When David Died: A True Story
When David Died
A True Story
By
John Locke
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you are reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
WHEN DAVID DIED
Copyright © 2016 John Locke. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the author or publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Cover Designed by: Claudia Jackson Copyright © iStock_13231103
Published by John Locke Books, LLC
Visit the author’s website: http://www.donovancreed.com
ISBN 978-1-937656-03-4 (eBook) ISBN 978-1-937656-04-1 (paperback) Version 2016.08.13
John Locke
New York Times Best Selling Author
Guinness World Record Holder for eBook Sales!
8th Member of the Kindle Million Sales Club!
(Members include James Patterson, George R.R. Martin, and Lee Child) John Locke had 4 of the top 10 eBooks on
Amazon/Kindle at the same time, including #1 and #2!
…Had 6 of the top 20 books at the same time!
…Had 8 books in the top 43 at the same time!
…Has written 30 books in five years in six separate genres, All best-sellers!
…Has been published throughout the world in numerous languages by the world’s most prestigious publishing houses!
…Winner, Second Act Magazine’s Story of the Year!
…Named by Time Magazine as one of the “Stars of the DIY-Publishing Era”
Wall Street Journal: “John Locke (is) transforming the ‘book’ business”
Donovan Creed Series:
Lethal People
Lethal Experiment
Saving Rachel
Now & Then
Wish List
A Girl Like You
Vegas Moon
The Love You Crave
Maybe
Callie’s Last Dance
Because We Can!
This Means War!
Emmett Love Series:
Follow the Stone
Don’t Poke the Bear!
Emmett & Gentry
Goodbye, Enorma
Rag Soup
Spider Rain
Dani Ripper Series:
Call Me!
Promise You Won’t Tell?
Teacher, Teacher
Don’t Tell Presley!
Abbey Rayne
Dr. Gideon Box Series:
Bad Doctor
Box
Outside the Box
Boxed In!
Other:
Kill Jill
Casting Call
When David Died
Kindle Worlds:
A Kiss for Luck (Kindle Only)
Non-Fiction:
How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!
Dedication:
To all the independent authors in the world
who deserve to be read:
You’re the true champions!
Keep fighting the fight,
and don’t let anyone steal your dream!
When David Died
A True Story
Table of Contents
Very Important: Please read!
Forward
Part One: Nicki Hill
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Part Two: Michael, Jessie, and Alison
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Part Three: David Thorne
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Part Four: Nicki Hill
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Author’s Note:
Very Important: Please read!
You may have noticed the title page states: “This book is a work of fiction.”
I thought long and hard about removing that tag, but finally deferred to the advice of my attorneys after one of the participants depicted in this book threatened a seven-figure lawsuit to stop publication. While I’m not the least bit concerned about losing the case, the courts could have tied up my manuscript for years, during which time some other writer or reporter might be the one to bring the story to the public. So while it annoys the shit out of me to not officially tag this book as non-fiction, I realize my attorneys are simply doing their jobs, trying to protect me, and I’d be a fool not to follow their legal advice.
When movies include the tagline Based on a True Story it usually means two things: there is a true story, and this isn’t it! But I’m writing books, not screenplays, and therefore have more opportunities, more space, to make certain the account is supremely accurate.
Even so, this story isn’t 100% true. Although the police detectives’ notes, interviews, and final report are a matter of public record, the names and settings are fictitious and the internal and external dialogues of the characters are my best attempt (based on interviews and source material) to recreate what I believe was thought and said by them at the time.
My attorneys have further advised me to point out that certain portions of the narrative rely on a series of in-person interviews I may or may not have paid for that were conducted with the major player in this story, aka Nicki Hill.
To date, surprisingly, no one has been arrested for any actions depicted within these pages.
Forward
We all have secrets. Big ones, small ones, life-changing ones.
They say knowledge is power. But I say if you really want to destroy people, do two things: learn their secrets, and exploit them.
Part One:
Nicki Hill
1.
MID NOVEMBER
Wednesday
5:50 p.m.
IF YOU’RE THE cute couple that just entered the Hurstbourne Starbucks you’re watching Michael and me laughing our asses off. We’ve been talking about something he read on the Internet about how to make his kitchen smell great. “Heat the oven to 300,” he said, “put two capfuls of vanilla extract in an oven-proof bowl, cook it for 30 minutes.”
“Doesn’t work,” I said.
“You tried it?”
“Yup. And believe me—Wait. Did you say two cap fulls?”
He nodded.
“Oops. I thought it was two cup fulls! No wonder for six weeks my house smelled like the Pillsbury Dough Boy’s butthole!”
It wasn’t original, but we laughed ourselves stupid anyway, because laughter always hitchhikes with happiness, and our relationship is currently in a good place. He’s happy I’m back; I’m happy my life’s on track. It took the better part of a year, but…my future finally appears secure, and even—if I’m not getting ahead of myself—limitless.
Three months ago the handsome man sitting across from me—twenty-one-year-old Michael Thorne—asked me to marry him.
It’s not what you think: I said no. Then I broke up with him, moved out, and now I’m back and we’re no longer talking about marriage or having kids, which is what broke us up in the first place. Back in those days (three months ago) Michael was confused: “You said family’s the most important thing in the world!”
“It is,” I said.
“Then what’s changed?”
“Nothing. I just don’t want to have children.”
“Are you saying you want to adopt?”
“No.”
“Then what the fuck are you saying, Nicki?”
It went like that for a while, and then I moved out. Then I talked to his mom, Alison, and his sister, Jessie, and then I talked to his dad, David.
And now I’m back.
Here’s what we worked out: I agreed to let him tell people we’re engaged, and he agreed not to ask me about setting a wedding date. From my perspective, this took the pressure off the relationship, and we’re getting along famously, and it’s a Wednesday evening, and we’re sitting in a coffee shop, and his phone’s ringing.
He checks caller ID and sighs.
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