EXCERPT #2 -THE END OF THE TREACHERY

(Harold follows a client to the home of a woman whose daughter might be missing or simply a runaway.)

Considering the fact the cats were relatively happy, I motioned for Mr. Long to lead the way. He made his way slowly over to Hydraulic and took George Washington Boulevard south toward Plainview, the housing built for aircraft workers during the war. They were functional but certainly nothing in terms of elegance or style. The Albert Whitmans of the world likely didn’t even know such neighborhoods existed. Don turned off East Ross Parkway and then down a dead-end street called Whitney Lane. The houses all looked the same. They had a simple slab that passed for a front porch. Some front doors had screen doors as well; some did not. The rectangular box of a house likely had two bedrooms and one bathroom, a small kitchen, and a front room barely enough to hold a couple of chairs. No one had a garage. For that matter, there weren’t too many cars around. The aircraft industry still thrived after the war and their employees lived like refugees.

The influx of aircraft workers during the war expanded the population of Wichita. There had still been plenty of work afterward which created a shortage of both housing and basic goods and supplies. I found myself quite lucky to get my apartment at 730 North Market in the fall of 1945. The city did not build neighborhoods like Plainview with the expectation of permanence. Consequently, they had the appearance of imminent decay. Perhaps the residents did as well.

*****

Harold Bergman, a Jewish private detective and World War II veteran, is approached to locate a missing girl. Little does he know, this seemingly routine case plunges him into a labyrinth of deceit, entwined with a looming threat to national security.

Meanwhile, a distraught woman challenges the official narrative surrounding her husband’s death, convinced that a vengeful client orchestrated his demise. As he delves deeper into these cases, he uncovers layers of hidden truths and personal agendas, where every step reveals a new layer of treachery.

Determined to unravel the web of lies, Harold must navigate through a maze of danger and deception, drawing upon his resilience and faith to unearth the sinister truth that threatens to unravel everything he holds dear.

The End of the Treachery, Volume 2 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released on December 9, 2024.

To find the truth, Harold Bergman will have to unmask the treachery.