Telepathic private investigator Quentin Q. Quasar and his partner Nate Braddock are back. They accidentally stumble on a series of kidnapping/murders, and begin to investigate. Eventually, the kidnappers snatch a young man from an Interstate rest area, and Quentin and Nate hear his telepathic cry for help. Armed with that information, they contact their friend George Martin at the sheriff’s office, and manage to catch the kidnappers before they’ve killed the victim. The intended victim was on his way to Orlando to join his boyfriend -- also a telepath -- who’d recently moved there to take a job.<br><br>Meanwhile, Nate’s grandparents fly into Jacksonville from Chattanooga, so Quentin and Nate can drive them to a hospital in Ocala. Nate’s mother has been in a state prison for women located near Ocala, and has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. At the end of a series of hospital visits they encounter and capture the leader of the cult that Nate’s mother and stepfather belonged to. The cult leader and his wife, both of whom had jumped bail before their trials, had just administered poison to Nate’s mother, to keep her from making any sort of deathbed confession about the cult and its activities.

Sleuth LLC: Bring Out Your Dead

“Marvin Gardenia,” Nate said, and started laughing again.


“Haven’t you ever played Monopoly?”


“Monopoly!—oh, now I get it, Marvin Gardens, right?”


“You’re kind of slow on the uptake this evening,” Nate said. “Are you all right?”


“I’m fine, but I need to make a phone call.” Quentin looked at his watch. “The guy I want to talk to should be home about now.”


Quentin went to his desk, looked up a number, punched the speaker button on the landline phone, and dialed a number. After a few rings, a voice said, “Hello.”


“Good evening professor,” Quentin said. “This is Quentin Quasar, remember me?”


“How could I possibly forget a name like Quentin Q. Quasar? How can I help you?”


“You know me too well, professor. I’ve stumbled on something really unusual, and I think it might be in your area of interest.”


“You’ve got my attention. Tell me more.”


Chapter 17