through an endowment of funds that came through at the last minute, she was able to renovate and decorate their fledging little business. It was Crystal’s responsibility to feather the nest, as she took pride in always having beautiful furnishings to please the eye, and soothe an aching soul.

Specializing in law enforcement, homeland security, and investigations, her fastidious life partner managed to expedite the processing of the various business licenses and permits. Afterwards, she and this brand new husband, the perennially charming Detective Don Dellevega, spent a few days settling into their new abode. The brave couple recently made an epic cross-country trek: relocating from Brooklyn Heights, New York City to Santa Monica, California. She already knew that she’d fallen in love with Los Angeles, feeling like it was appropriate to be her new home, but unfortunately, her spouse needed a bit more coaxing. It wasn’t until he walked out of LAX airport (into weather that was overwhelmingly hazy, hot, and humid) that he instantly knew they’d made the right decision to re-locate there. Problem was, they didn’t know anyone.

Hailing originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico (by way of Cuba), it was a relief to Dellevega when they arrived in the midst of an extended heat wave. No more bomb cyclone winters to deal with while living in sunny paradise! Nor’easters were forever a thing of the past.

Sure the unseasonably high temperatures exacerbated growing concerns over the ongoing drought situation in Southern California, however the throngs of surfers and beach-loving tourists weren’t griping or complaining!

Whenever two people are solidly united in agreement, that’s where the most power will be concentrated. Miracles can happen, because two heads are better than one! The newly married team, Detective Dellevega and Dr. Davenport, knew of this principle, and as such, used the technique of ‘divide & conquer’ to pursue their mission and accomplish the goal of their dreams. They shared ideas, then boldly went before the throne to ask God for the covering of His blessings. Now the impossible was being accelerated: their dream went from a viable option in the invisible realm to becoming an actual reality in this crazy, competitive universe.

Speaking of reality, Crystal realized that she had been on hold for over 45 minutes. That was the trouble with calling up a government agency- you never knew if you were going to eventually speak with a live operator. She never noticed the lengthy delay, however, because her mind was racing with a million thoughts. Hanging up the phone in disgust, her hand reached up to fidget with an ivory mother-of-pearl Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra necklace. Sitting in her ergonomic office chair, slowly exhaling her breath, Crystal couldn’t help but feel a sense of dark foreboding. She couldn’t quite place her finger on it exactly. There was something remotely uncomfortable about this day, putting her in a state of nervous anxiety. Something deadly amiss was in the air.

I have not been given a spirit of fear- but of power, love, and a sound mind, Crystal thought to herself resolutely. She knew that they were meeting with a new client today, but deep down inside, still wasn’t sure if they were up to such an insurmountable task. Perhaps they had bitten off more than they could (collectively) chew. If they didn’t rise to the occasion, word could get out that they were incompetent in this field. However, feeling confident that they were both highly qualified in their chosen professions, it was best to believe that they would be successful in whatever undertaking came their way. It was better for her to remain positive about this.

As it were, things were starting to look up already! The intense migraine headaches were actually over, and the dizzy spells were few and far between. After being counseled by a holistic chiropractor, reiki expert, health evangelist, and receiving a thorough check-up with a Ayurvedic vegan nutritionist, she learned that she had been suffering from a painful condition called reactive hypoglycemia. Her appetite, blood sugar, brainwaves, and hormones were all out of balance. Unchecked daily stress levels were wreaking havoc on her precious body.

Each specialist had a body of knowledge, but Crystal had knowledge of her own body, so she got it together and moved accordingly to improve her own physical health.

After switching to a strictly gluten-free, clean eating, alkaline Daniel diet consisting mostly of high-quality keto protein, nuts, seeds, organic fresh fruit juice, and raw vegetables, she was eventually able to stabilize her metabolism. All while trimming off those last few stubborn pounds. It involved trusting her gut instinct, but the amazing results were visible immediately. Crystal seemed like a whole new person these days and her skin glowed! Even her persistent depression had lifted.

So why was she feeling so darn antsy on this morning?

What was the Holy Spirit trying to whisper to her now? Dr. Crystal Knight-Davenport was an empath, one who had a predisposition towards reading portentous signs and atmospheric omens. It wasn’t that she was a psychic, sooth-sayer, or some other superstitious quack. No, not at all. Rather, these prophetic warnings served to be predictive about the future (based on emerging trends in modern society), yet analytical towards the present climate. It even helped to steer her through troubled waters, while navigating through these treacherous times of personal turmoil and unexpected soul attacks.

It was part of a special mystical bond that she had shared with the divine source- ever since she was a little girl! Ten years of university training, along with one incredibly bad divorce, did not dampen the oracular nature that she held onto deep down inside. Instead, it helped to hone her reasoning skills and visionary mindset. The uncanny ability to accurately predict what was coming next, actually kept her safe and sound. It preserved her sanity during these dark periods of moral degeneration. It helped to make sense of the cacophony.

Often she asked herself: is there more to life than this?

For Crystal was a seeker. Like so many others in this world, she was born a lonely heart. Always traveling on a never-ending spiritual journey, searching to find true love, a deeper meaning, and hope for good fortune.

Instead she found a world where she was surrounded by demons- locked in a nonstop daily battle to stay alive!

Sometimes she needed a boost, a little adrenaline rush in order to shake things up a bit. These days, her world felt a little stale and boring- like following the same old routine constantly. It was as if she was stuck in a rut, with no clear sense of focus or direction. Crystal knew that God had placed a special calling on her life, and she yearned to hear those guiding voices in her head again. Perhaps something new, unexpected and drastic needed to happen in order for her to feel a throbbing pulse- like the fierce, awesome warrior goddess that she once was!

In reality, Crystal had actually descended from a long line of benign witch doctors and ‘bush women,’ having been born pre-loaded with the powerful DNA of her ancestors to overcome every malady and mishap of this modern day world. Indeed, her tribe was pre-destinated to outsmart and outrun any demonic impulse that sought to deprive her of the divine right to exist peacefully on this earth. All she had to do was tap into that strength.

At one point, Crystal thought she heard the voice of her deceased sister, Kim, whispering softly over her left shoulder. Turning quickly to see who was standing behind her, she didn’t realize she was working herself into a nervous frenzy until she reached for a bottle of Perrier water. That’s when she noticed her own hands violently trembling. Getting ‘the shakes’ was never a good thing. Determined to greet the events of this day with dignity and graceful aplomb, Crystal vowed to maintain a positive attitude- no matter come what may.

CHAPTER 2

Hearing her cell phone ringing jerked Crystal out of her stupor. Looking at the caller ID, she wondered what it could possibly be now. Every time she picked up, it was some sort of drama or crisis situation that demanded her full and immediate attention. Right now she had other, more important things on her mind, with very little patience for the ongoing nonsensical foolishness that she left behind on the East Coast. But try telling that to her mother; it was as if Crystal never moved away at all.

Although her three troublesome high school girlfriends had been calling her less and less since she escaped from New York, Crystal was still getting a series of cryptic messages left on her answering machine by none other than Ms. Clarissa Turner Knight. Her elderly mother, who had previously been staunchly independent, had now become as emotionally needy as a small child. She tended to cycle back and forth between verbal lucidity and stark periods of great fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.

And getting stranger by the minute; Crystal bristled at the thought. Even when contrasted to her previously hush-hush, top-secret personality (where she never wanted to reveal anything about her early days in life), this current behavior was just over-the-top irrational. First came Clarissa’s heated accusations that someone was stealing money from her purse. That silly claim was easily disputed because she actually lived alone.

Then came the unbridled fear that a man was regularly squatting in the hallway, and was seen sitting outside her window. Although she resided on the 16th floor of a luxury high-rise building, Clarissa insisted that she needed custom window guards installed for protection. Crystal thought her mother’s story seemed a bit odd, but as the dutiful daughter, obliged by researching a trusted local contractor to go over and install an easy-lock, iron gate system. He not only charged extra because it was an emergency call- but also on a major holiday, no less!

After that last episode, Crystal was slowly beginning to think that perhaps her parent was either narcissistic or schizophrenic. Of course, the signs were already there:

A) Clarissa never answered her phone or her door, without first knowing that someone was trying to contact her. Despite being told repeatedly that this was unnecessarily annoying, she made herself inaccessible to even her own children.

B) It was hard for her to bestow praise on anyone else’s accomplishments, whereas everything she did was considered perfect and above reproach.

C) If you spoke favorably of someone she didn’t like, then you became her next hated enemy.

Although Dr. Davenport was a licensed, experienced psychotherapist, she never saw her mother in this new light until she re-read the DSM-IV description of the indicative symptoms. Now she understood why her mother never divulged the identity of her birth father. Or would consider getting life insurance to cover her own burial expenses. Or refused to assign one of her loyal children as ‘power of attorney’ to handle her bank account. Even as Clarissa sought to isolate herself into a private little world of seclusion, it was becoming increasingly evident that someone was going to have to step up and start taking care of her. Somebody, but who?

The whole affair was absolutely draining, and all Crystal could ponder right now was when would be the appropriate time to enroll her senior citizen mother into a retirement home. That way she could receive round-the-clock supervised care. Of course, Clarissa was still functioning well, and would fight a move like that with every bone in her body. It was just that she wasn’t making much sense these days. There was a family history of Alzheimer’s and mental decompensation, so this frightful concern felt very real to Crystal. There was always her younger brother, Mr. Rayburn Knight, but he seemed disinterested in his mother’s well-being.

Knowing that she had other things to achieve on her agenda right now, Crystal decided to leave the subject alone and concentrate her efforts on recruiting more clients for their detective agency and youth academy.

So far, they hadn’t had a single student sign up for their private school. None of the parents in the local area came forth to enroll their children. As for the detective agency, they received a flurry of calls from suspicious spouses who only wanted proof of their unscrupulous cheating partner’s infidelity. Most of these divorce cases involved a long stakeout at dive bars, seedy hotels, and other unsavory venues. Not quite Crystal’s thing.

Still, she didn’t know what to make of this premonition she was having- or why she was experiencing so much stress. Accustomed to always having a ready answer to solve every problem, it took her a long time to realize that she, herself, had inherited her mother’s gene of acute anxiety. Hence her propensity to sit and worry. Perhaps analyzing the psychological progression of her elderly parent was like ‘peering into the looking glass.’

As she exercised metacognition, this provided a glimpse into Dr. Davenport’s own unique future. Therefore, the only recourse was to keep educating herself, maintain a positive outlook on life, and continue to refine her level of maturity and spiritual discernment. This way, if any unwanted irrational thoughts or urges started to infiltrate her already cluttered brain space, she could immediately identify and discard them- thereby thwarting any attempts to negatively influence her sunny disposition or optimistically upbeat personality.

In other words, if this peculiar condition was a genetic disorder in her circuitry, programmed to also happen to her, the least she could do was stay vigilant and protect her precious spirit. After all, one must learn to guard the heart, for out of it flows all of the issues of life...

It wasn’t until her cell phone had stopped ringing, that Crystal suddenly realized that she had unconsciously let her mother go straight to voicemail. Unfortunately, Ms. Clarissa Turner Knight was already hip to her daughter’s