By the time the nurse came into Derek’s room and suggested that Derek be allowed to get some rest, Derek understood everything about the Alexander Black mystery. As Ralph stood to leave, he extended his hand to Derek.
“That glossy card you carry in your wallet? You think you got enough room to add another name to it?”
“I bet I can squeeze in a few more letters,” Derek said
“Put my name down on that card. And Derek?”
“Yeah, Ralph?”
“If you ever get called for another case in my neck of the woods, just give me a call instead of sneaking round. Deal?”
“Thanks Ralph. And yes, we have a deal.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
He was cold. Frigid. He struggled to open his eyes, to move, but none of his muscles responded. His mind swayed from reason to confusion, never remaining in reason long enough for him to string together consecutive thoughts.
The voices he heard, muffled and distorted as they bounced inside what seemed to be a narrow space, could not be understood. He knew that the voices were speaking words, but the meaning of them failed to register.
He slipped again. Somewhere deeper and much darker. His realization returned but offered no solution. No identifiable signs indicating a way to escape the deepness. He felt like he was in a hole, long, narrow, and too smooth for a hand to steal a pulling grip.
He then felt movement, the cause of which was not from his own choice but from some outside force. The movement was brief and halted with a shuttering shake. Instantly, he felt warmth, flooding over his still unreachable body. It offered a hope. A chance to come to some understanding and knowing. He thought the movement would offer an exit.
He imagined himself swimming in the cool waters of Piseco Lake, feeling the soft current wash over him. He knew that he still harbored the wish that he had taken the chance to swim that one day, so as to know what immersion would feel like. This feeling, now seen not as a dream but something foreboding, turned sour. It was cold, too cold, and was followed by pain, enhanced by his inability to prevent it’s directed march.
“Son of a bitch!” the medical examiner said. “We have a serious issue over here!”
The medical examiner stopped once the body’s chest cavity was fully opened, skin pulled back, and muscle tissue removed.
“Get someone down here, now!” she said to her assistant. “Now.”
I find the questions and comments I’ve received about this fictional book both amazing and curious. Several readers have connected with me on my Facebook author page, https://www.facebook.com/authortpp with questions that, for reasons known only to them, they felt more comfortable asking me in private. While I honestly enjoy hearing comments and constructive criticism, I have received a disturbing number of questions regarding the same topic. So I’d like to answer the most frequently asked questions here at the end of Heartless. I hope that you enjoy some of the questions as much as I did!
“I don’t think it’s realistic that someone could live without a heart or lungs. How can Alexander Black continue to live without these important organs?” Heartless is a work of FICTION, meaning that it is not based on reality. I agree that living without a heart would present significant challenges.
“You wrote about the role genetics may have played in Alexander. Was his father also heartless?” No, Alexander’s father was born with a heart. I created his character to be more allegorically heartless.
“Is Derek Cole a real private investigator?” I’m sure that there is someone out in the world with the same name who may be a private investigator, but, again, this is a work of FICTION and any and all similarities with anyone, living or dead, is 100% coincidental.
“At the end, it seems that Alexander is still alive. Will he make a return in another Derek Cole book?” Alexander Black is a huge mystery. From his birth to his time on the medical examiner’s table. Will he survive and live to continue his evil ways? Only Derek Cole knows for sure, and he isn’t talking to me since I had him get shot in the stomach. (Sorry Derek).
“When is the next Derek Cole book coming out?” Those of the Margin, the second in the Derek Cole Suspense Thriller Series was released in October. However, it was released in error. It had not been professionally edited before the scheduled release date arrived. We left it up for nearly a full week, received over 5,000 downloads before we realized it was in rough shape. It is being edited now (editor found over 100 errors!), and will be released in November. “The Observer,” the third Derek Cole book, will be released in 2015. And, if I may be so bold, it is the best Cole series written (so far).
I write a lot. Always have. It’s not atypical for me to pound out 5,000 words in a single day. Since I was 11, I knew I wanted to be a novelist, but I had no idea how difficult it is to make your mark in the publishing industry. Beyond producing the best content I can, having thousands (millions) of people read my books and working with my creative team (editor, content editor, beta readers and marketing firm), the best way for a new author to gain some traction is via “Reader Reviews.”
The averages are disturbing: Less than 1% of people who buy a book, leave a review. But with Amazon, it’s very hard to get people to download a book unless it has 100 or so reviews. A horrible catch 22. So on behalf of all my fellow authors out there, please take a minute or two to leave an helpful and honest review of Heartless and any other book you’ve read. It means a lot to me and to authors around the world.
Lastly, I’ve already mentioned my Facebook Author’s page https://www.facebook.com/authortpp and I invite you to connect with me there, ask any questions you’d like or even make a suggestion for a Derek Cole Series novel. As a thank you for reading, I am including the first few chapters of the next book in the Derek Cole Series, "Those of the Margin." It is available in both paperback and ebook through Jabby House Publications.
Thank you for reading!
T Patrick Phelps