Once a Crooked Man (44 page)
Read Once a Crooked Man Online
Authors: David McCallum
Lights! Camera! Action! Harry Patrick Murphy picked up his phone and dialed his agent.
It was time to earn an honest living.
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For the most part, the creation of this book was a long and solo effort as I tried to learn how to write a story, but many individuals contributed their time, wisdom and expertise. Special thanks must go to:
My English teachers at University College School, London, for setting me on the right track.
Katherine, my wife of almost fifty years, with her loving encouragement and eagle eye for details that everyone else misses.
Assistant US Attorney Bradley Tyler, who helped me find whomever and whatever I needed to begin and complete my research.
Special Agent Gerald McAleer (Retired). At the time I met him in New York he was the Special Agent in Charge at the US Drug Enforcement Agency. “Gerry,” as he is affectionately known, gave me a glimpse of the inner workings of the intricate and sometimes perilous ways of undercover assignments.
Special Agent Jim Christy (Retired), who took me into the world of cybercrime and showed me the way agents are trained to do battle against it. Jim is currently the President and Founder of the Digital Forensics Consortium.
Charlotte Herscher, who taught me the Basics of Novel Writing 101.
Scott Williams, Senior Executive Producer and a writer on
NCIS,
who gave me a reassuring smile as he welcomed me, as he put it, “to the world of self-doubt.”
My new friend Will Anderson, a kind and gentle editor at Thomas Dunne Books, who help me guide this effort to fruition.
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The poem “There Was a Crooked Man” has its roots in British history and originates from the ill-feeling between the Stuarts and Charles 1.
The “crooked man” is reputed to be the Scottish General Sir Alexander Leslie who signed a Covenant securing religious and political freedom for Scotland.
The “crooked stile” refers to the border between England and Scotland.
“They all lived together in a little crooked house” refers to the fact that the English and Scots had finally come to an agreement.
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DAVID McCALLUM
is a Scottish-born actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as the Russian secret agent Illya Kuryakin in the television series
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
and his current role, as medical examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, on
NCIS
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CONTENTS
About the poem “There was a Crooked Man”
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
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A THOMAS DUNNE BOOK FOR MINOTAUR BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin's Publishing Group.
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ONCE A CROOKED MAN.
Copyright © 2015 by David McCallum. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
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Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
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The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
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ISBN 978-1-250-08045-5 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-9248-4 (e-book)
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e-ISBN 978466892484
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Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at
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First Edition: January 2016