The Shakers a Mick Hart Mystery
3.5/5
()
About this ebook
"There is missing, then there is being made to disappear."
Mick Hart Private Investigation Agency finds deadbeat parents whose child supports payments are in arrears. On occasion, P.I. Hart will take on a case to find a missing person. In The Shakers, Sapphire Jenkins (Mary's Little Lamb) asks Hart to find her younger brother Gerald who is away at college and has been missing for two weeks from his classes. Hart travels to Atlanta, Georgia, searching for her sibling.
With few leads to follow, Mick Hart stumbles around the international hub city of the south. Atlanta; the hotbed of movers and shakers, to rump and thug shakers.
With the help of his agency partner and two unsuspecting allies, Hart uncovers the difference between a person missing and one made to disappear. Two truthers and a liar are amongst the diverse connections to the missing teen, but few of their words are worth a grain of salt.
Read more from Lawrence Christopher
Out of the Barrel: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All About Mary a Mick Hart Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Shakers a Mick Hart Mystery
Related ebooks
The Shakers a Mick Hart Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBrackish Water: Angus Green, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDeadly Games: Elusive Killers, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFinding Hope in Texas Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The Sword: A Murder Mystery: The Ishikawa/Taylor Mysteries, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPreposterous: An Elizabeth Cromwell Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSecret Kill (Noir Nights Book 2) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaiden Murders Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Violin Case (The Second Marly Jackson Mystery) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGame Piece Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Locked In: The Noah Braddock Series, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsClose Out: The Noah Braddock Series, #8 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCreative Deductions: Home Run Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNorth Downing: A Dezeray Jackson Novel: Sinfully Scandalous Mysteries, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBetween Friends Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Losing is Democratic: How to Talk to Kids About January 6th Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFateful Betrayal Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRetribution for the Fallen An Emily Fallon Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMemory Mansion: How to Glow the Fu%k Up Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChasing Shadows: The Underground, #4 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Crystal's Crush Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Riptide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Twisted Games: Pameroy Mystery, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlack Widow Valley: Miss Fortune World: The Mary-Alice Files, #6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHitman’s Pet (Book 3): A Knife to the Heart Hitman Romance, #3 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pilikia Is My Business Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Policewomen's Bureau: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Vowel Play Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlood Debt Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Man In The Lake Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Amateur Sleuths For You
The Pale Blue Eye: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Woman in the Library: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone: A Murdery Mystery Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pieces of Her: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life We Bury Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Color Me Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Three Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret, Book & Scone Society Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5John Grisham: Series Reading Order - 2019 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Courting Dragons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Murderous Affair at Stone Manor: A Completely Gripping Cozy Murder Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Word Is Murder: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trouble with Goats and Sheep: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories: A Miss Marple Collection Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries Volume One: Whose Body?, Clouds of Witness, and Unnatural Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hardy Boys Collection Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Accidental Alchemist: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Twyford Code: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Night Olivia Fell Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Charlaine Harris: Best Reading Order Series - with Summaries & Checklist - Compiled by Albie Berk Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Spellman Files: Document #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Murder on a Mystery Tour Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Florida Roadkill: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Lucky: A Mystery Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Line to Kill: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Summer House: A highly addictive psychological thriller from TOP 10 BESTSELLER Keri Beevis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Shakers a Mick Hart Mystery
3 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Shakers a Mick Hart Mystery - Lawrence Christopher
Also, by Lawrence Christopher
Ghettoway Weekend
Later Days and Nights
Out of the Barrel
The Mick Hart Mysteries
All About Mary
Dog ‘Em
Mary’s Little Lamb
The Tickle Fingers Series
Where’s Pinky
Five Finger Prayer Book
Backlog Titles
Blood-Related: a Mick Hart Mystery
Name that Kill: a Mick Hart Mystery
Cruising While Black: a Mick Hart Mystery
Love of the Sun, Moon, and Star
The Tickle Fingers: I Pinky Swear
The Shakers
A Mick Hart Mystery
Lawrence Christopher
MF Unlimited
Atlanta, GA
THE CHARACTERS AND events in the book are fictitious. Any similarities of real people, living or dead, are coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2023 MF Unlimited
ISBN-10: 097122787X
ISBN-13: 978-0971227873
LCCN: 2023941790
Cover Design by Tolbert Graphics
Printed in the USA
Acknowledgment
JEHOVAH JIRAH
Keith Mosley
One
THE LATEST EPISODE of WTOL11’s Guilty Without Proof televised program was concluding. The state victory was accomplished against the court-appointed counsel. Reporters investigating discovered the innocence of wrongly convicted Jamie Peterson, announced the on-air television talent. There was no mention of my involvement. Which was good. The television station paid my expenses for my behind-the-scenes work as agreed.
You know, if they said your name, you would probably have more clients.
Offered my wife, Latasha.
Probably. I’m good with the current flow.
I replied.
She tucked her feet beneath my leg and stretched out on the couch.
I’m just saying, it couldn’t hurt to have some free publicity.
Free publicity could bring on free trouble. I’d like to keep some semblance of control of what work comes knocking at the door.
Just as I spoke those words, the doorbell chimed.
Mick, someone is here to see you,
Wifey announced.
On the porch stood a hefty size young man wearing a strapped t-shirt, also known as a wife beater. He wore oversized jeans which hung off his waist exposing his briefs. His well-developed arms were covered with tattoos.
You Mick?
I suppose so. And you are?
My girl wants to talk with you.
Who’s your girl?
Sapphire.
"Where is she?
In the car. She’s about to drop. That’s why she didn’t get out.
Drop?
My kid,
he clarified. I found it interesting when someone sometimes is claiming a child it is in singular possession terms as opposed to ours.
I followed the roughneck out to his pimped-out black-on-black GMC Acadia truck. In the front seat was a very pregnant familiar face from the past. Sapphire Jenkins looks to be in her mid-twenties and sure enough good and plenty. The last time I saw her she was leaving the courthouse arm in arm with her adoptive father Perry Rogers.
It was the second time Sapphire had been in court involving a murder case. The first, was when she and her brother Gerald were suspected of killing their mother. The children got off on the technicality that she was already dead when they stabbed her with a knife. Perry was engaged to their mother Mary Jane Jenkins at the time. He went on to adopt the two children. The following court appearance for Sapphire was when she was originally implicated in Perry’s second fiancée’s murder. Once again, she was found not guilty. I purposely did not say she was innocent.
I peered through the front passenger window at the angelic face of the young lady.
Hey Mister Hart,
the girl sounded sugary sweet.
"Miss Jenkins. How many months are you?
Nine.
I turned to the young man leaning against the front hood while working on unwrapping a cigar. And how many months have you been out of jail?
"Why are you going to come at me like that?
I was merely making an observation.
Don’t mind him, Mister Hart. Do you remember my brother Gerald?
Yes.
He was deemed a delinquent early on, but not for his own doing. Gerald was a follower and easily influenced by his sister. What about him,
I asked.
He’s missing.
Missing?
Yes. He’s going to college in Atlanta. I haven’t heard from him in over a week. We talked or texted every day. But like I said, I haven’t heard from him in over a week, close to two.
You are talking about Atlanta. I imagine that there are all sorts of good and bad trouble a twenty-something boy can get himself into.
See, I told you
, said the young man in support of my speculation. He was lighting his remade cigar. The burn was that of marijuana. He offered me a tote.
No thanks.
Show some respect,
Sapphire demanded of her baby’s daddy.
I am. I offered him a hit.
I mean don’t be smoking that around Mister Hart.
It’s okay. Have you reported Gerald’s missing to the school or the Atlanta police?
No. I wasn’t sure who to call.
I suggest that you do one or the other or both.
Would you help me look for him?
She begged.
But he might not be, what you consider loss. I think if you contact the school and the proper authorities, you’ll find out that it’s just a misunderstanding. He might be somewhere with a girlfriend.
No, he’s not. Oh, please, Mister Hart. Finding people is what you do, isn’t it? I can pay you. Sykes, give him the money.
Sykes reached into his front jeans pocket to pull out a folded wad of bills.
I can’t take your money, Miss Jenkins.
But you must.
She pleaded.
He said that he can’t take the money.
Sykes reiterated.
"Be quiet, Sykes. – Mister Hart, please.
Two
I DID TAKE the money and the job, just to put the expectant mother’s mind at ease – even if temporarily. Putting in my office safe, what amounted to two-thousand