Table of Contents
An octopus rots from the center . . .
Assistant US Attorney Tom Okamoto paused while inhaling his power breakfast to lecture Nora.
“You may not know this,” he informed her, “but you’re sitting in one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. A lot of immigrants moved in during the past two decades. People of Hispanic or Latino origin comprise half of Parma, Washington’s population. Police shootings of civilians here are a direct result of local law enforcement’s failure to keep up with that growth.”
He bit off a chunk of toast and washed it down with more coffee. “The department became a joke when Roger Jefferson took over.”
“In 2000,” she interjected, a biscuit halfway to her mouth. “Chief of police until shortly after you got federal indictments against four members of his department. At that point, he took early retirement.”
“I can’t take credit for getting rid of the chief,” Okamoto admitted. “The city manager chose not to investigate the charges against Jefferson. So we’ve got no actual evidence of how badly he screwed things up.”
He glanced around the room, spotted their server, and raised his empty mug to signal he wanted a refill.
“There’s a Japanese proverb that fits the situation,” he continued. “‘An octopus rots from the center out.’ That was Parma PD as run by Chief Roger Jefferson. The corruption started with him and spread to the rest of his i***t deputies. The tragic outcome was Wesley Mitchell’s slaughter of two unarmed Latinos. Everyone in Parma should thank God that the feds stepped in.”
Praise for the Nora Dockson legal thriller series
“An engaging legal thriller, Right the Wrong is the second book in what I hope will be a long-running series. I highly recommend it. [Nora is] a richly multi-layered character—all the dimension that she has makes her so interesting to the reader. A fascinating series . . .”
Stephen Campbell, CrimeFiction.FM
Don’t miss b***h OUT OF HELL, the new political thriller featuring Bella Hinton
“Helluva read! I really enjoyed this. I hope there are more books coming. The characters are intriguing, Bella is intelligent and sassy, and the plot is entertaining.” (sss reader review)
“Diana Deverell’s newest book could be a story on the six o’clock news - the outsourcing of America’s military functions, shady corporate dealings, the suspicious death of a whistleblowing board member, and a special prosecutor’s investigation.” (iBooks reader review)
Praise for Diana Deverell’s previous thrillers 12 DRUMMERS DRUMMING
“An electrifying political thriller . . . a believable whirlwind international chase.”
Huntsville Times
“She writes with a polish and a flair that hold nothing back in the areas of terror, torture and adventure as well as in more tender worlds of love and loyalties . . .”
National Public Radio
NIGHT ON FIRE
“A thriller that grabs you by the throat and makes you come along for the ride. And with Deverell in the driver’s seat, the ride is unforgettable.”
Statesman Journal (Oregon)
“Deverell’s skill at spinning a complex and twisted plot remains undiminished from 12 Drummers Drumming . . .”
Crescent Blues
EAST PAST WARSAW
“Diana Deverell has once again crafted a tale that makes you pray it’s fiction.”
S.E. Warwick, mystery reviewer
