Ice Cold Murder

By W. H. Beswick

It is Monday. The week is off to a bad start. She has to evict a man who has barricaded himself in his sister's house. Stop a bulldozer from tearing down a house. Arrest to men for trespassing. One a has been singer who hasn't been in Digger's Cove for over twenty years. The other is a writer who write sensationized biographies, looking the subject for his next book. Then the town is hit with snowstorm that should have been hitting New York. During the storm Abby finds two dead bodies. Get the coffee. Abby is on the case.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. H. Beswick
• Release date: May 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215123171

W. H. Beswick

Lives in Corvallis Oregon

Book preview

PROLOGUE

LOS ANGELES, CA…2000…

Eddie Flynt sat in the bar nursing his beer while he watched the TV. It was one of those small bars scattered around LAX. A tiny room with a bar and few tables. Like all bars, dimly-lit. Everyone ignoring everyone. It is kind of a rule. Unless you drink too much and flirt with the flight attendant. That never ends well unless…you’re Chris Pine or Cara Delevingne.

Eddie is twenty, but the bartender didn’t even ask for his ID. He didn’t offer to show it. He was a good-looking man with dark brown eyes that were almost puppy-like. His very short hair, looked freshly cut, had that gleam that only barbers are able to produce. He kept running his hand over the top of his head, checking to remind him how short his hair now is. The jean jacket, shirt, and Levis looked washed and wrinkled. They still had that newness about them. The black and white high tops were anything but new. Scuffed and a little ragged from use.

An attractive blonde appeared on the screen standing outside the Staples Arena. Her hair was like a blonde halo around her impossibly-beautiful face. The dress was tight enough to hint at her hourglass figure. Unlike most people, he had met her. It was not all lights and makeup. Mary is beautiful. Most of the people leaving were young, but everyone looked angry.

This Mary Heart standing outside the Staples Arena where the band JUST ANOTHER BAND was supposed start their nationwide tour. Their debut album – ARE YOU LISTENING? – has been on the charts for ten weeks with eight singles hitting the number one spot. They easily sold out the arena but the fans excitement turned to disappointment and the anger. Eddie Flynt the lead vocalist and guitar decided not to show up. There were rumors of Eddie had disagreements with his manager and band. The big question is. Where is Eddie?

Flight 390 is now boarding.

Eddie tossed a hundred on the bar, picked up a gym bag, and walked out. He disappeared into the crowd of passengers. The bartender picked up the hundred and smiled. He was sure the guy was famous in some way or could just be a great tipper.

2001…

It now one year since Eddie Flynt simply vanished. There have been numerous rumors of his death. Suicide. Drug overdose. Car crash. Murdered by an obsessed fan or lover. At least now his fans know why Eddie vanished. He was locked into an iron clad contract with his business manager. The young singer unknowingly signed away the rights all his songs, including those he may have written in the future. His band, JUST ANOTHER BAND, were all friends from high school, attempted to move on without him. It quickly became obvious that Eddie was not only the creative genius behind the band but was its heart and soul.

2010…

Steve Garner, considered the most hated man in the music world. He is the man everyone blames for Eddie Flynt’s disappearance. His contract with the talented musician robbed the singer of what could have been a great future. Today, after a long bitter divorce, Mr. Garner was forced to turn over all rights to Eddie Flynt’s music. Soon after the hearing, April Garner burned the infamous contract on the courthouse steps. This is symbolic. She still will still own the rights to Eddie’s music. Will this bring Eddie home?

2015…

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

JUST ANOTHER BAND

BASS PLAYER WILL SAWYER DIED OF AN OVERDOSE LEAVING AN EX WIFE AND ONE DAUGHTER.

RHYTHM GUITAR TOM WILLIS NOW RUNS MUSIC STORE BACK IN VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA. HE PLAYS IN A LOCAL BAR ON OCCASION.

DRUMER CARL MORGAN DIED IN CAR CRASH. HIS ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS .22. HE WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OF REMAINING BAND MEMBERS BY OPENING HIS OWN SOUND STUDIO. HE LEFT A FIANCE.

MANAGER STEVE GARNER COMMITED SUICIDE BY TAKING AN OVERDOSE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS. HE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART HIS CAREER BUT HAD LITTLE TO NO SUCCESS. AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH HE WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR RUNNING A PYRAMID SCHEME.

EDDIE FLYN, LEAD VOCALIST AND GUITAR, WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN.

TODAY…

Ryan Dickens had been famous once. World famous. There was a time when his fans filled stadiums, screaming so loud you could barely think let alone sing and dance. Companies begged him to endorse their products. He wore suits and clothes that were the best money could buy. Then there were the award shows: rubbing elbows with the elite in the music and movie business. The after parties, the after, after parties. He never had to wait in line for the best restaurants or exclusive clubs. Not to mention all those wonderful women. Back then, he had the world in his hands. He actually thought it would last forever.

Fame is really fickle. You never know when it will end.

It is also an addictive drug. Once you have it, you want more. Very few people are able to overcome the addiction to fame. Reality shows are the best example of this.

Everyone seemed to be talking about their brand or trying create their own brand.

The average career life of a boy band was five to seven years. Very few made it after the band broke up. The devoted fans grew up and moved on to…better music? Now those same fans would roll their eyes and make jokes about how they been into his band. Some would still go to a reunion concert.

They weren’t really a band. They didn’t play instruments. They just sang and danced. Hours spent rehearsing those dance routines. Not only making their moves; making them look flawless but easy.

The Downtown Dudes.

At the time, they had all thought the name was so cool. Now, not even he could say the name without rolling his eyes.

Back in the day, the five members had acted like close friends. They were friendly together, went performing, but never hung out together. Yes, at the after parties, but they eventually went home, usually with a new friend.

At least for that night.

Joel had been the leader of the group, always up front. The face of the band. He was the good one. Didn’t drink or smoke and never touched drugs. He even had a girl back home. After the group split up, turned out he had spent very little of his money. He went home to Washington and never looked back. Married his high school sweetheart and went on to teach music to high school students who had no idea he had been famous. Although they did wonder how a teacher could afford such a nice house while he and his wife drove BMWs.

Luke, the funny one. After the split, he started doing stand up and was good at it. So good he used his money to go out on tour. He invested in himself, and it paid off. After the tour, he got into a few movies. Next came the first sitcom. Then the second …and then the third. He always played the everyday guy with the way too hot wife. Got two Emmy awards to put beside his one Grammy. He married a blonde who posed for Playboy. Ryan had given the marriage a couple years. Still married, three kids and happy.

It wasn’t the first time he had been wrong, nor would be the last.

Louis, the smart one. Turned out he really was smart. During the band’s run, he only spent enough to keep up this cool image. Saved most of his money. After the breakup, he went back to college, got his MBA. Then created his own company that made him a lot more money than he ever made singing and dancing. Ryan wasn’t sure what Louis actually did. Something to do with the stock market and Wall Street. He might even own a movie company. All Ryan knew? Louis now lived in New York, was married to a woman whose family supposedly came over on the Mayflower.

There sure were a lot of people on the Mayflower.

His wife’s family was old money. He suspected Louis’s boy band days rarely came up in conversation.

Alan had been the serious one. Always quoting poetry or Shakespeare. When he wasn’t doing that, he was painting. He wrote some books filled with poetry. Not the silly lyrics he used to write for the band. What some called serious poetry? After the break, he got his degree and now taught at UCLA. A couple of his paintings had sold for over a hundred thousand dollars. A few years ago, he came out as gay and wrote a book.

Ryan didn’t see that coming. Turned out Ryan didn’t see a lot coming.

Ryan had been the shy one. He was always nervous before going on stage. Once the music started, he was fine. Singing and dancing just as good as the others. It wasn’t until after the breakup he realized he had no chance going solo. Turns out, being shy was not an asset in the music business…or the movie business. He did cut a solo album, but it tanked. Then came the talk shows, but eventually the business lost interest in him. Auditions for a few movies. Never cast. He did a couple of reality shows but never won the big bucks. Every couple of years, some reporter would find him and ask if the band would have some kind of reunion.

All the other band members didn’t think so. They all made jokes about it. Odd. His name never came up.

Forty-two, balding, and no longer having the slender body from his youth, he now lived a very modest lifestyle. Singing at the occasional state fair…he had almost been a judge on one of those singing shows. Then that pop star with the ponytail had announced she would do it. Old has-been singer, or sexy new singer who wore tight clothes… Yeah, they didn’t even call him back.

Ryan wasn’t broke…yet. He was living in a one-bedroom in Van Nuys, California, which was huge stepdown from his house in Beverly Hills. His three expensive sports cars were the first to go. Then all his memorabilia. Then the house. That’s what he had been living off for the last three years. That and the part-time job at the warehouse where everyone only knew him as Ryan.

The ex-pop-star sat in his recliner, staring at the TV with basic cable. Not smart or high definition. Ryan sat up when a report came on about an annual car show coming up. Not one of the biggest, but many considered it one of the best. As he watched, multiple images of classic cars appeared on the screen. Back in his hometown, his family had been one of the richest families in the small town. When he left, he vowed never to go back. He hadn’t talked to his family in years. Few years back, they reached out to him. He had ignored the calls, thinking they might be calling to ask for money. He had been too embarrassed to talk to them. Ryan thought of the house on lake. One of the nicest and biggest properties in town. Maybe it was time to go home and mend some fences.

Home to Digger’s Cove.

Zeus. What kind of name was that to give to a kid? Did parents even think about the repercussions of giving their kid the name of the king of the gods? You may as well just pin a target onto his back. He couldn’t use his middle name. Apollo. So he was Zeus Apollo Stickman.

His younger brother must had it even harder with his name. Thor Loki Stickman. They hadn’t talked since the incident that got Thor disowned by his parents. Zeus, wanting to stay in their good graces, cut ties with him too. Then two weeks ago, his brother called out of nowhere and thought maybe they could reconnect. Zeus decided why not. They talked for a while. Both promised to talk again.

Zeus was short, with a body that just refused to lose any fat or gain any muscle no matter how much he ran or worked out.

Okay, his diet of fast food could be the reason for that. Going to the gym once every few months was probably another.

Needless to say, he went through hell in school. His lack of self-esteem led to low grades. The only reason he graduated was he had a talent for writing. He could take the tiniest bit of information and turn it into a ten- or twenty-page paper. Zeus barely got his degree in English at a state college. He