Rock Deadly a Mystery Book One of the Rock and Roll Mysteries

7/31/2019 Rock Deadly a Mystery Book One of the Rock and Roll Mysteries

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Authors Notes

In 2006, I attended the annual convention ofRush fans, RushCon, in Toronto, Canada. Eachyear the convention holds an auction of bandmemorabilia and other items to raise money forthe Toronto Daily Bread ood Ban!, and as Iattended that year I "anted to do somethin# that"ould ho$efully raise some money for a #oodcause. %any attendees already !ne" me as a

"riter, so in addition to donatin# si#ned co$iesof some $ublished boo!s, I arran#ed to "rite the"innin# bidder into my ne&t novel. 'fter severalfalse starts in "ritin# Rock Deadly, it(s my ho$ethe "inner #ot his money(s "orth)

*o, I am es$ecially #rateful to Eddy for hisbid +and isa, "ho "ill soon see "hy-, and to the#ood fol!s at RushCon for brin#in# about theevents that led me to com$lete this "or!, myfirst mystery novel in si& years.

I am also indebted to my friend oe for hismeticulous criti/ues, and to my friend Bill +a!aum$y- for $rovidin# insi#ht from a la"

enforcement $ers$ective.astly, than!s to the real er&st, for ins$irin#the character "ho ins$ired me to return to myhome #enre.


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This boo! is dedicated to the memory of Bill 1rile.


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Chapter One

*mo!e.It certainly loo!ed li!e that, any"ay, as my vision

slo"ly clouded into a s"irlin#, o$a/ue "hite messthat stun#.

%aybe somebody had turned off the '3C and leftus all to stifle in the heat radiatin# from our bodies.4r, $erha$s only I sensed the tem$erature shift andsuffered as a result. 5obody else in my diminishin#line of vision a$$eared affected by the sudden and

$er$le&in# chan#e of atmos$here. The band $layedon, obviously "or!in# around my disorientation,"hile the cro"ed roc!ed ri#ht alon# "ith them.

Smokea fire in the house, reallyformed myfirst conscious thou#ht "hen my dream too! a shar$ri#ht turn to"ard discomfort. 4ne minute I "asstandin# on a li#hted, hard"ood sta#e shreddin#

throu#h 7Bac! in the *addle8 "hile *teven Tylerscreeched and $reened at my leftthe ne&t, mybreathin# slo"ed and a heavy mass see$ed into mylun#s. ' diyin# sensation overtoo! me, forcin# meto !neel as the "ei#ht of my 1ibson dra##ed meto"ard the cheerin# thron# of fans cro"din# thesta#e(s li$.

5obody seemed to care that I had been felled bythe invisible tourni/uet "ra$$ed around my nec!,"hich s/ueeed me ti#htly. %r. Tyler danced andstrutted, oblivious, and #oaded the line of bustyblondes in $ainted9on "hite shirts :i##lin# a#ainstthe sta#e.


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7;a(ll here to roc!bout you, er&st boy< ;ou #onna roc! out for us

toni#ht or you #onna lie there li!e a "orthless $ieceof shit slu#


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In seconds the smo!e turned blac! and scratchedmy face. 'erosmith and com$any faded into therin#in# noise fillin# my head. They had left me

onsta#e to die. 4nly seconds earlier the cro"d hadchanted my name and ur#ed my fin#ers to s$eed overmy 1ibson(s fin#erboard and #uide them all to"ardmelodious or#asm. 5o", nobody cared to even hel$me to my feet as they a$$arently $lummeted as onethrou#h some floor9"ide tra$ door.

5ot even the $erson holdin# the $illo" to my

face #ave a damn that I had a"a!ened from mydream s/uirmin# and scra$in# for somethin# to#ras$.

7?ha


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7*hit)8 came a sur$rised curse, then the sound ofa body hittin# the car$et. I mi#ht have stalled u$ri#htat the shoc! of hearin# a female voice had not the

dream transitionthe lin#erin# tan# of ima#inarysmo!e, the ur#ency in a leathery roc! star(s evil #lare:uiced me into action. I s$ran# to my feet,#roundin# myself in antici$ation of another assault,then ha$$ened to #lance at the li#hted cloc! on theDAD $layer.

Three '%, "ith only the yello" #lo" of the

streetlam$s filterin# in throu#h the livin# room"indo" to reveal the intruder.

7?hat the fuc!


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The e&$ression on her face mi&ed confusion "ithan#ersoft !elly eyes a$$raised my hei#ht, then"idened. *he should have finished the :ob "hen she

had me una"ares, she no doubt realied. ressedharder a#ainst the $illo", or bashed in my s!ull "iththe fire$lace $o!er. I #uessed, ho"ever, that she(dchosen suffocation to ma!e death a$$ear morenatural and less inflicted.

Then came four "ords I didn(t e&$ect. Instead ofhand over your wallet, I #ot, 7=o" old are you


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74h, 1od.8 *he sta##ered bac! a ste$ and her calfcau#ht the ed#e of 1randma(s roc!in# chair. *he fellinto it, leaden and morose, and the oa! crea!ed

under the force. 4nly then I remembered my#randmother "as a"ay "ith her Red =at *ocietyfriends until late *aturday mornin#, so at least she(dbeen s$ared this drama.

I considered my ne&t ste$. I sa" nothin# in theimmediate vicinity I could use to restrain hernoelectrical cord that "asn(t attached to a lam$ or some

other bul!y a$$liance. %y $hone sat in the !itchen$lu##ed into its char#er, but I didn(t "ant to leave theroom. *he loo!ed comfortable no", but sure enou#hI(d ta!e one ste$ out and she(d bolt for the front door.

'fter all, she had my name, I didn(t have hers. Ienvisioned the reaction of the co$s "hen I revealedthathy didnt you serve her tea a!terward" I(d

$robably hear.I "aited, and "atched. The #irl curled her handsover the carved ends of the chair(s arms, instinctivelyroc!in# bac! so that her heels rose. *he held that$osition for "hat seemed li!e a full minute befores$ea!in# a#ain.

7;ou are %att ohnston


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I didn(t need to study the yello"ed letter for lon#.?ho "rites letters anymore< Bac! in the dar! a#esbefore the Internet, the most anybody could #et out

of me "as an ille#ible five9 or si&9"ord missivescribbled in a #reetin# card. This ty$e"ritten essay,com$lete "ith the addressee bloc! and $ro$ersalutation I(d been tau#ht in %rs. o"als!i(s fourth9#rade lan#ua#e arts class, assuredly sur$assed anyeffort I mi#ht have underta!en.

75o.8 I handed it bac!. 7or one, "e don(t have a

ty$e"riter, and I rarely used one e&ce$t for schoolassi#nments. I hated them. or t"o, that $ostmar! isas old as I am.8 ?ho !ne" that bur#lars delivered,t"enty years late< 7lease tell me "ho you are andho" you #ot in here, and "hy you tried to !ill me.8

*he fin#ered the faded in! address, snifflin#.7I(m loo!in# for %att ohnston,8 she said. 7=e !illed

my father.8

@ @ @ @

I(m a suc!er for a $retty face and a slender buildand dar! red hair, too. I(d hit the trifecta "ith thisone.

't any other $lace, on a "ee!end ni#ht in someclub at the beach, I mi#ht have seen this $rettyauburn9haired #irl in her ti#ht $ants and $ee!9a9booto$ and mustered the coura#e to ma!e conversation.eft9brain lo#ic na##ed at me to $in her to the #roundand scream until somebody called the co$s, butsomeho" my inner com$assion had over$o"eredthat.

Besides, anybody chec!in# the $icture "indo"mi#ht see me on to$ on her and #ive me the thumbsu$ rather than assist in her a$$rehension.


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5o", the #irlshe called herself Dianesatacross from me at the !itchen table at three in themornin#.

Stop thinkin# with your dick and reach !or thephone, efty cried. $he !uck are you doin#% sittin#with her in the room with all the knives"

%y dic! offered nothin# for rebuttal.Diane ta$$ed a corner of the letter a#ainst the

ormica surface of the table, i#norin# the soda can I(dset before her. 7I am such a fuc!in# idiot,8 she said,

#ae do"ncast.I si$$ed from my o"n can. *lee$less ni#hts and

early mornin#s I could handle, but I needed thecaffeine boost in order to thin! clearly. 7=o" did you#et in "ithout my !no"in#


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Easier s$o!en than $racticed. It then occurred tome that I should have chec!ed her $erson for a #unor some !ind of "ea$on. 4f course, had she a #un she

could have used it on me and been out of here"ithout needin# to smother me.

nless, she truly had $lanned to ma!e my deathloo! accidental, :ust another ha$less drun! "hodidn(t fli$ over in time. If only I(d s$ent the evenin#schnoc!ered

Christ. Too many thou#hts flooded my brain at

fuc!in# three in the mornin#. I :ust "anted to #o bac!to slee$ and finish that set "ith 'erosmith.

7I(m sorry,8 she said, 7I for#et "hat name you #oby a#ain


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I sa" it immediately, that /uiical bro"dis$layed only by one "ho didn(t #et the $lay on"ords. ?omen mostly.

7Rush has this son#, >Red Barchetta,(8 I be#an,and "atched clarity da"n /uic!ly, 7and"e(re#ettin# "ay off trac! here.8 %uch I love tal!in# sho$,this "asn(t the time for it. 7?hat made you thin! I!illed your father< I have never done anythin# li!ethat.8 *eriously. 5ot even a traffic tic!et. I couldn(trecall refusin# anybody a !idney in recent "ee!s,

either. 7I don(t even !no" your father, I don(t thin!.8Diane $ulled out a second crin!led letter, this

time from the front $oc!et of her hoodie. 7;ouremember this TA sho" from the late ei#hties, calledCode (lue


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rom the soured loo! on her face, it $robably"asn(t the "ay she "ould have $ut it, but then I !ne"nothin# about the man she initially thou#ht I(d !illed.

7=e could have been much more than that,8Diane said, "ith an ed#e of irritation to her voice.7Code (lue had received all this critical acclaimdurin# $revie"s, and tal! of a"ards, and there "erenominations eventuallyyet the sho" still #ot $ulledthan!s to some letters from vie"ers that com$lainedabout the sho"(s content.8

'#ain she handed me the letter from the other%att ohnston, and I too! care in readin# it this time.'$$arently this #uy didn(t ta!e !indly to issues$resented on the urban co$ and E%T drama, such asdru# abuse and homose&ualityto$ics one mi#ht seeon Sesame Street these days. Clearly Code (luehadbeen a sho" ahead of its time. 'head of me, most

definitely.I loo!ed at the return address. 7This #uy lives inynchbur#,8 I said. 7;ou(re a bit off.8

7ived,8 Diane said. 7=e(s not at that addressanymore, I chec!ed. ?hen I found the listin# for%att ohnston in Air#inia Beach, I fi#ured he moved.%ade sense to me at the time.8 *he shru##ed.

Entirely $robable, in a mind li!e hers.7I(m sorry all that ha$$ened, but "e(re tal!in#t"enty years a#o here.8 I returned the letter. I had toadmit I felt a bit insulted that Diane "ould mista!eme for a much older man. 'ssumin# this other %attohnston had been a teena#er "hen he filed thiscom$laint, addin# t"enty years "ould still $ut himclose to forty. ;es, I(m a musician, but I(m fairlyclean. I(m not on the 'erosmith hard9livin#, ra$id9a#in# $lan.

*he seemed to :ust catch that, too, but "ith itbein# three9fifteen '% no" I fi#ured I shouldn(t faulther.


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7're you a :unior, by any chance


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'lan eterson li!ely had more demons than hecared to admit in his fare"ell, but he named ones$ecifically. =o" or "hen the actor #ot a hold of the

mail he blamed for tor$edoin# his career seemedirrelevant no", any"ay. This #irl bro!e into myhouse, un$rovo!ed, and tried to !ill me. I, thesym$athetic dolt, #ave her a soda and $lace to sit. *heshould be sittin# in :ail.

7?hen did your father !ier, die


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Diane t"ined her fin#ers into a !notted ball,restin# them on the table. 7I only found t"oaddresses,8 she said. 7%att ohnston and one other

lady in 5e" ersey. *he(s already dead.8uc!y her.7I(m sorry this all ha$$ened, Diane,8 I said. 7I(m

sorry some asshole felt it "as his duty to #et a sho"cancelled "hen he could have :ust not "atched it if hedidn(t li!e it. But, I don(t see ho" !illin# me,anybody, "ould benefit you or your father.8

7I have to "atch his stuff on ;ouTube, "hen Ican find it,8 she said, i#norin# me, 7to #et an idea of"hat he "as li!e. %om said he dran! a lot before hedied. *aid losin# that sho" "as the "orst thin# toha$$en to him, and ho" thin#s could have beenmuch better for us if they "ent a fe" seasons more.There "ould have been money and more "or!he

"ould have lived to see me bein# born.87Can you honestly say that, about the "or!


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=er tear9filled eyes $leaded "ith me. 7I don(t"ant to #o to :ail. I didn(t !ill you, you(re fine.8

7'm I really< *ome chic! brea!s into my house

and tries to smother me in my slee$, and I offer herhos$itality instead of tyin# her u$ so she "on(t #et tome a#ain. Clearly I(ve been de$rived of some o&y#ento dis$lay such a lac! of common sense.8

7If I(d "anted to !ill you, I(d have done it by no".lease)8 she cried. =er hands $layed "ith the frayedhem of her hoodie. id#etin# usually s$o!e to me as a

si#n of $lannin#, restlessness. 1ears "or!ed in herhead that she didn(t "ant me to seeher silent$erusal of the !itchen could have been a $lan to reachfor an unattended !nife or cor!scre" to finish the:ob. *he had $lenty of time before sunrise.

7?ell, you(re obviously not all there,8 I said, andreached for the $hone to detach it from the char#er.

irst mista!e, I turned my head. The second she leftmy line of vision I heard a dee$ scra$e of chair le#s.7=ey)8*he #ot to the side !itchen doorthe same

unloc!ed one she(d used to #et inbefore I couldmove, and hit the $avement runnin#. Even thou#h ashot of adrenaline boosted me out to the dar!

side"al! in seconds, she(d had enou#h of a headstart. 5ot a trace of her under the lam$li#hts. ?herethe house sat, so close to the ocean, she could have/uic!ly sli$$ed do"n the $ublic beach access"al!"ay and started a bris! run do"n the shore, orelse duc!ed throu#h any of the fenceless yards intothe thic! brush dividin# the nei#hborhoods from*hore Drive.

?hichever route she(d ta!en, she hadn(t loo!edbac!.

7Damn it.8


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I left her to the dyin# ni#ht and "ent bac! intothe house, settin# the chain this time. ?hat slee$ Imana#ed before my alarm "ent off filled my head

"ith visions of *teven Tyler chasin# me around thesta#e "ith a $illo", screechin# for me to die, son of abitch)


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Chapter $wo

4ne fine s$rin# day in FF0, my $arents left myolder brother and me to the care of our $aternal

#rand$arents "hile they embar!ed on a lon#9delayedhoneymoon. They never reached their destination,and years later I "ould learn that "hat remained oftheir car after the semi9truc! o$erated by a slee$9dru##ed driver hit it could have filled a shoebo&. 'ne&a##eration, I no" realie, but the memory ofhearin# that soberin# meta$horical revelation

instilled in me the im$ortance of a #ood ni#ht(s slee$.Than!s to some ven#eance9obsessed runa"ay, I"ouldn(t be in to$ form for "or!, and I seriouslyconsidered cancelin# my a$$ointments.

;et, even as I burro"ed dee$ into the sofacushions and crushed a $illo" to my face to bloc! theli#ht of mornin#and yes, I "as a"are of the irony in

doin# that, than! youI couldn(t rela&. It "asn(t somuch the lac! of slee$ botherin# me as thesubconscious #uilt tri$ ta!in# on my #randmother(svoice, seein# as ho" she allo"ed me to remain underher roof until such a time I could su$$ort myselfcom$letely in my "or!.

By day I teach classical and roc! #uitar to

$recocious children, and try to do the same for anumber of love9starved cou#ars see!in# a diversionfrom their "itherin# marria#es. 't least some of the"omen comin# on to me in my cram$ed studio areeasy on the eye, if I s/uint.


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1ro"in# u$ under my #rand$arents( su$ervision,my brother and I "ere $ermitted to $ursue 7one s$ortand one instrument8 throu#hout our school careers

at their e&$ense. Des$ite my shortcomin#s as a team$layer, I chose soccer, thin!in# it offered the leastamount of ris! to"ard hand in:uries so I couldconcentrate on my music. Chad, five years my senior,chose the sa&o$hone and tennis, #ot a fullscholarshi$ to $lay the s$ort at niversity of Air#inia,and is no" an investment ban!er in 5e" ;or!. =is

boss is a :a lover "ho once "orshi$$ed at the altarof B:orn Bor#. ;es, some $eo$le are :ust that luc!y.

I lay silent for a fe" more minutes, tryin# tobloc! the myriad of mornin# noises from outsideuntil the $oundin# in my ears $roved too much tobear. 'fter a /uic! sho"er and a micro"avedbrea!fast sand"ich, I headed to the studio in Air#inia

Beach(s do"nto"n area "here I rented s$ace to meetmy first student. %y friend and bandmate ac! line$iano, or#an, and $ercussion "hen "e do live #i#shad :ust seen off an early $u$il and no" loun#ed inthe "aitin# room, a$$raisin# me "ith a croo!edsmile.

7;ou loo! li!e hell. ?hat "as her name


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inally, he sat there for a second, di#estin#.Then, 7;ou(re ma!in# this shit u$.8

7I don(t have the brain ca$acity for that no",

ac!. 'fter I left the house, I #ot half"ay do"n 26Jbefore I realied I(d for#otten my #uitar.8 Today I(dhave to use the s$are I !e$t in my studio. Bleh.

7ine, so it ha$$ened. ?as she hot


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7oo!, for#et I said anythin#, o!ay


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Diane(s face returned to me, $athetic anddistrau#ht, missin# her dad. I could relate to herthereho" many times had I said I hated the man

"ho !illed mine, even thou#h it "asn(t intentional

Documents

Rock Deadly a Mystery Book One of the Rock and Roll Mysteries