Hello and welcome to everyone stopping by here from the Polar Night Book Blast through Pump Up Your Book. (And to everyone else too, of course!)
Please enjoy the first few chapters of my supernatural thriller Polar Night, now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Amazon UK, Kobo, and Smashwords.
Prologue
He
loved the cold.
Raw, icy, bone chilling cold. It reminded him
of home. Of January. Of her.
Most couldn't tolerate the harsh
Alaskan winters. But he wasn’t like most. He didn't fear the cold.
He embraced it.
He stared out at the barren white landscape in
front of him, and brushed a strand of straight blond hair from his
forehead. He shook the snowflakes from his long, gloved fingers, and
put his hands back into the pockets of his black coat.
He
loved the cold, yes, but he loved the night even more. His first
winter in Alaska had convinced him to make the state his American
home. He knew he had found the right place.
He lived for the
night. And it was coming.
It was almost December, and the
darkness was coming.
When it came, she would be his again. He
felt a rush of anticipation as he turned to go back inside.
The
darkness was almost here.
One
Month Later
Danny
Fitzpatrick rolled over in his bed and stared at the ceiling. He
glanced towards his window and winced at the sunlight filtering
through the blinds. Sunlight? What time was it, anyway?
Danny
put a pillow over his face to block the sun, as his head was pounding
too much for his eyes to handle the light. He tried to remember what
day it was. December 22nd?
23rd?
If the sun was up, it had to be close to noon. Which meant he was
already very late for work.
“Too
much to drink last night, Danny?”
Startled,
Danny jumped and tossed the pillow aside at the sound of her voice.
Caroline. He turned towards her, in spite of the fact that he knew
she wasn't really there. She never would be again. One of these days,
he'd drink enough alcohol to get that through his thick skull.
He
sighed and heaved himself to a sitting position, tossing his legs
over the side of the bed. The clock on his bedside table flashed
2:00. Had the power gone out over night? He couldn’t remember if
the electricity had been on when he’d stumbled into his apartment
last night after helping to close down Abe’s Bar. Or was it the
Blue Moose he had visited? Either way, it wouldn’t be a surprise if
his electricity had been out when he had finally managed to find his
way home. The slightest wind seemed to knock his lights out on a
regular basis.
Danny
picked his cell up from the table, and checked the time. 12:30. So he
was even later than he thought. He forced himself to his feet and
walked to his kitchen, where he started a pot of coffee brewing and
downed four extra-strength Excedrin capsules. Then, he headed for the
bathroom and the hottest shower he could stand.
Five
minutes later, he stepped out of the shower and toweled himself dry.
Dropping the towel on the floor, he checked out his reflection in the
mirror above his sink. He had dark circles under his hooded brown
eyes, and he definitely needed a shave, but otherwise, he didn’t
look too bad for a 40 year old guy. His face was long and narrow and
his pale skin reflected his Irish heritage, but, except for the fact
that his nose was too thin and too pointed, he didn’t have much to
complain about when it came to his appearance.
He
picked up the towel and rubbed it through his thick chestnut colored
hair. His mother had always said his hair was the color of a
thoroughbred. But Danny was sure no horse had ever had hair as
unmanageable as his. No matter how hard he tried to plaster the hair
to his head, it seemed strands of it were always sticking out at odd
angles. He tossed the towel on the sink, and ran his hands through
his hair, causing it to stick out even more, as he walked back to his
bedroom. He didn’t feel like taking the time to shave.
Danny
stepped into his closet, hoping he had something clean to wear. He
was in luck, as he found a pair of khaki pants and a white oxford
shirt he had just picked up from the dry cleaner. He grabbed a blue
pullover sweater from the top shelf of his closet, walked to his
dresser to get some underwear and warm socks, and quickly got
dressed.
As
he walked to his living room, he tried to think of an excuse to tell
the captain to explain why he wasn’t reporting to work until after
noon. He’d come up with some bullshit about a lead he was following
up on this morning. But he knew it really didn’t matter. No one
cared what he was doing, as long as they could say he was working
diligently on cold cases.
He
poured himself a mug of coffee and looked in his cabinets for
something to eat. He had a choice of strawberry Pop-Tarts, or
blueberry Pop-Tarts. He chose blueberry, ate two cold, and finished
his coffee. Pouring the rest of the pot in his thermos, he headed for
the front door. Of course, he needed his parka, gloves, and head
scarf before he ever set foot outside. It was December in Fairbanks
after all, and the temperature was a frigid -2.
Before
he could get into his silver Subaru Legacy, he had to unplug it from
the socket on the outside wall of his apartment building. Unplugging
a car was something he was still getting used to, but he had quickly
learned that if he wanted his car to start during an Alaskan winter,
he needed an engine block heater installed and plugged in every
night. He had also been told that all-wheel drive was an absolute
must, something he was already used to from driving in Chicago snow.
After reading online that Subaru cars were popular in Alaska, he had
quickly made his purchase. So far, the car had not disappointed him.
Except
for the fact that he cursed himself every morning for not buying the
auto-start feature when he sat with his teeth chattering as he waited
for the heater to warm the car enough for him to drive without
shivering. Why hadn’t he doled out the extra money so he could
start the car from inside his apartment? Even better, why had he ever
moved here to this god-forsaken place? Chicago wasn’t cold enough
for him?
After
concluding his daily rant to himself, he pulled out of his driveway
on Slater Street and away from his apartment building, an unassuming
fourplex with a white siding exterior. The landlord, who lived next
to Danny’s apartment, kept the place clean and the lot and walkway
plowed, which was all Danny cared about. He knew his landlord’s
name only because he wrote the man a check each month. While he would
smile and say hello to his other two neighbors, he had no idea who
they were and he liked it that way. He assumed they did too.
Danny
passed Slaterville Park and remembered how he had intended to start
jogging there or at nearby Griffin Park last summer. The park
entrance and sidewalks were covered with snow now, but he’d found
the greenery and flower gardens inviting when he’d driven past in
the summer. He’d also liked the moose antler arch that marked the
entrance to Griffin Park, and kept meaning to check out the rest of
it. He’d known a daily walk or jog would have done him good. But
he’d never ended up doing either.
Danny
turned left on Church Street and made another left onto Illinois,
which eventually turned into Cushman Street, the home of the
Fairbanks Police Department. As he always did when driving in to
work, he noticed the old Catholic Church on his left. Danny had heard
that the church was on the National Registry of Historic Sites, and
had been around since the founding of Fairbanks. Danny liked the
building, but had been amazed last spring when he had driven by and
realized the roof of the building was green. He’d assumed the roof
was white; not realizing the white color was only because of the
constant covering of snow during the long winter.
He
crossed the Chena River and continued towards the police station,
stopping at a red light at the corner of Second and Cushman. He
noticed the marquee sign of the bank on the corner flashing the date
and time. December 23rd.
Two days away from his first Christmas in Alaska.
When
he left Chicago for Fairbanks last February, he’d never expected to
still be here at Christmas time. But then, he hadn’t expected to be
anywhere else, either. He’d tossed his detective’s badge on his
captain’s desk and walked away from his job and his life. What was
left of his life, anyway.
Danny
had no children, no brothers or sisters, and his mother had died
several years earlier. He had no idea if his father was also dead, as
the last time he’d seen him was when the man left Chicago and moved
to Atlanta to start a new family. For the majority of his adult life,
Danny’s family had been his colleagues in the Chicago police
department. His life had revolved around that department and that
job, before it had all collapsed around him in a split second filled
with ear-piercing screams, unrelenting terror, and gushing blood.
He’d
packed a bag and driven to O’Hare without a clear plan in mind.
When he’d seen the listing for Fairbanks on the departures screen,
he’d remembered that he’d always wanted to see Alaska. And he’d
decided that there was no time like the present. It was hard to
imagine a better place to get lost in than Alaska. He’d bought a
one-way ticket and hadn’t looked back.
It
was all well and good that he’d wanted to explore the frozen tundra
of the north. But he couldn’t go too far without an income,
something that hadn’t really crossed his mind back in Chicago. He
realized he didn’t know how to be anything but a cop, so he’d put
in an application with the Fairbanks Police Department. His big-city
detective credentials had gotten him in the door, but his refusal to
use his experience in homicide had relegated him to cold cases.
Cold
cases had suited Danny just fine. He didn’t have anyone breathing
down his neck and he didn’t have to worry about making prosecutors
or politicians happy. He knew no one outside of the victims’
families really gave a damn if he solved the cases. All that mattered
was that the higher-ups had a warm body they could point to in order
to assure grieving families and nosy reporters that no cases were
ever forgotten, and one of their best detectives was looking at every
possible angle, no matter how old the case. And, Danny couldn’t
help but feel a connection to the victims whose cases he studied. He
saw them as lost souls, something he could relate to all too well.
He wanted to solve their cases, in spite of the fact that his efforts
were mostly futile.
So
here Danny was, ten months later, an official resident of Alaska and
of Fairbanks, the Golden Heart City. He’d yet to explore the frozen
tundra, but it was still on his to-do list. For now, he’d mostly
explored the bars and liquor stores of Fairbanks. He’d been happy
to know that Alaska’s reputation for high alcohol usage was not
unfounded. He’d fit right in.
Danny
turned onto 10th
Avenue at the blue sign advertising the Fairbanks PD, pulled his car
into the police station parking lot, and parked as close to the
building as he could. The building was the nondescript taupe color
that was so typical of municipal buildings in cities all over the
country. Whoever had designed the place had tried to brighten things
up with green trim on the windows, but the effects had been
negligent, and the only word that came to mind when describing the
building was drab. City Hall was right down the road, as was the
bright red and glass building that housed the Fairbanks Fire
Department.
He
braced himself to go back out into the cold. Pulling the hood of his
parka tight around his neck, he made a mad dash to the door of the
station. He heard Tessa Washington’s laughter as he barreled into
the front corridor of the office, and pulled the hood of his parka
off so that he could actually see her.
At
barely 5’2”, Tessa was much shorter than Danny’s tall and lanky
6’ frame, even with her long braids piled high on her head. She had
unusually dark brown eyes, and her skin was the color of a mocha
latte. Tessa was always impeccably dressed, regardless of the
weather. This morning, she wore a navy and cream striped cardigan
over a pale blue tailored shirt, with thick cream colored corduroys
tucked in to waterproof Caribou boots. She was Danny’s closest, or
really only, friend on the force.
“You’re
not used to this cold yet, Danny?”
“How
the hell would I be used to it? This is my first winter here,
remember?”
“I
just thought a Chicago boy wouldn’t be such a wimp.”
“And
I thought a military lady would have better manners.”
Tessa
laughed and helped Danny out of the arms of his coat. She had been in
the military police at nearby Eielsen Air Force Base, and had decided
to stay on in Fairbanks once her military duty had ended. Like Danny,
detective work was all she knew. Also like Danny, she was a loner. As
she put it, walking in on her husband screwing her best friend while
all were stationed on the same base had killed any interest she had
in being social. She was very happy living alone in Fairbanks with
her “baby,” a gigantic Siberian Husky named Maya, after Tessa’s
favorite author, Maya Angelou.
“So
are you just reporting for work now?” Tessa asked, as the two
walked towards their cubicles in the far corner of the office.
Tessa’s was decorated with tinsel, a red bow, and a Merry Christmas
banner. Danny’s stood bare.
“Yeah.
Kind of a late night last night,” Danny said.
“A
drunken night, you mean.”
Danny shrugged. “You could say
that.”
He
glanced towards Captain Meyer’s office. “Is he looking for me?”
Tessa
shook her head. “No. He’s been in meetings all morning.”
Danny
nodded and sat down in his chair. “Good.”
He
looked at the bulletin board above Tessa’s desk, and noticed a
picture of a pretty blond woman in the center of the board. “Your
latest case?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Homicide?”
“No.
Not yet, anyway. Missing persons.”
Danny
leaned back in his chair and put his feet on his desk. “How long
has she been missing?”
“Two
days now. That’s why I got it.”
“So
what’s the story?”
“She’s a 28 year old Fairbanks resident, and was last seen on the
morning of the 21st
when she left her boyfriend’s apartment and said she was going
shopping. She can be seen on the security camera outside the store
where her car was found, so she did go shopping. But she never showed
up for her job that night, and nobody’s seen her since.”
“What
was the job?”
“She was supposed to be taking Santa photos
at the Winter Solstice celebration down at the Golden Heart Plaza.
You know, the 21 Days of Solstice event?”
Danny
nodded. “Yeah, I saw that advertised.”
“Ms.
Treibel’s a freelance photographer and worked the event last year
too. She had this year’s celebration scheduled months ago. ”
“So
there were a lot of little kiddies who couldn’t get their picture
taken on Santa’s lap?”
“Yeah. I guess it was a PR fiasco
because the photos had been advertised all over the city, and they
didn’t have another photographer lined up.”
“Safe
to say missing this job was a big deal then.”
“A very big
deal. And apparently, Ms. Triebel here has always been very
reliable.”
Danny
stared at the photograph of the missing woman. It had been taken
outdoors, and her cheeks had the rosy glow that came with a chilly
day. She had a cheerful smile and her straight blond hair fell to a
clean line along her shoulders. Her face was angular, with high,
prominent cheekbones and an aquiline nose. She was pretty, Danny
thought, and he couldn’t help but think there was something
familiar about her.
“Ms.
Triebel. What’s her first name?”
“Maria.”
“You
got any suspects?”
“Not
yet. Except the obvious, the boyfriend. I just got the case this
morning though, so I haven’t had much time to go over it.”
Danny
nodded and turned his attention to the stack of folders on his desk.
“Let me know if you need any help with it. I know Barkowitz is on
vacation this week.”
“Yeah.
Must be nice to have seniority.”
Danny
laughed. “You don’t expect sympathy from me, do you? You know
you’re way more than one up on me. I’ll be the low man on this
totem pole forever.”
“You
will be if you keep sleeping in until noon.”
“Don’t
you worry about my sleeping habits. You need to concentrate on
finding Ms. Triebel.”
Tessa
stared at the photograph. “What do you think are the odds she’s
still alive?”
“Not
great. But then, you never know. She might have wanted to disappear.”
“No
better place to do that than here.”
“Those were my
thoughts exactly when I came to your fair state.”
“Yeah,
but I’m sure you told folks back in Chicago where you were
going.”
Danny shook his head. “Tessa, sweetheart, I didn’t
have anyone to tell.”
“That’s
a sad story.”
“You
don’t know the half of it.”
“You’ll have to tell me
over a few beers sometime. I know getting you drunk is the only way
I’ll ever get you to talk.”
“It’d
take a hell of a lot more than a few beers.”
“A
keg, then.”
“That’s
more like it.”
Tessa laughed and reached for her coat from
the back of her chair. “Alright, I better leave you to your work,
and get back to mine. I need to go pay a visit to Ms. Triebel’s
boyfriend. A Mr. Nate Clancy.”
“An
Irish guy like me,” Danny said.
“I
guess so.”
“With the name Clancy, I know so. I should go
with you. See if he’s from the old country. We could swap stories.”
“You
are so full of shit. I bet you’ve never set foot in Ireland.”
Danny
laughed. “True. But parts of Chicago are close enough, trust me.”
“I
can believe that. Your part anyway. A bunch of drunk Irish fools.”
Danny
chuckled again. “Didn’t you say you were gonna let me get back to
my work?”
“Yeah, I did.” Tessa walked towards the front
door. “See you later.”
Danny
turned back to his desk and started to page through the records of
the case he had been going through the day before, but his eyes were
drawn back to the photo of Maria Triebel. It was hard to imagine the
pretty, smiling woman in the photograph choosing to disappear. But
then, there was a time when those he knew would have said the same
about him.
“Are
you still with us, Ms. Triebel?” he whispered.
He
stared at the photo, wondering why Maria Triebel seemed somehow
familiar to him. Had he known someone who looked like her back in
Chicago? He didn’t think so. Suddenly, his mind flashed to a case
he had looked at a few days before.
He
booted up his computer, and impatiently brought up his files. He had
been working on a case that had just passed its three year
anniversary. The victim’s family had refused to give up no matter
how many years went by, and had been in touch with the department on
a fairly regular basis.
Danny
clicked on the name of Anna Alexander. A blond, smiling young woman
who had disappeared from the campus of the University of Alaska,
Fairbanks, three years ago this week.
It
was clear now why Maria Triebel had struck a chord with him. She and
Anna didn’t look exactly alike, but there were enough similarities
that it would have been easy to mistake them for sisters. Or at least
cousins. He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise up and a
prickle of energy he hadn’t felt in nearly a year. His gut told him
there was a connection between these two women. He could feel it.
Danny
scrolled through the details of Anna Alexander’s case. She had last
been seen on December 21, 2008. The Winter Solstice. He heard Tessa’s
voice in his mind. “She was supposed to be taking Santa photos at
the Winter Solstice celebration…”
Danny’s
energy went from a prickle to a straight out deluge.
