The Serpent's Guile

Roy Espiritu

Description

THE SERPENT'S GUILE is a psychological thriller with three main characters - a famous writer, his personal chauffeur and the unwitting biracial sex worker embroiled into the dark world of the writer. All three of them hiding secrets, all puppets of greed, all three magnificent liars. Set in an opulent background of the privileged few, it shows humanity at its lowest and at its most human element. Unlike books of same genre, readers know who the serpent is from the beginning. The crux is how each one of the three protagonists try to manipulate each other - like a game of chess, a charade, a cat and mouse game. A cliff hanger to the very last page, it keeps the readers guessing what happens next: who wins, who lives, and who dies.

Sujets

• Thrillers
• Suspenso
• Suspense
• Thriller
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Outskirts Press
• Date de parution: 16 février 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781977258038
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

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The Serpent’s Guile All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2023 Roy Espiritu v9.0
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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Cover Photo © 2023 www.gettyimages.com . All rights reserved - used with permission.
Outskirts Press and the "OP" logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
SERPENT: In Aztec culture, the god Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent identified with the wind and air. A vicious or treacherous person A creepy noxious creature that hisses or stings The ruler of hell; i.e., Lucifer or the devil himself Someone who betrays a trust or an allegiance A viper Following Christian tradition, serpents relate to lies, vengefulness, and vindictiveness. Nehebkau (He who harnesses the souls) was the two-headed serpent deity who guarded the entrance to the underworld in ancient Egypt.
A rich man hires a high-profile prostitute with the wife’s consent. In fact his wife chooses her for him.
A psychological novel of conflicted passions, material greed, seduction, deceit, misogyny, racism, and imagined memories; the ultimate in betrayal and manipulation, culminating in a ravaging denouement.
To my lovely wife Al, and our children, our pride and joy: Jonathan Albert, Jacqueline Grace, Justin Leonard.
Table of Contents
Author’s Comment
Chapter 1: The Torch Bearer
Chapter 2: The Gatekeeper
Chapter 3: The Beginning of the Affair
Chapter 4: Courtship Dance
Chapter 5: A Gathering Storm
Chapter 6: The Dark Side of the Moon
Chapter 7: A River On Fire
Chapter 8: The Queen’s Gambit
Chapter 9: Playing Dead
Chapter 10: Doubt
Chapter 11: The Fairest of Them All
Chapter 12: Secret Ceremony
Chapter 13: The Weighing Scale
Chapter 14: Behind the Curtain
Chapter 15: The Thrill of the Hunt
Chapter 16: Unbridled Faith
Chapter 17: Poisoned Truffles
Chapter 18: Goodnight, Mother
Chapter 19: The Man in the Mirror
Chapter 20: A Parallax View
Chapter 21: The Obit Chronicler
Chapter 22: A Better Place, Imagined
Chapter 23: For the Greater Good
Chapter 24: The Book of Revelation
Chapter 25: A Perfect Lie
Chapter 26: Zesty Italian
Chapter 27: Trick of the Eye
Chapter 28: THE WICKED SEX
Chapter 29: The Serpent’s Recoil
Bibliography
Author’s Comment
I WAS WORKING on a different novel when the inspiration hit me. It kept beckoning and teasing me. As most writers would understand, I was seduced. I left the one I was working on, planning to resurrect my previous work another time. Only time can tell when that will happen. The result is what you are about to read.
The first draft of this book was in third-person narrative. As I continued to write, however, the three main characters (the only "real" characters) kept whispering I was doing them injustice. The story needed to be told in the first-person narrative. I see their point now. The first-person narrative allows me to go inside their minds, subconscious, private thoughts, and intimate feelings, which third-person narrative wouldn’t allow. For instance, one salient drawback and failure of human nature that what we perceive and assume of somebody could be totally wrong is revealed in the first-person narrative.
Although I believe most of us are good-natured, wishing no harm to fellow humans, some people have hidden darkness in their souls. Some can be vicious. But no matter how wicked somebody is, they always have a redeeming feature. Always. It doesn’t have to be grand. It could be as simple as a gentle tap on a shoulder of somebody in pain, a sympathetic smile, or an offer of encouragement to uplift a defeated soul.
You’ve read the premise of the story: A young sex worker getting paid to "service" a rich man, the hook being the wife hired her to do the job. I wouldn’t spoil the plot by telling you why, this early. Of course, narrators could tell a lie too, just like the three main characters in the book. Grandiose deceits. Magnificent liars. They all are.
One of them, the chauffeur, lies to hide a secret he was struggling to keep to himself. Some may find this hypocrisy, his hiding the truth to cover a presumed flaw, a human stain. I will leave it up to the readers to decide. Disgustingly obsequious, simple-minded, and a sucker for reflected glory, this character was a stabilizing force, the conscience in the story. He was the one who sensed the lie outside of his own, the one who had the sixth sense to read beyond what was obvious, from the inner suffering of the female protagonist to the wicked plan of the serpent. Readers do not have to agree.
The serpent? He lives the part irascible, hedonistic, manipulative, narcissistic, and misogynistic. A racist. But again, no matter what, an evil heart could harbor a good trait, just like a sour fruit might surprise you with a sweet spot, a perfect analogy. I hope you get my point.
And the prostitute? The unwitting victim. Smart and headstrong, unfortunately gullible. A contradiction? An enigma? You have seen them. We are human. We all crave approval. You would be surprised how somebody supposedly street smart, and savvy could be tricked. That is the paradox, the challenge, the beauty, you could say, of human emotion and humanity.
To sum it up, based on their exposure, all the three main characters have their own perspective of the world, their own language, their unique way of behaving. I hope my portrayal of them rings true. I owe that much to you readers. Forgive me for any inaccuracies and blatant mistakes.
Unlike most books in this genre, there is no guessing who the perpetrator is. We know who the serpent is from the beginning. Rather, it shows how each character tried to manipulate, to covet favors, affection, and material things for themselves. Everyone was wicked in their own way, the difference lying in the degree.
As a fiction writer I tried to be as accurate as possible. I did my research. Interviewed a lot of people. Carefully traversed and read materials that would not even appear in the book, but envelopes and immerses the characters with flesh and bone. I tried to capture the appropriate atmosphere. Some descriptions of foreign places were based on my travels. No amount of reading could replace the experience or give the story authenticity. I am grateful for the opportunity. I used my background as a physician to navigate and write how a certain character with psychological flaws would usually behave so that any divergence would still be plausible, still believable. I have asked my psychiatry colleagues to give their insights and allowed them to read the manuscript at its inception and final draft. Their input is incalculable.
This book, a fiction, is imitation of life. Regardless, it should be based on facts. Social values could be different by the time a book is ready to be published. Time flies. Laws change, such as laws on abortion. Assume events in the book happened a few years prior to the Covid 19 pandemic.
Readers may find my use of some words appaling, particularly racial slurs, without sensitivity to current social climate. They were done in the context of the character. I apologize.
I do not intend to pontificate. If I stirred an emotion or touch someone in any way, then I am glad I have accomplished my goal, to be a good storyteller and a credible storyteller, for that matter.
My thanks to my wife, Al, for reading the initial drafts and the finished work. Her invaluable comments are treasured. Ditto for Joseph Valdellon. I value his comments and constructive critique. To my colleagues in the psychology department, particularly Dr. Kari Malwitz, she made the journey easier with her input and critique.
Kudos to Amy Schroeder, Helen Lococo and Marcia Mueller whose patience reading the manuscript and salient pointers are gems. You are my dream beta readers.
For my readers who are willing to spend a couple of hours, probably more to read The Serpent’s Guile, (I know we all live busy lives), a bouquet of roses for you all. Enjoy.
Chapter 1
The Torch Bearer
BERNARD SCOTT DIAMOND III. Yes, you heard it right. The scion of the Diamond clan. The billionaire. The love of my life. I was his mistress. He was twenty-plus years my senior, old enough to be my father. The age difference did not matter. Love knows no limit. No boundaries. It is forgiving. It is grand. Enchanting.
In short, it is magic.
I didn’t mind taking care of him in his old age. That is what love is, isn’t it? Me pushing him on a wheelchair, patiently repeating words he had difficulty understanding, or trimming his gray moustache, and beard, his crown of hair then completely bald. I was hoping our love story would have a happy ending. It did not. Sorry to disappoint. Was I expecting too much? Probably. I have been through a lot, but I am not one who easily gives up. I have fallen not once, not twice, but several times. I managed to survive all those times, rising from ashes like the Phoenix.
I met him in the most unusual circumstance. His wife introduced us, through an intermediary. Unfortunately, she is no longer with us. The wife, I mean. Confusing? I know. We are getting ahead of the story.
What was it that I liked about him?