Hudson City: a novel

Hudson City, a novel 



This is a novel written about ten years ago, a kind of imitation of Graham Greene's This Gun for Hire. Since the original draft is hand written, I'll be posting chapters as I type them in.

(Note 4/9/24: I'm going to have to change some of this novel because I originally set part of it in Kingston, NY, and because of an altered circumstance, I have to alter some of the location).


Chapter One: Get him out of here

Chapter 2: Model from hell

Chapter 3: A small favor

Chapter 4 -- Nat's last night

Chapter 5: Hold the presses

Chapter 6: New chief same as the old chief

Chapter 7: Jake’s Place

Chapter 8: The girl in a cops' bar

Chapter09 -- A girl's gotta do what she's gotta do

Chapter10: A stalker in love


More to come



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Chapter 6: New chief same as the old chief

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      The police chief Nat wrote so scathingly about was never my chief. Police Chief Nelson Rogers became acting chief when my chief got caught taking kickbacks from local restaurants to turn a blind eye to illegal aliens they employed as cooks, waiters and such. He also ran protection for the alien women who got sold off for sex duties at local spas. He also provided protection for the massive gambling trade he knew about and profited from. I never forgave him his transgressions if only because his removal allowed Rogers to rise in the ranks to chief – a man who had been a kiss-ass deputy chief with high hopes and an intense dislike for me while I still was in the department. Rogers took credit for bringing down the former chief, although, in fact, he like many of the lower ranking officers, had padded their own income by shaking down the alien workers, and turned states evidence against the other cops when he himself got busted. He was also savvy in the use of the intern
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Chapter 3: A small favor

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    Nicky was not happy to hear from me. Although we had once been close, as with most of my closest friends, I had alienated him during the aftermath of my marriage, blaming everybody but myself for what went wrong. He also had his own troubles. A gung-ho ambulance company owner, he had flung himself into the rescue and later cleanup after the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. He contracted a lung ailment as his reward. His voice rasped so much over the telephone; I barely recognized it. But he recognized mine. “What do you want?” he asked. “A favor.” “You used up all your favors the last time we talked,” he said. “One more pays all,” I said. “We’ve helped each other in the past.” “Something you forgot the last time we talked,” he said. “I know. I’m sorry. I wasn’t right in the head then.” “And you are now?” “I’m getting there.” “And the favor?” “I need you to move a body.” “For Christ’s sake, Dan. When you beg for a favor, it’s a whopp
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Chapter 4 -- Nat's last night

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    Although Rocco did only what was absolutely necessary to maintain the motel, he had spared no expense when installing the surveillance equipment. He knew where the real money was, and I’m sure he kept a library of tapes from those officials who came here supposedly incognito. Yet, in the ever-changing field of technology, even his system was already out of date, recording on CDs and servers that would have made security professionals scoff. For Rocco’s purposes, however, it was more than enough. I had seen some f the camera bubbles at various exterior locations, half globes of dark glass behind which the tell-tale camera lenses hid. No great secret to the more than casual observer, although many of these were tucked away in odd crooks and crannies. How many cameras Rocco had; it was hard to tell. He led me to the rear room off the office, and I saw the banks of TV screens that encircled the small room. “Goddamn it, Rocco,” I said, glancing from screen to screen. “Do
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