Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Graphic & Web Design," For Designers Published by Allworth
Graphic & Web Design," For Designers Published by Allworth
Graphic & Web Design," For Designers Published by Allworth
THE
Herrick Lyons
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2015)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LB
INTRODUCTION
ONE OF THE LAST PEACEFUL BASTIONS of the now
over-developed Atlantic coast is Ducka lazy beach
community on the outer banks of North Carolina. For years,
Duck has been a rural sister to Nags Head. Not that Nags Head
isn't rural when compared to the beaches of Atlantic City,
Ocean City, and Virginia Beach.
Both Duck and Nags Head share the Atlantic Ocean on
one side and a sound on the other. The sound is calm and hosts
thousands of sleepy crab pots, yielding the best blue crabs in
the world. It also offers the east coast of the United States
some of the most glorious sunsets. Kitty Hawk is near Nags
Head, and as you drive down the Route 158 bypass, you can
see the Wright Brothers National Memorial, a large concrete
pillar on top of the sand dune that was the site of the Wright
brothers first powered flight.
While Nags Head has some of the retail elements
associated with the beach, there are no skyscrapers or
condominiums and no real boardwalk. There are the typical
tee-shirt and beachwear shops. There are miniature golf
courses, water parks and restaurants, but it still doesnt feel
commercial.
Duck is even more laid back. The little shore community
reminds one of a southern Marthas Vineyard. For years, Duck
was considered remote and later snobbish, because the rich
finally discovered the area and built beachfront mansions on it.
In the eighties, the timeshare carpet-baggers arrived from
up north. Now, Duck is somewhat built up, with low-rise
condos and single-family rental houses dominating the shore
lines and sound. Even with all this, though, Duck still feels
quaint and not overly-commercial.
PART I
And I can feel it coming in the air tonight,
Oh Lord...
ONE
THE NEW RED Honda Accord was stopped for a red light at
the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and L Street. It was
seven-thirty in the evening and the Washington DC summer
rush hour traffic was nearly over.
Tim Morrison tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to
the soft beat of Phil Collinss In the Air Tonight. The music
filled the car from the Hondas Bose speakers. He didnt notice
the black Camaro as it pulled up behind him. Suddenly the
Camaro rudely slapped his rear bumper and Morrison was
thrown back in his seat and then forward against the steering
wheel.
Without thinking, he leapt out of the car to survey the
damage to his newly-prized possession. Normally he wouldve
thought twice about getting out of his car in any other part of
DC, but this was the business district of the city.
He realized his mistake almost immediately. A man from
the passenger side of the Camaro was running toward his open
door. The driver was also out of the car and in his hand he held
a 9mm Beretta with a mean-looking black six inch silencer
screwed into its barrel. The man had the gun aimed directly at
Morrisons chest.
Morrison threw up his hands. Dont shoot. Take anything
you want, but please dont shoot. Pleeeeeeze!
He watched in horror as the man slowly squeezed the
trigger.
His instincts told him to runhe turned and began to
sprint down the sidewalk. He felt like he was moving in slow
motion or worse yet, like he was under water.
PFLOPP! PFLOPP!
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER
Two bullets ripped into his back. His last sensation was the
feeling that a huge fist had knocked all of the air out of his
lungs.
Tim Morrison was dead before he hit the pavement.
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER
last year. After all, he thought, Jenny looked too young for a
bald-headed husband.
Whats on the agenda today? he asked, hoping he wasnt
included. He had looked forward to vegetating on the porch
with his latest book.
Well, I thought Id see if Beth and our two broods would
like to go to the Food Lion. That should give the kids
something to do. Besides, I need some things for tonights
dinner.
The evenings dinner for both families would be at their
beach house tonight, and Jenny would make her famous
vegetarian Lasagna. The families each alternated fixing dinner
for the whole group.
Honey, that wont make up for an entire day of rain. Why
dont you take them to that new water-park in Nags Head? He
was determined to get some peace and quiet.
Because its raining, silly! she laughingly replied.
As long as theres no lightening, a little drizzle wont get
them any wetter. Besides, they need to blow off some steam or
well pay later. Sommers was serious, but he knew Jenny was
scared to death of thunderstorms. Even if there was no
lightening, she was still edgy.
After calling Beth, Jenny found that her sister didnt really
want to trudge around in the rain. Beths husband Larry had
left the day before, because of some computer disaster at work.
And Sommers didnt mind. He got along with Beth better than
he did with her husband. Something about computers and
advertising that didnt mix.
Jenny asked Beth to send Joey and Cindy home for lunch.
Beth didnt argue, because out of their boredom, all four
children were beginning to snap at each other.
Beth was the youngest of the two sisters, but only by one
year. The standing joke between them was, how could mom
and dad have been in such a hurry to have them, and then stop
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER
left at the beach, he really only needed one book, but he took
both, in case one was a dud.
He presented the books to the librarian. The man carefully
removed the cards in the back of each book.
You dont have a Currituck library card, do you?
No, were down for two weeks from Virginia.
The man smiled, I didnt think so. Well, I can issue you a
temporary card for a ten-dollar deposit.
Sommers fished two fives from his wallet and filled out
the form the librarian placed in front of him. How long can I
keep these?
Well, we dont have many people through here except
locals. Most folks at the beach bring books with them. You can
keep these two until youre ready to leave.
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER
H ERRICK
L YONS T HE T OWER