Book Feature

BLOOD ON THE TRACKS is a murder-mystery set against the world of rock n’ roll. But not just any rock star is knocking on heaven’s door. The murdered rock legend is none other than Bob Dorian, a thinly veiled, well, you can guess which Bob it is…

Suspects? Tons of them.

The only problem is they’re all characters in Bob’s songs. Not to mention they all hold a grudge…

In our first installment—“Darkness at the Break of Noon”— the body of legendary rock star Bob Dorian is found in the Chelsea Hotel. Dorian’s longtime manager, Jack Frost, and Elysian Row’s top cop, Commissioner Tiresias, put aside their past differences and begrudgingly join forces to find the killer.

In Chapter Two, a third person is added to the mix…

CHAPTER TWO

The country doctor rambles

     Jack Frost and Commissioner Tiresias had put most of their cards on the table, but each man still had a few aces up his sleeve. Jack Frost’s ‘ace in the hole’ was something that had yet to come up in his little tête-à-tête with Commissioner Tiresias. And frankly, he hoped it never would have to.

     Despite Bob Dorian’s relative low profile over the last few years, Jack Frost had managed to make a fortune for his client. A steady string of touring dates, a movie soundtrack every few years, maybe a lingerie ad here or a car commercial there. Jack Frost was good at what he did. He made millions for Bob Dorian and Bob Dorian didn’t have to do a thing. But as good as he was, Jack Frost wasn’t infallible. Jack Frost had made a bad decision or two. And his most recent decision had cost Bob Dorian more than his client would ever know.

     Jack Frost was unsure exactly how much he had actually lost in the venture, but he was sure it was everything Bob Dorian had. It was everything he had, too. And the only way he was ever going to get even a fraction of it back was to stay on Elysian Row. And staying on Elysian Row meant getting into business with Commissioner Tiresias. The Commissioner was right: Frost wasn’t going anywhere.

     It pissed off Jack Frost to no end that the man who had made his life a living hell on more than one occasion was going to get a piece of Bob Dorian, but this was a cutthroat business and Jack Frost knew that sometimes you simply have no control over whom you cut in. So Jack Frost had made the deal with the Commissioner. Bob Dorian may have been dead, but in the truest sense of the old adage, ‘the show would go on.’ The only catch was that it would have to go on with Commissioner Tiresias.

     And while Jack Frost had no way of knowing it at the time, Commissioner Tiresias wasn’t the last person he was going to have to cut in on the deal. In fact, his newest partner had just stepped through the door.

     “SO WHO MOVED the body?”

     When neither man answered, Dr. Reich repeated his question. His words were as level and lifeless as the man he would soon be staring down on.

     “Dela found him down by the railroad tracks this morning,” Commissioner Tiresias stated matter-of-factly.

     “Right—” Dr. Reich said slowly. “I saw that in the police report. But who moved him?”

     “Couple of railroad hands,” Commissioner Tiresias lied.

     “And do these railroad hands have names?”

     “With all due respect, Reich, why don’t you let my men follow up on those kinds of details. The purpose of this evening’s inquest is twofold—to determine the time and to determine the cause of death,” Commissioner Tiresias said, ticking off the reasons for bringing in Dr. Reich.

     “Right,” Dr. Reich said drolly. It was a typical Dr. Reich response: succinct, a tad reticent, but completely reliable. And there was no question that Dr. Reich was a man who could be relied on. ‘Reliability,’ after all, was the reason Dr. Reich had been called in in the first place.

     “So,” Frost said. “Any ideas when this happened?”

     “Best guess? 12:07 a.m.—”

     “12:07… ” Frost repeated.

     “Best guess.”

     “That’s pretty specific. I mean, you haven’t even seen the body.”

     “Don’t need to see the body.”

     “You don’t need to see the body?” Frost was still trying to figure that one out.

     “No—I’ve just been told everything I need to know to determine the time of death.”

     “How’s that?”

     “When I asked the Commissioner who moved Mr. Zeitzman, he told me a couple of railroad hands. That is what you said isn’t it? I have a copy of the police report. I am reading the report correctly, aren’t I?”

     Commissioner Tiresias hesitated. It was only for a moment, but he did hesitate. It turns out, he had good reason to pause. True, Dela had found Zeitzman. But she had nothing to do with his being transported to the Chelsea. The reason for Commissioner Tiresias’ hesitation was that there was more to the story than he had let on. As it turns out, Commissioner Tiresias hadn’t come completely clean with Jack Frost: he hadn’t even come close.

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