Red wipes a sheet of dust from the chair in his basement. Been a long time since he's sat in it. Used to come down here a lot. Not so much anymore. Something about being upstairs. Near windows.
He scoots the chair to a metal desk. Switches on a light bulb above his head. It pops to life. Illuminates the tributaries of metal winding through the mess on the desk.
Even in the dryness of early fall, the basement is damp. Muggy. The whole house has its own climate.
His right hand searches a drawer. Pushes through papers. Finds a yellow highlighter.
His left hand simultaneously places a book onto the desk. Leans against book. The Bible. The Gideons gifted it to him when Red became sheriff.
Red doesn't reference that one. Not tonight. He's read the bookmarked pages enough. Needs something else this time.
"Steps Forward: Finding Courage and Confidence to Make Big Changes," Red says. Reads the title of the book out loud.
He'd pocketed it from Mary's living room. Not that she'd notice. The book is still fresh. The virgin spine clamps the crisp pages together.
Red looks at the Bible.
"Don't worry. I didn't steal this," he says to the holy book. "I was the one who bought it."
Red picks a chapter in the middle. Doesn't start at the beginning. That's where he wrote the dedication to Mary.
He almost flips to it anyway. Perches his thumb between the pages, ready to crack them open. Curious. Can't quite remember what he wrote. Remembers what it says, though.
Too painful now. Can't look at it.
*** PLEASE SUPPORT MY WRITING! ***
This story will only be posted on Wattpad for a limited time. If you'd like the full version, head to your favorite online e-book/book retailer and pick up your own digital/print copy. Search for "Invisible Hand Sobieck." Or leave a review of the book on Amazon once you're finished reading on Wattpad. Thank you. ~Ben
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The Invisible Hand - A crime novel
Mystery / ThrillerA corrupt sheriff hires a ruthless vigilante to hunt down a murderer during the modern day North Dakota oil boom in this crime thriller full of unexpected twists and turns.
