Skull: Aron Tusk Series, #1

By KRIS MOLLER

How far is he prepared to go to get justice?

Aron Tusk spends a weekend camping near a river and stumbles onto a skull. Searching for answers, he approaches someone for help, only to confirm what he fears, which leads him to clash with elements powerful enough to make him realize that loyalty and justice are inseparable and might cost more than he can afford or is willing to pay.

 

His life is further complicated when he crosses a thin line and gets involved with someone who, unbeknownst to him, is connected to those self-same powerful elements.

• Language: English
• Publisher: KRIS MOLLER
• Release date: Dec 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215710630

KRIS MOLLER

Kris Moller spent the bulk of his life in the technology industry in various capacities and industries on five continents. He has written several books in both fiction and non-fiction genre categories. In his fiction six-part series, protagonist Peter Carter finds himself the target of arguments he does not always win. Book 4 (The Inlaw) has been published during September 2022 with books 5 and 6 to follow later. Kris has now started on his Aron Tusk series in parallel, SKULL being the first book. Readers can also avail themselves of CARD - the prequel, by signing up to his Readers List.  On the non-fiction side, his practical self-help book "Pay Off Credit Card Debt Fast – Four Steps to Freedom" displays an in-depth knowledge based on personal experience, which he vividly highlights with easy-to-understand examples. His book "Over 65 and Still in Demand" addresses retirement without retiring. Kris lives in Australia with his wife Ervina. His online home is at https://www.mollerbooks.com You can write him at [e-mail] whenever you fancy

Book preview

Get ‘CARD’ - the series prequel - for free and read it, by signing up to my no-spam newsletter.

Find the link at the end of the book you are about to read.

The final scene in ‘CARD’ continues on perfectly in the first scene of ‘SKULL’.

Aron Tusk’s discovery propels his life on an unexpected trajectory in his search for answers – with unpleasant, even deadly consequences for some.

SKULL

Justice for Some

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Book 1 of the Aron Tusk Series

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A novel by

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Kris Moller

Table of Contents

PART ONE – RED

PART TWO - CUFFS

PART THREE – GS-14

PART FOUR - STRAWMAN

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ALSO BY KRIS MOLLER

MORE NOTES

COPYRIGHT BY KRIS MOLLER

PART ONE – RED

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Name your game.

1

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Riverbank

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ARON TUSK LET GO of the skull so fast, the seething juggernaut of water swept his 6-foot 2 frame along once more like a discarded cork. Gulping in pockets of air whenever his head rose above the swirling brown mass. With arms flailing and hands grasping at anything within range. His darting gray-blue eyes searching for the next secure something to latch onto.

It took several minutes to wrestle his way back against the raging cocktail of debris, broken branches, dead animals, even live snakes.

Onto the river embankment.

Where he lay immobile, panting. His usually blond hair and beard now brown from the mud, plastered against his head and face. Fingers locked around the root of a tree and tuft of river grass. Head sideways, one ear deaf in the mud. He coughed a few times to clear his lungs. Then let go of the tuft of grass, still holding onto the root for security.

He ran his free hand over his face, sweeping away twigs and leaves. And dead insects.

He struggled onto his knees and dared to look over his shoulder at the raging torrent. A mere yard away from where he was.

He crawled back in the direction of where he last saw the skull.

It was still there.

He raked it nearer with a piece of driftwood.

It had a hole in the cranium.

The size of a golf ball.

That must have been what killed him. Or her. Who was it? Who did it? Why? How did it get here?

Then he recalled the fresh tire marks.

And the fact that he had no witnesses.

He got up, steadied himself and sloshed back to his Land Rover, only to find it mired in a sludge of mud where the river had overflowed its banks. It was a slow and slippery ride back to his camp, which had luckily been spared.

He put the mud-brown skull in an empty box and placed it on the passenger seat, thinking he had to, at least, accord it some respect. Then he changed his clothes.

He packed up everything except for the metal detector which had been swept away in the melee.

It was a pensive ride home. He parked the Land Rover next to his blue Jaguar and left it unpacked in the garage. Except for the box with the skull.

He carried the box upstairs, placed it on the coffee table in the lounge. Not one to indulge much in alcohol, he still went over to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a stiff shot of whiskey. Then sat down, emptied the glass in one gulp and stared at the box.

Who are you? What do I do now?

Maybe I should have left it where I found it. Or rather, where it found me. But my camp and tire marks are evidence of me having been there. Take it to the police? Bury it? Throw it away?

He called Sam Croft.

You sound strange.

Maybe I miss you, said Tusk. He pictured her in his mind. Five-seven. Slim. Maybe 120 pounds. Light-brown hair down to her shoulders. Diamond-shaped face. Steel-gray eyes. Straight Greek nose. Full lips. Still with a scar from a domestic violence incident before he met her. And long thin arms.

Nice to hear. And you are not the only one, said Sam Croft.

Thank you. May I come pick you up tomorrow. Say just before lunch?

Please. I can’t wait.

***

2

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TUSK parked the blue Jaguar in front of the apartment block where Sam stayed with a friend after she escaped from her abusive husband. He gave her a call to let know he had arrived, and went to wait in the lobby for the short two minutes it normally took her to come down.

Good to see you. Did you enjoy your trip? said Sam as she exited and slipped her hand in his.

Same here. And yes, up to a point, then something happened.

Something exciting I hope.

Not the sort of excitement I want, or for that matter, need, said Tusk.

Tell me.

I want to show you something. But you can't tell anybody.

They walked over to the Jaguar. Tusk waited for her to make herself comfortable in the passenger seat, then closed the door. He walked around, took out the box from the back seat, and slid in behind the steering wheel.

He placed the box between them.

Now don't get scared. And I need some advice, said Tusk and opened the box. Look.

Sam looked and shied away.

A skull? Is this some sort of pre-Halloween joke? Where did you get it? What is it doing here? She moved further away with her back right up against the door.

No joke. I found it near my camping site. Look it has a hole in the top. Like someone smashed it in with a pick-axe. Or a hammer, said Tusk.

A hammer, said Sam, and turned white as a sheet. Get rid of it.

How? I can't just throw it away.

Then maybe go hand it in at the cop shop.

Easier said than done. What do you think they are going to want to know? I mean I was there on my own. They may think I went there to get rid of it, said Tusk.

Well, you can't keep it. There is a body out there without a head. If they catch you with it, then I think they will think you HAVE something to do with it, said Sam.

I wish I never found it. Tusk went on to tell her in detail what happened.

All the more reason to do it now, said Sam.

You are right. This skull needs justice. Anyway, enough of it for now. Shall we go get something to eat and drink?

I think we should concentrate on your next move.

I got my Huskey, John T, from a vet. Her husband is a DNA Analyst. I am sure he can find out more.

And he will have to report it to the cops. And then they will come looking for you. I mean people don’t just discover skulls and then get rid of them. Or hide them. Or hand them over to other people, said Sam.

I don’t really get on well with cops.

You may have to, in this case.

Ok. Later. Now can we go somewhere to get lunch?

We must be careful to be seen together in public, said Sam.

We can't live our lives without going around in public sometimes. But OK if it will make you feel safer, let’s drive out of town. Or over to my place.

Over to your place. Remember you said I can have a swim in your pool. That would be a nice way to relax. Especially after this, said Sam, pointing at the skull.

So, go get your swimming stuff, said Tusk.

OK, back in a minute, said Sam.

But before you go, why did you turn pale when I mentioned the word 'hammer'.

No specific reason other than to think how scared the poor victim must have been when threatened with a hammer or a pick-axe.

Yes, it must have been horrible. Why would someone do this?

There are some weird and dangerous people out there, said Sam.

Forty minutes later they pulled into ‘The Hideaway’ as Tusk referred to his house in Rose Dale, Long Island.

Tusk prepared his usual full-grain ham-cheese-and-tomato sandwiches whilst Sam enjoyed a few laps in the back-yard pool. It needed one more prod to get Tusk to do as promised. Sam preferred to stay at home.

***

3

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IT WAS A 30-minute ride. Tusk parked his blue Jaguar and lifted the box from the back seat. He walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

Mrs. Halstein opened the door.

Hello Mr. Tusk. What a welcome surprise. Please come in. How is John T doing?

Hi, he is doing great, but this is more than just a social visit. Is Mr. Halstein in? said Tusk as he entered.

He is. Please take a seat while I call him.

Thank you, said Tusk and made himself comfortable. As much as he could with the box on his lap.

Lloydd Halstein came walking in, wearing his lab coat.

Hello Aron, what brings you to our neck of the woods?

Hi Lloydd. Something I found on a short camping trip over the weekend, said Tusk, getting up.

How can I help?

Check this, said Tusk. He opened the box and pulled the skull out.

Halstein narrowed his eyes involuntarily.

A human skull? I have several questions, but let's start with where did you find it? And preferably, put it back in the box.

Tusk recounted his experience, closing with I would like you to do a DNA or any other test on it to determine whose skull this is.

First things first. Have you considered taking it to the police station and making a statement?

Yes, but I thought I wanted to let you do whatever you can to try find out who’s it is. First.

You know I do work for the police and they would have brought it to me anyway, and launch an official investigation into it, said Halstein. I mean, skulls don’t not just pop up from nowhere.

And wait how long, said Tusk.

Does it matter? To be rather blunt about it, there is a body or skeleton without a head out there. And that means a grave robber or forbid, even a murderer. Not something you should get involved in. Why the hurry? said Halstein.

"My twin brother Ryan Tusk has been missing for some weeks now. Ok, long story short. Way back when we grew up in the UK, I was a card-playing, gambling, havoc-causing, motorbike-riding rebel without a steady job. Ryan was the responsible, hard-working apple of our adoptive parents eyes. Then, when they died, Ryan and I drifted apart for many years. I turned my life around, learned some skills, held down a steady job and saved some money. Then I arrived here in the States and found the roles reversed. He became the drifter who loafed