Det. Annie Avants' cousin lives in Mena, Arkansas, and has discovered three journals written by one of his ancestors between 1919 and 1921 explaining how he accidently became involved with the KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE. The journals give the locations of some of the biggest caches of 'rebel gold' hidden during the Civil War. For years, Zachary Avants has tracked down abandoned family homesteads, looking for information on the lives of his long-dead relatives. Deep in the Ouachita Forest, he finds a caved in cellar where a cabin once stood. When he climbs into the cellar, he notices an indentation in the back wall of the root cellar. Digging carefully, he uncovers a seaked cast-iron skillet. Inside the skillet, wrapped carefully in oilcloth, Zack finds three journals that had been kept by someone with first-hand knowledge of the KGC during the Civil War - his great grandfather, Orris Avants. When Zack takes the journals to a cafe in Hatfield to show them to his friend, Luke, their conversation is overheard and passed on to the KGC. The KGC wants the journals at any cost. The FBI is also interested in the KGC and their secret caches. Special Agent Connor Smith makes it his mission to acquire the journals and recover as much of the stolen loot as possible. A tragedy in California wakes Zack up to the significance of his find. He finally realizes that he, his family, and his friends are in danger.
Genre: FICTION / Mystery & Detective / GeneralSales have been steady. This is the third book in the Det. Annie Avants crime fiction series. Readers are beginning to go from one book to the other. There are four books total, and I'm writing the fifth one.
San Francisco, California
Apartment of The Algerian
Friday
May 31, 2013
"He's in Bakersfield, now," the man known as the Algerian said into the phone. "He's apparently staying with his cousin, Annie Avants. She's a Detective with the Kern County Sheriff's Office."
"Yes, we know about her," the gentleman in the plush office said. He didn't volunteer that they were familiar with her and that she had denied all knowledge of the journals. He didn't believe her.
"What do you want me to do?" the Algerian said.
"Keep an eye on them for a few days and see if you can find out anything. If not, give them a scare. I'll leave that up to you. Just don't hurt anyone. That's not what we're trying to accomplish here. We just want the journals before they're made public."
"Right. I'll take care of it. You can count on me. I'll be back in Bakersfield within the next few hours."
"I certainly hope so. I'm paying you enough for your services and you can't do a lot from San Francisco. Keep in mind that there's no margin for error here. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand completely." He didn't like the shiver of dread that washed over him. A few minutes later, The Algerian, whose real name was Mounir Benboulaid, was out the door and headed back for Bakersfield.
