Moving Sideways: Debra Thomas Mystery

By: Martin, Jerry W.

The city of Fort Worth hums under a restless Texas sky-heat shimmering off asphalt, sirens slicing through the dusk like warnings no one quite heeds. Inside the police department, ambition and exhaustion share the same stale air.
Detective Debra Thomas stands at the threshold of everything she's worked for-a new badge, a new title, and something to prove. Young, sharp, and driven, she carries herself with quiet determination, but the weight of expectation presses in from all sides. Her promotion isn't just an opportunity-it's a test.

And her partner might be the hardest part of it. Eugene Willis is a legend in the department for all the wrong reasons. Gruff, brutally honest, and utterly indifferent to anyone's feelings, he solves cases with ruthless efficiency and leaves a trail of bruised egos behind him. Where Debra sees nuance, Eugene sees conclusions. Where she seeks justice, he demands results. From their first exchange, friction sparks-his cutting remarks clashing against her resolve to be taken seriously.
Then the case hits. Kari Cole vanishes without a trace.

A respected real estate agent. A visible figure in the community. Gone. Two weeks pass, and the silence grows heavier, more ominous. When her abandoned SUV is discovered, doors ajar like a scream frozen in time, the investigation ignites. All eyes turn to her husband, Tyler Cole-a powerful attorney whose polished exterior begins to crack under the pressure of suspicion.

The media swarms. The public speculates. And the system begins to close in. But nothing about the case is clean. A body is found in a burned-out barn on the outskirts of the city-charred beyond recognition, identity erased in flame. No DNA. No confirmation. Just enough evidence to suggest closure... and just enough doubt to leave cracks in the story.
Debra feels it. Something isn't right. As she pushes deeper, often clashing with Eugene's instinct to wrap the case quickly, a darker narrative begins to emerge-one stitched together with lies, money, and calculated betrayal. At the center of it all is a truth no one expects: Kari Cole isn't dead. She's alive.

Hidden in the shadows with Brad Beckham-a cold, methodical enforcer tied to a violent drug cartel-Kari has rewritten her own story. Together, they've orchestrated a chilling deception: a staged death, a stolen fortune, and a carefully crafted frame job designed to destroy Tyler completely.

But even the best plans unravel. With millions siphoned away and an escape within reach, Kari's endgame spirals out of control. As law enforcement closes in, desperation turns lethal. The hunt becomes a race-not just for justice, but for survival.

Debra steps into the fire. The final confrontation erupts in chaos-sirens wailing, bullets tearing through the silence, trust shattered in an instant. In the heat of it, Debra is forced to make a choice that will define her-not just as a detective, but as a person.

A choice between hesitation and action. Between justice and something far more dangerous. When the smoke clears, the truth is exposed-but at a cost no one escapes. In a world where loyalty fractures and motives blur, Debra and Eugene are left to reckon with what they've uncovered... and what they've become in the process.

Because some lies don't just deceive. They destroy everything in their path.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0D2CMGV5P
• ISBN13: 9798320780399
• Release Date: April 2024
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"