Caveat Ties Chapter 2

A Noir Novel

#noir #mystery

Some say pain begets the deepest beauty. Then maybe, Michael Caveat has done West Willow a favor. The city used to be a hillbilly haven, until he cleaned it up. He restored the rundown historical buildings, added culture, and snaked a recreational trail connecting a series of willow-filled parks. To make it all possible, he simply had to form a mafia; delve into extortion, money laundering, and drug manufacturing; and take control of the city.

Most of the citizens have surrendered. All but a few… Detective Sean Ingram has fought for years to find the right legal snare. Celeste Lewis searches for the acceptable words to expose him. The words that her editor will let her print. The ones the public will accept. Haunted by his raucous past with Caveat, Jamie Jefferson of JJ’s Diner seeks peace. And, Gus O’ Reilly, a beatnik snitch, helps out where he can’t. Their teenage offspring, Spencer, Jewel, RJ, and Rachel witness their failures, birthing a youthful set of frustrations and fruitless cracks at the justice gig.