Police Chief Scott Stevens is one of the characters I created for The Unforgiving Town, which had an April 7 release. Scott did not appear in the book’s prequel, The Sacred Dog, which takes place 17 or so years earlier.
A local guy who grew up in the hilltown of Holden, where the books take place, Scott was in the Army when Al Kitchen was convicted of manslaughter for killing a well-liked man in a botched robbery. Now, Scott lives with his wife and kids next door to his father Early Stevens. Like many small towns, its police force consists of part-time officers although in Scott’s mind he is police chief 24/7. His full time job is in construction.
Scott is well aware that most people in town are angry Al got to return home, that he should have been locked up in prison until he died. But that’s not what happened. Scott aims to keep an eye on the situation and makes friendly visits to Al. He even mentions a job opportunity.
But let me back up here a bit. As I’ve mentioned before, the book starts with a jolt — Al’s body is found on the side of the road beside a bicycle. Then the second chapter goes back a week when Al comes back home. We follow what happens during the week leading up to his death and afterward when Scott must solve who is responsible.
Scott knows all of the possible suspects. Naturally, townspeople are unhappy he is taking Al’s death so seriously. That’s a tough situation for sure. But Scott believes Al deserves justice no matter what he did in the past.
I grew to admire Scott’s integrity. Having lived in small towns like Holden, and as a journalist, reported on them, I am aware how difficult it must be for officers to have to deal with people they know. Of course, there’s assistance from State Police, but it could be an accident, overdose, or a violent incident.
Here’s a portion of the opening scene that features Police Chief Scott Stevens.
Scott left the cruiser. He didn’t have to check his wallet to identify the man even with the blood on his face. Scott had met up with Al a couple of times since his release, friendly visits just to see how he was coming along, so he knew what he looked like closeup. Actually, he had seen Al yesterday to tell him about a possible job.
He felt no pulse when he touched Al’s neck. Gray matter oozed from his ears and nose. He knew what that meant. His brain was gone. There was no use trying to revive Al. Besides, who knows how long he had been lying here.
“Yeah, he’s dead all right,” he told Pete.
Scott stepped back to study the side of the road where the body and the bike had landed. This part of Shaw Road was a straightaway, so it wasn’t like Al lost control going too fast downhill although he could have been moving at a good speed. His baseball cap with a small headlamp attached, its bulb broken, lay nearby. The bike, he noted, didn’t have a light.
“Is this how you found him?” he asked Pete.
“Uh-huh, just like that. I didn’t move him. I only touched his neck like you did to see if he had a pulse.” Pete shrugged. “Nothing. You know who he is?”
“Yes, I do. That’s Al Kitchen.”
“Shit, that son of a bitch? I heard he got out of prison, but I didn’t recognize him. It’s been years….”
“Look. I’ve got to call this in. The State Police needs to get involved. I know you have to get on your paper route, but do you mind hanging around a few minutes in case somebody drives by? It’s unlikely this time of morning, but you never know. Okay?”
“Sure, sure. What’d you think? A deer?”
“A deer? It could’ve happened that way.”
Scott had a lot more to say on the subject, but he planned to keep it to himself for now. He studied the bike. Something could have hit Al and the bike from behind, sending them both tumbling to the pavement. He supposed it wouldn’t take much. Just a clipping would do. Or Al might have been spooked by something, an animal or a fast vehicle, and lost control. It had happened before. In that case, the guy was hurt but he survived. Shaw Road wasn’t super busy, especially at night, but it was a way local people used. It’s even possible somebody could have driven by Al’s body and did nothing after they discovered who he was. Perhaps, they were somehow involved. Scott’s head moved side to side. He had a lot to figure out.
“You think somebody could have caused it?”
“That’s another possibility.”
“On purpose?”
“If so, that’ll be my job to find out.”
Here is the link to The Unforgiving Town on Amazon. Kindle is 99 cents for now. Paperback is $14.99. I appreciate those who have already bought a copy. If you are motivated, please leave a review. Thank you if you do.