The Other: Apollo Steel Mysteries, #1

By A.A. Mercer

what started as an affair and planned murder ended as something was summoned from beyond. As detectives Hughes and Steel try to uncover the clues to the deaths of two. and the killer. Were they human as Hughes percieves or is it something else. Steel has another theory, one that might uncover another killer. one beyond their perception. The Other.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.A. Mercer
• Release date: Dec 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215566770

A.A. Mercer

A. A. Mercer has written mystery, horror and thriller books. he likes to spend his time meeting fans and signing autographs in Tucson Arizona, 

Book preview

To

T.S. And H.S.

Thank you for all the help.

1.

In the dark you can almost hide the truth. In the dark you can almost make dreams your reality. As Dan Caraway laid in the dark next to his wife, he could almost pretend everything was fine. The reality was it wasn’t fine. He needed to stop dreaming and start his day. Cautiously he turned over to look at his reality, his heart, his wife. Softly he reached over and kissed his wife, Barbra. She was laying on her side, with her back facing him, all the way over on her side of the bed. He didn’t want to wake her but just wanted to touch her and she didn’t push him away while she was sleeping.

Ever since they had lost their only child, she had been unrelentingly depressed, and he had been at a loss to figure out what to do.

He gently caressed her bare shoulder as it peaked out from the rumpled sheets of their oversized bed. When she let out a soft sob, he knew she was crying quietly to herself again and didn’t want him to know.

He knew, he always knew.

Why didn’t she let him in? He wondered to himself. Slowly he dragged his hand away and resigned himself that he would never know the answer. She shut him out and kept him at an arm’s length away at all times. Didn’t she know he lost him too? Didn’t she know he wanted, no, needed to be there with her, feel her, touch her and didn’t she love him? He loved her and he was suffering too.  

Slowly, he left their bed to get ready for another day 12-hour day as a security guard downtown.

Not a glamorous job, definitely not the job her family thought should be the one her husband would have. They were from money and he definitely was not.

I’m sorry; I don’t really want to go. He said softly.

Barbra turned over slightly, her large green haunted eyes turned to look at him and said, I know. Then almost as an afterthought she whispered, I love you." She positioned herself to be closer to him and for a moment she hoped she would kiss. But he pulled away.

I love you too; he said with all the emotion he had in his heart, he added, Please don’t stay here the dark bedroom all day. I really wish you would take a walk in the garden or pull open the curtains to let the light in today."

He looked outside and saw someone in the yard and knew who it was. They sat in a lawn chair in the yard as if they lived here.

He knew who it was and hoped he could get rid of them.

Amanda sat on the lawn chair admiring the neighborhood, she wore a light blue short sleeved shirt with a row of buttons which ran down the front, she had unbuttoned several showing her cleavage. She didn’t care of anyone saw, especially a certain man who was inside the house.

It was quiet, reserved and not many people were out today.

She kicked a fly away from her open-toed sandals as it tried to land on her pedicured toenails.

Bugs. She didn’t care for the bugs and flies which seemed to swarm around her as she tried in vain to swat at a fly which for some reason wanted to buzz around her.

I think its attracted to the perfume your bathed in. Dan said as he walked toward her holding an opened can of ice-cold beer in one hand and an envelope in the other.

His voice was steady, he held her in a glare which at work would have caused an intruder to think twice.

But Amanda Corkland wasn’t intimidated he might have a look that could chill a stranger but when it came to real work he’d run.

She took the beer and smiled as she took the envelope in the other hand and shoved it into the pocket of the shorts she wore.

She glanced at the window nearby and put the beer down.

She couldn’t help but notice the tape and bits of tarp half-covering the windows, she thought it was amusing. The idea of making her sister think she was crazy and in need of an institution was ludicrous.

I wonder if my dear sister knows about the money, and your silly little plan. She said as she got up from the chair, she was so close to his body she could feel his breath on her hair, she noticed her closeness was having the desired effect on him. she glanced down at his shorts and could see he was reacting. He was like so many other men, turned on and stupid.

She tilted her head under his chin and gave him a kiss, Do you remember when we were at the house, just us? she was enjoying his response, he was fighting it. And he would lose as he did so many times before.

He dropped his chin and he made her fall back, he grabbed her arm and squeezed. She winced and pulled away. I don’t want to talk about it. He breathed through his teeth.

He released her arm and pointed at the enveloped she tucked into her shorts.

You have your money now go.

He turned to the house and hoped Barbra didn’t see them. She knew they had dated years ago, but he was feeling guilty about how he was feeling.

He hated himself for it.

I can’t keep doing this. He hated Amanda for making him give her money.

You and I are in this; she didn’t want to give me money to help me so I’m asking you.

No, you’re telling me. Blackmailing me. His voice had an edge which made her look at him seriously. He wouldn’t do anything to her, he wouldn’t dare. He turned around to see her, he wasn’t sure which he wanted to do, tell his wife he’d been sleeping around and giving money to her sister or kill her.

Who would know? The thought of killing Amanda was better, but he didn’t have it in him.

Amanda stepped toward him and put her arms around his neck, she could feel the tendons and tense muscles in his shoulders.

She could remember the touch from him, his kiss. With every breath he seemed to relax a little more.

She kissed his neck and could feel him reacting like he always did he was wrapped around her finger and he knew it. He turned and faced her, he was angry, and his hand squeezed hers hard enough to make her wince.

She pulled away her voice had an edge, as her long fingernails ran slowing across his bare arms. His uniform was waiting for him and he needed to get to work. He couldn’t help but wonder if he would snap and kill her.

If you think for a moment, I’m afraid of you, you are dead wrong. She gave him a quick smile and turned around; she bent over letting him get a good long look at her as she picked up the envelope which fell from her shorts.

He was her slave and she enjoyed it far too much. she walked back to her car and got in and Dan went back inside.

Dan went to check on Barbra. She was half-awake and looking at the picture on the bedside table of them. Dan and Barbra and their son.

Tall spires of Disneyland rose up behind them like pale blue spikes, Micky Mouse stood at the side with his big white gloves hiding his face.

It was fun at the time, and she smiled a little at the memory.

Are you awake?

Barbara nodded, she had to get up and at least see the sun. she had heard it was good to be in natural light the sun felt good and she needed it. she sat up and slowly rose to her feet.

She held her head as the headache spiked from behind her temples and shot a lightning bolt of hot fiery pain across her forehead.

This was going to be a bad one she thought as the unwelcome pain sizzling through her skull started to make her feel as if the room was spinning and the world was tipping on its axis. The room felt cold and it felt as if someone was watching her.

She placed both hands on her head and squeezed, before wearily plopping back down onto the bed, with a soft thump. She had thought she heard the front door open then close and meant to ask of someone was here. But when she saw Dan again all she wanted was an aspirin.

Would you get me some aspirin from the kitchen? she asked. With that Dan turned and left.

She had thought she heard him go into the kitchen and open the fridge and she thought to herself that isn’t where I keep them.

As she sat at the side of the bed, she decided it hurt too much to fully open her eyes. She just wanted to get back under the inviting soft covers.

She lifted her long lashes and peaked through them just enough to help guide her as she feebly inched across the expansive bed. 

The room felt cold and the early morning light was straining to come in from around the heavy curtains on the windows, was dim and almost gray. It made her wonder, as if in passing, if it had started to rain outside.

Dan? she whispered, before succumbing once again to her dreams. When Dan returned with the glass of ice water and aspirin, he placed them on the whetstone on her bedside table.

Since she was sleeping again and he didn’t want to wake her, he only looked at her one more time before leaving for work. He knew she had trust issues and his past wasn’t making it easy.

Sometime later, Barbra was awoken with a start by someone calling her name, but her husband was at work and she was supposed to be alone.

Did she dream it? Why would someone be calling my name? She thought idly, as a cold chill slowly creped its way down her spine.

Instantly she opened her eyes and as she tried to focus on the figure who was standing in her doorway, she realized it wasn’t Dan or her sister.

She felt her head begin to split again at the thought of her sister being here.

She didn’t want to give her any more money the trust fund was almost gone and soon there would be nothing.

She thought she saw a sliver of light coming in from the window, it was a strong light.

What time is it? she asked.

She knew no one else was here.

The figure was someone much shorter, almost childlike. Her thoughts raced in her mind.

No.  What? It couldn’t be? It didn’t work? but she dared to hope Did it?

She remembered something about talking to the dead, and her son.

Was it days ago or weeks when she met