Counterplay by Dennis Norman
Karl has been stealing money from Tesanee. When he realises that she has uncovered his deceit, he flees.
Tesanee’s son Ashley, furious about the betrayal, approaches a close friend of his late father, Alain, and asks him to find Karl and retrieve Tes's money.
Alain has nothing much to do and is happy to honour his dead friend's memory by helping his wife.
Alain and his brother set off together to track down Karl and confront him. Each time they close in, Karl manages to outsmart them, and disappears.
A game of cat and mouse is set in play. Alain has no idea what he’s let himself in for.
Read an Extract
“What’s this mum?”
Ashley was visiting his mother, Tesanee. He was in the kitchen pinching one of her freshly made spring rolls when he noticed a pile of magazines on the worktop. The top one was open, she had folded back the corner of the page.
“What’s that darling?”
“This page you’ve earmarked in one of your magazines.”
“Oh, that’s something to remind me of your dad,” she called from the lounge.
He picked up the magazine and joined her in the lounge, reading as he went.
“You’re not seriously going to buy this, are you? Don’t waste your money.”
“Consider it as an investment towards our future.”
“You don’t need this investment. Does Karl know? It’s something he would be involved in.”
Tesanee took the magazine, closed the page and laid it on the coffee table.
“No, I haven’t mentioned this to him yet.” “Think about it, mum. It’s unbelievably expensive.” She gave him a stern look.
“I do nothing without thinking about it first Ashley, you know that. I can afford it, and I can always sell if needs be.”
“Just be careful with your money mum, it won’t last forever.”
“Stop worrying Ashley I’ve been managing for a long time now.”
“I know; you are good at it too. Okay if you’re sure.”
“I am sure now go back to work, and I’ll see you for Christmas, and get something for Karl, he’s not that bad.” He gave her a big hug and left.
“I will okay, bye mum.”
****
Karl came home late that evening with Christmas presents. He hung his overcoat in the hall then went into the lounge to put them under the tree. He needed to warm up, so he sat in his favourite armchair to rest for a minute. The magazine was on the coffee table so he picked it up and flicked through the pages. When he saw the earmarked page he took the book into the kitchen to ask Tesanee about it.
“Hi Hun, what’s this you’ve been looking at. Have you seen the cost of this stuff? They cost a fortune.”
“I like it. It reminds me of Alex. Here, look at the website. They have quite a few valuable items.”
She showed him the webpage on their laptop, which showed more details.
“I am buying something for myself as a new year present, to mark ten years since he passed. You don’t mind do you, darling?”
When she told him, he thought about the cost and knew he was in trouble. She didn’t have the money, but she didn’t know. With the amount he’d taken from her she could, but if she tried to buy it, she would suspect him. He needed to change her mind but how could he do it?
Tesanee had known Karl for a long time. She noticed a change come over him but made light of it. Saying she was waiting until next year because she wanted to enjoy Christmas together. Ashely was coming for dinner on Christmas day.
Information about the Book
Title: Counterplay
Author: Dennis Norman
Release Date: 30th July 2019
Genre: Thriller
Page Count: 180 pages
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
Author Information
I was born and raised in South London where my parents, both avid readers, made a habit of ringing home crime, thriller and suspense novels, instilling in me a love of reading from a very early age. My father used to pass any book they read to me and vice versa.
I spent many years as an Engineering designer particularly the oil and gas industry, hence the few years in the oil-rich Arabian Gulf where my first story is set, before deciding what I really wanted to do was write.
I realised the most satisfying way to achieve this would be by starting with my own story. So, for the next eighteen months, I spent my days working at my regular job and my lunchtimes, evenings and weekends writing my first book. Prisoner in Al-Khobar was the result.
Counterplay is my second book unlike the first it is a novel.
I live in Surrey with my wife Sharon.
I am currently hard at work on my next novel.
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