Drago #2A
by
Art Spinella
Copyright 2011 Art Spinella,
All rights reserved.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0208-6
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Art Spinella. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, companies or locales is entirely coincidental even though some Oregon locations are real. For a closer look at Bandon, go to www.Bandon.com
Cover design: D. T. Spillane
Audio book version in 2011 by Pasta Studios
The early reviews…
Drago #1, says Western World newspaper, "...is a 3D jigsaw puzzle of clues..."
and readers should "Grab your kevlar and fasten your seatbelts... for a breakneck tour of Coos County."
Kindle reviews:
"Couldn't put it down."
“Great read! My wife brought it home for me as a gift. Started reading and quickly got to the point I couldn't put it down. Great characters and engaging story. Can't wait for the next book to come out!”
Email review, "Darn you, Drago. You made me late for work!"
Let us know what you think. Email [email protected]
To have your copy of Drago autographed, mail it to
PO Box 744, Bandon, Oregon 97411
Please include your return address.
DEDICATION
Stephen J. Cannell
Donald P. Bellisario
David Kimes
and, of course, Cookie
A very special thanks to:
Tracy, Chloe, Dakota, Ethan, Nina and John Aaron
Linda and Dick Bentley
Ted Dieterich
George and Ginger Dukovich
Nancy Galbraith
Dr. Jonathan Park
Ray and Dudi Wittwer
PROLOGUE
Who did it and why? The core to every mystery novel. But sometimes the author forgets that his or her readers aren’t just recipients of the story, but many want to be part of it.
For years I read the likes of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. And for years I tried to reach the solution before the last page was turned.
The Internet has changed much of this. For example, in Drago #2a it is possible to search for information that may lead to at least some of the solutions – or the foundations for the various mysteries. That’s cool.
So, to make Drago #2a even more interactive with you, dear reader, there is contained in this novel a clue that allows access to a secret page on the www.cnwmr.com/DRAGO website. That page contains added content including links to portions of the mystery, additional details on both Nick and Sal, photos of their hometown of Bandon, Oregon and other “stuff” some of which I won’t reveal here.
Clues to finding the clue: The User ID will be a single word six-letter entry. The Password is five letters.
Happy hunting.
Additionally, for the tech savvy reader there is a QR code that will reveal locations for added information that can make the Drago experience even more fulfilling.
And on a final note, you’ll notice this is Drago #2a. There’s a reason you’ll understand at the conclusion of this novel. Drago #2b may be awhile and will undoubtedly come after Drago #3. But never fear. Nick won’t let you down. --Art Spinella
CHAPTER ONE
The cellphone buzzed in my shirt pocket.
Flipping it open, “Drago.”
“Nick. Chief Forte. Got a sec?”
“What’s up?”
“Need your help. I’ve got a man in a tree.”
“Call the fire department.”
“A logger would be better. I mean, IN the tree, not attached to it.”
I checked the calendar on the phone display. It didn’t surprise me that it was Monday. These kinds of calls always come on Monday.
“As in encased in a tree?” I asked.
“Come see for yourself, Nick. We’re at Bandon Dunes, new course. Can’t miss the crowd. And, uh, bring Sal.”
“You want me to bring Sal because you think Tatiana will come along. You’re a letch.”
“I’m the Chief of police in a small town. Allow me my foibles.”
I disconnected and hit the speed dial. Sal answered on the second ring and I repeated the man-in-the-tree line. He had the same reaction.
“I’ll be there in five,” he said. “Should I bring an axe?”
“No, Forte wants you to bring Tatiana.”
“Letch.”
Neither Tatiana nor Cookie cared to go along, electing instead to take Sal’s Prius to Coos Bay for some shopping.
Sal settled his 300 pounds into the passenger seat of the Crown Vic, pulled open the cup holder and dropped his ever-present ceramic and stainless-steel travel mug into the slot.
“Where are the donuts?”
“Didn’t have time to get them,” I answered. “We’ll make a stop afterwards.”
Sal harrumphed. Ever since hooking up with the Russian special ops agent Tatiana Malakova, Sal had been put on a donut restricted diet. He complained loudly about it, but most of it was bluster and bluff.
The ride to Bandon Dunes took barely 10 minutes under a perfectly cloudless blue sky. The blacktop two-lane shoulders its way through a forest of shore pine and Douglas fir along with the South Oregon Coast’s requisite brambles of blackberry bushes, ferns and huckleberry shrubs. Not to mention the bane of the area, gorse, a spikey, oily plant that refuses to die even when blasted with the harshest of defoliants and weed killers but will turn acres into a blazing inferno at the drop of a paper match.
The golf resort’s guard shack – a small glass building – was more for show than security and, as usual, was unmanned. We slid past the guest cottages nestled in the woods and made the swing toward the newest of the Dune’s courses, yet unnamed but sure to join the others which had been ranked among the top 10 in the country by a variety of golfing magazines and professionals.
The crowd of cop cars and an assortment of pickups were scattered like jacks along both sides of the road. Being August, nearly three months of dry weather meant most were washed and waxed, the colors looking like someone dumped a handful of Skittles on a green placemat.
Uniformed cops and plaid-shirted onlookers stood around a