The Fort (27 page)

He didn’t, though. Instead he let the suspect, some tattooed scumbag named Mike, tell the story of how his drug-addicted girlfriend named Sid had killed herself in the tattoo shop above where he worked. Tom had said from the start that he was positive that Mike had done it, and so had Van Endel. Now, he wasn’t so sure. In fact, he thought they might be mistaking the man’s guilt over not being there for his girl as his guilt over her death.

“Tell it all to me again,” said Van Endel as he looked deep into the suspect’s eyes and saw the same thing, that same electricity he’d seen so many years before. The man began talking, but Van Endel already knew he was telling the truth. He knew exactly what to look for.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My first four novels were dedicated to lives taken far too young, and it is with no small amount of pleasure that I’m able to say that thankfully there appears to be a drought in my life of young people falling far before their time. I truly hope that is a streak that lasts a good long while. For my daughter, Scout, someday when you read this, I hope it gives you fond memories of the time in your life when this was written. You were eight when this manuscript was begun, nine when I was editing it, and nearly ten when it went to press. I hope you are as happy when you read this as you were on the days when I wrote it. I love you very much and cannot wait to talk to you after you read this. Considering the content, I’d say we have a few years yet to go.

Thanks to my wonderful wife, Megan, who has endured a whirlwind of writing that no one should have to live through, yet you’ve done it with a smile on your face. We’ve had a long journey together, and I’m blessed to have traveled this road with you at my side.

Thank you to my parents, both of whom were first readers this time around, and who offered wonderful advice that helped this story be everything that it could at that stage of its creation.
I respect you both so much for the lives you’ve lived, and I could never thank you enough for putting books in my hands at a young age. Reading, and now writing, has been my lifeblood, and always will be.

A massive thank-you goes to Amazon editor Terry, who gave me a chance when no one else was interested in my writing. I am blessed to have such a thoughtful man overseeing my writing career, and there is not a day that goes by when I don’t think about the ways that you have changed the lives of my family, and about how lucky I am to count you as a friend.

Thank you to my partner in crime, creative editor David, who has helped all of my books get ready for the eyes of the public. We form a powerful collaborative team, and the edits for
The Fort
came in such a short and spastic amount of time that I don’t really feel comfortable saying just how quickly the book was made ready. Better than the speed, though, is the quality that your work brings to my writing. You see things that I don’t, and my writing improves dramatically with just a few of your keystrokes helping to guide the way.

Thanks to my friend Jacque, as always. The tremendous amount of work you do for your authors could never be overstated, and in case you ever forget, we appreciate the hell out of it. As a very influential man once said, “Family. Religion. Friendship. These are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business.” As an aside, we should be going to B-Con a few months after this comes out, and that will be super rad.

To my dear friend Sarah Burningham of Little Bird Publicity, the early word on the street was that we would be working on this one together. If we did, I’m sure we had a lovely time; if not, I’m sure we’ll get the band back together soon enough. All that aside, I hope you and your baby—over six months old when this comes out!—are doing wonderfully, and sleeping wonderfully as well.

To Greg, who helped immeasurably with a spot of writer’s indecisiveness that was plaguing the end of the second act of this
story, and helped breathe fire into the third, all of my first readers are appreciated, but you knocked this one out of the park, and for that I thank you.

To everyone else at Amazon, thank you all so much for your continued efforts on my behalf, and on the behalf of your other authors. I never would have guessed that I would find so many friends in the world of writing, but with you that is exactly what I have. In no particular order, Sarah, Andrew, Katie, Alan, Grace, Rory, Justin, Megan, Patrick, David, Jessica, Ashley, Luke, and everyone else at Amazon and Brilliance Audio, thank you all so very much.

Finally, thanks to you, my readers, for the chance to tell a story. I hope we get to hang out again sometime.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photograph by Megan Davis, 2012

Born in Ithaca, New York, Aric Davis has lived most of his life in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the author of
A Good and Useful Hurt
and the acclaimed YA novel
Nickel Plated
, called by Gillian Flynn a “dark but humane, chilling and sometimes heart-breaking work of noir” and given a “Top 10”
Booklist
designation in 2011. A punk-music and tattoo aficionado, Davis has been a professional body piercer for sixteen years. He and his wife and daughter live in the chilly Midwest, where they can enjoy roller coasters, hockey, and cold weather.