Book 5: Another Way

Episode 1

© by William Arthur Holmes

Dobie survived the assassination attempt, but most of his lottery winnings vanished – along with his girlfriend Glynnis and brother Shane – when his and everyone else’s investment in Shane’s British Virgin Islands Ponzi scheme collapsed.

He didn’t know it was a Ponzi scheme, and was hurt to think Glynnis might have been involved. He assumed Shane was not only involved, he was its architect. That boy never could walk a straight line. His disappearance was no surprise.

At least their sister Maeve got a 30‑acre ranch out of it, near Lexington, before the money went up in smoke. For her – working in the thoroughbred industry her entire adult life – that ranch was a dream come true.

Dobie borrowed Shane’s idea of buying a few race horses, but with a twist: they were retired, and Maeve would take care of them for the rest of their days.

He did not adopt his brother’s idea of flying to Vegas and putting a million dollars on red 17. Nor did he feel the need to hire a hit man as Shane once so mysteriously mentioned. Whatever that last one was about, Dobie never knew.

~ ~ ~

None of that mattered, though. Their father, Rudy, had died.

He’d been holding vigil next to Dobie’s hospital bed in BVI after the assassination attempt.

When Dobie awoke, he reached out and touched his father’s hand. It was cold.

He slowly, painfully sat up in bed. “Dad,” his voice cracked. “Wake up. Dad!”

He pressed the nurse call button repeatedly until a middle-age nurse walked in.

“You don’t need to press it more than once...” she began wearily.

“Check my dad,” he cut her off. “He’s not waking up!”

~ ~ ~