Murder and No Play

By Murray Moffatt

In this standalone follow-up to the thriller "Play", Tom Richards, a young man who won seventy million dollars in a lottery, continues to do the one thing that makes him the happiest. On his isolated property, he dresses in costumes and plays adventures just like he did as a kid. But a violent act threatens to end Tom's vivid imagination. Tom's sister, Mary, sent to prison for trying to take control of his fortune is now seeking revenge on everyone involved. Meantime, Tom's girlfriend, Sarah Angelo, has been appointed to defend the leader of a notorious bike gang accused of murdering a rival. "Murder And No Play" is a thriller about murder, revenge and one man's incredible imagination.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Murray Moffatt
• Release date: Apr 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215618813

Murray Moffatt

Murray Moffatt is a former broadcast journalist and senior public relations consultant. Over the course of 25 years, Murray wrote countless radio news stories and delivered tens of thousands of newscasts.As a public relations consultant, Murray wrote hundreds of media releases as well as briefing notes and magazine articles on behalf of clients. He delivered media relations training to executives from a wide variety of public and private companies and organizations.For years, Murray did extensive volunteer work with various organizations. He received a Mayor’s Award of Merit from the City of St.Catharines, Ontario and a provincial award (Ontario) for his work with Brant/Brantford CrimeStoppers.Murray previous published his autobiography (“A Different Kind Of Life”) through StoryWorth.Born and raised in Ontario, Murray now lives in Alberta.

Book preview

Murder And No Play

A Novel by Murray Moffatt

Also By Murray Moffatt

A Different Kind of Life (Autobiography)

Play

*Murder Best Unsolved

*Murder Maybe Relative

*Murder Maybe By Evil

Murder And No Play

*A Shane Daniels Murder Mystery

Copyright 2023 © Murray Moffatt.

All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, and recording or otherwise - without the prior written permission of the author except for brief passages quoted by a reviewer in a newspaper or magazine. To perform any of the above is an infringement of copyright law.

Cover Design: Sarah Autio

ISBN: 978-1-7782065-3-5

Author's Note:

I'll always have a soft spot for Play, not only because it was my first novel, but also because of the deep connection I have with its main character, Tom Richards.

Like Tom, when I was young I loved making up and playing imaginary adventures and I remember my mom looking at me out the window of our house as I did cartwheels, swung from the branch of a nearby tree, and talked to someone who wasn't there. She didn't know I was Spiderman up against a villain, but I do know she wondered if there was something wrong with me.

And like Tom, I loved those adventures and really didn't want to give them up when I reached the age when I was expected to stop.

I hadn't really intended to return to Tom's story, but several people who read Play asked me if the ending meant that Tom really was mentally unstable. I always replied it was up to the reader to decide. It got me thinking about what happens next to Tom and his incredible imagination, and the impact on his trouble sister, Mary, and his girlfriend, Sarah Angelo.

I hope you enjoy finding out in Murder And No Play.

Once again, I want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my novels and for the support and encouragement of my retirement hobby.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are all products of my imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Any mistakes are mine alone. 

For Sarah and Laura. I'm always so proud of you.

Everything you can imagine is real

Pablo Picasso (Painter)

Imagination is the true magic carpet

Norman Vincent Peale ("Power of Positive Thinking')

"While seeking revenge, dig two graves - one for yourself

Douglas Horton ( American Clergyman & Author)

"In human history, the desire for revenge and the desire for loot

have often been closely associated"

John McCarthy (British Author)

Chapter One

Marshal Tom Richards was normally the hunter, but this time he was the one being hunted.

As he sat on the plank floor, leaning against the wall of the old log cabin and checking the ammunition for his Winchester rifle and his Colt Peacemaker, Tom knew this is where the hunt would end, one way or the other.

He still had lots of ammunition, which was a good thing, but he wasn't sure how much he would really need if his pursuers did what he expected and set the cabin on fire to either kill him with the smoke and flames or flush him out into the open so they could gun him down.

This was supposed to be a simple hunt and capture. Jimmy Bond was wanted for murder after he killed a man he had accused of cheating during a poker game. Jimmy had been on the run for two months and when Tom got word the young gunslinger was in his territory, he set out from his home base in Montana to track him down.

At an outpost a day's ride west of Billings, Tom showed Jimmy's wanted poster to the store clerk who said Jimmy had been in yesterday to buy supplies and that he wasn't alone. There were four other men with him, all of them rough looking, who waited outside on their horses.

The Marshal was perplexed by this information because he knew Jimmy was a loner, a drifter who rode from town to town looking for temporary work on a ranch and to play poker. Why was he suddenly riding with four other men who were most likely outlaws like him? Did they know Bond was wanted for murder and had a price on his head? The reward would be really tempting for the other cowboys. Had Jimmy talked them into something that would be more lucrative?

After buying some supplies himself, Tom set out to track Jimmy, realizing he would now have to be very cautious. It was one thing to hunt down and capture one dangerous individual, even if it meant a violent confrontation, but going up against five would be tricky. The plan would be to find their camp and get the drop on them once they were asleep.

There had been a lot of springtime rain over the past two days, so tracking five mounted men riding close together was fairly easy thanks to the soft ground. The sky was clear now, with few clouds, and with the temperature climbing, Tom was able to remove the long range coat he had been wearing.

At the end of the day, he had tracked the five riders through a wide valley with forested hills on both sides to a treeline marking the end of the open trail.

There was a narrow opening into the deep forest and the hoof impressions made it clear that this was where Jimmy and his new friends had entered. Tom decided he would camp for the night along the treeline and then enter the forest tomorrow to continue his pursuit. He would have to make do without a fire in case the smoke alerted his adversaries that they were being followed.

The next morning, Tom made his way along the narrow trail, so narrow that at times he had to push tree branches out of his way, and he had to go slow to ensure he wouldn't get knocked off Cap, his Appaloosa. Jimmy and his gang would have had to do the same thing, meaning there was a good chance Tom wasn't too far behind them.

But the cut through the forest didn't last long as Tom spotted a large clearing up ahead and in the middle of it, a small log cabin. There was smoke coming from the stone chimney and Tom assumed this was where Jimmy had spent the night. This might be a good thing if all five men are inside, Tom thought. I will have them all trapped in a small, walled area.

Tom didn't see any horses tied up in front of the cabin, but it was possible they had been taken behind the cabin and into the trees to keep them out of sight for the night.

Tom dismounted Cap and led him deep into the trees to the left of the trail. I need you to stay here, buddy, and keep out of sight until I get back, Tom said as he stroke the horse's head. He knew he didn't have to tie Cap up to a tree because he knew his horse would do as he was told.

Tom removed his Winchester from the scabbard attached to his saddle, checked his pistol to ensure it had six bullets, and grabbed some extra ammunition from the saddlebag.

It was tough going through the underbrush, but Tom stayed just inside the treeline until he was beside the stretch of open area that was parallel to the front of the cabin. There were two small windows, one on each side of the plank front door, and Tom suspected they would be the only ones in the building. The glass was still intact, so somebody had been living in the place or at least looking after it.

From his position, Tom couldn't see in the windows to check for movement inside, but it didn't matter because he was going into the cabin one way or the other, hoping to get the drop on Jimmy and his new pals, if they were there.

Tom took a look around the clearing, and not seeing anything, left the coverage of the trees and ran hard for the front of the cabin. There was no porch or front step. Tom ducked under the window and stood with his back against the wall to the left of the front door, which was held closed by a simple latch. He quietly pumped the lever on his rifle to put a bullet in the chamber and got ready to breach the door.

Then, just as he was about to go, Tom spotted movement in the treeline across the clearing to the right of the cabin. He didn't see any men, but he did see the barrels of several rifles sticking out of the trees.

Shit! It's an ambush! Tom realized and he moved quickly to get inside the cabin just as bullets tore into the logs where he had been standing and ripped up the door frame. Once inside, he slammed the door closed and moved to the side as bullets punched holes in its thin boards.

Now, as Tom sat on the floor next to the door, finishing the check of his ammo, he heard a voice yelling at him from a distance away.

Well, Marshal, it would appear that you've got yerself in a bit of a pree-dick-a-mint. Tom heard Jimmy Bond yell.

Tom didn't answer because he knew that's what Jimmy wanted, to draw him into a conversation as a distraction.

It would appear, Marshal, that yer not as good a manhunter as everyone says you are, Jimmy yelled. If you was good, we wouldn'ta found out you was following us. My man Charlie here is real good at spotting trackers and he hep'd turn the tables on ya.

Tom couldn't help himself and decided to say something. Say, Jimmy, since when did you start hooking up with other saddle tramps? he called out. Whose your friends? I thought you worked alone?

Ran inta these boys on the trail and hired 'em to provide some protection, Jimmy called back.

I'm surprised they didn't shoot you in the back and take all of your money, Tom said.

I convinced them id be in their best interest to keep me alive 'cus I got plans for some real good paydays, Jimmy replied.

Come on, Jimmy, do you really want to kill a Marshal? Do you have any idea what kind of heat that will bring down on you? Tom shouted.

Sorry, can't hear ya Marshall! Jimmy called back.

From where he was sitting, Tom reached up with his rifle and used the butt of the stock to smash the glass out of the window that was above and slightly right of his position. Keeping his back against the wall, he stood up slowly and took a quick peek out the window. He saw movement in the heavy underbrush just inside the tree line, as Jimmy's men were obviously trying to move to some cover in the area at the back of the cabin where there was no door or window that Tom could use to keep them away.

With nothing to lose and perhaps a chance to reduce the number of adversaries, Tom stood at the window and started firing his rifle in rapid succession into the area he saw the movement, going down and up on the Winchester's lever and pulling the trigger until all the ammo was gone.

He was rewarded with the sound of a man screaming in pain and managed to get back down below the window before bullets started slamming into the frame, slicing off chunks of wood.

When the firing stopped, Jimmy yelled out, Ya got lucky, Marshal, you gut shot one of my men, so he's not long for this world. But yer still a dead man.

Sitting on the floor reloading his rifle, Tom considered his options for escape and there was only one; out the door, to the right, and try to get to the side of the cabin without being shot.

But the chances of making it were slim, with at least Jimmy sitting just inside the treeline ready to open fire with a rifle, a much more accurate weapon than a pistol. There was also a more than good chance that one or two of Jimmy's men had already circled the cabin and were lying in wait, knowing that going to the right of the building was Tom's only means of escape.

Then, Tom heard the sound of two items landing on the roof and knew Jimmy's men had done what he expected; throwing either torches or whisky bottles with burning rags jammed down their necks on the top of the cabin to set it on fire.

It didn't take long before the entire wood shake roof was burning and smoke started billowing down from the ceiling to fill the cabin's interior.

Tom desperately looked around for any means of protection from the flames, but there was nothing. The only furniture was a small table made out of split logs, two chairs, and a metal-framed single bed in one corner. It had a straw mattress but no covers that Tom could maybe soak in water and cover himself against the smoke and flames. Besides, the only wooden bucket in the room was empty.

There were shelves along one wall with a few cans of beans and the back wall of the cabin had a stone fireplace, smoke already billowing out of its opening.

Looking up, Tom could see the flames had already ripped through the roof and chunks of burning shakes were falling to the floor. It wouldn't be long until the walls were on fire and Tom's eyes and lungs were starting to hurt from the thick smoke.

The Marshal knew that Jimmy and his new partners would be standing in front of the cabin watching it burn and waiting for Tom to make a desperate run for it out the door. It was his only choice now, so Tom set the rifle on the floor, pulled the Colt out of the holster, cocked it, and prepared himself for the suicide run.

Just as he was about to get up, Tom noticed a dark line in the planks running along the edge of an old woven mat the table sat on. He got up, and choking on the thick smoke, pushed the table off the mat, which he then pulled up and threw aside.

A trap door on the floor! There was a ring recessed into one of the planks and Tom grabbed it and pulled up. The door was very heavy because of