Paragons Category:  Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Brittney Press Publishing ISBN-10:  1893196038 Type: Fiction Pages: 306 Copyright: Jan 1 2003 The daughter of one of America's riches families is found murdered in a run-down neighbor in the Bronx.The father against the mother's will seek help in solving the murder and restoring his daughter's good name. THE PARAGONS Written by, Cliff Chandler, (c) Copyright Chapter I It had been a dreadful winter on Bishop Island - absent of beautiful sunsets. Most residents in the area moved to theirapartments in the city,or in the case of those who could afford it, to the Bahamas, which was a weekend-commute to Manhattan by corporate jet. Margaret Crainsworth's reason for staying on was different. She swore that she would never leave the island again.How could she? SOCIALITE MURDERED IN GHETTO APARTMENT Elizabeth Crainsworth, daughter of Ellis Crainsworth of Crainsworth Industries found murdered in a Bronx apartment on Boston Road. The Murder is thought to be drug related. The crime-ridden area is known for, prostitution and drug dealing. The family has refused to comment on their daughter's murder and the police have been evasive about the crime. The question is what was Elizabeth Crainsworth doing there? There are no suspects at this time. The matter is still under investigation. Ellis threw the newspaper on the table and walked over to the window. His veins felt as icy as the snow-covered lawn. He stared out into the open sea, fist clenched. He turned and started for Elizabeth's room, but stopped. Ellis pushed a large portrait up slightly, opened the safe, and took out a small box. He looked at it, and started to put it back into the safe. Instead he closedthe safe, walked over to the table and picked up the phone. "Ellis Crainsworth, I would like to speak to the mayor, please." Ellis paced back and forth until he heard the Mayor's voice. "Ellis?" "I need to see you, Bob.... here at our summer place, it's important." "Just a moment, please." The Mayor checked his calendar. "Tomorrow morning, first thing." "Thank you, Bob." "You're welcome, see you tomorrow morning." Ellis returned the box to the safe and made another phone call. * * * The following morning fog hung heavily over the island obscuring it from the mainland a quarter of a mile away. At sunrise there wasn't a hint of the fog clearing and this gave Margaret reason to believe that her fear of the unpleasant task ahead was unnecessary. Their lives have been just like the weather. March was its true self, five inches of snow over the weekend, now fog and a high wind made ghost-like figures in the mist. Why couldn't Ellis leave things alone? Why did he have to call Bob? It was over; Beth is dead, murdered. But no, he had to call the Mayor and now he is on his way to our home. I'll have no part of it... for me it's over. My baby, Beth is gone, and I am not leaving this room. "Margaret." Margaret didn't answer. She sat at the window looking towards the front lawn. "Honey?" Ellis put his hands on her shoulders. Her body rigid, she wanted to escape his grasp, but the years of love and devotion quelled her movement. She took a deep breath and answered. "Yes," barelyabove a whisper. "I understand your feelings, but I have to do this," Ellis said. "Call it off while there is still time. I have never gone against your will, you know that, but this is wrong. This thing is taking over our lives, look at you." " I resent that, and I couldn't stop them even if I wanted to, they're on the way." "You're lying to me. They'll do anything you say, they always have." Margaret said. "The weather was clear in New York when they took off and the forecast is that the weather will be clear out here by the time they arrive," he said. "My God, have you bought the weather bureau just like you buy everything else?" "Damn it. That's not fair! I'm as hurt as you are about Beth's murder, but am I climbing all over your back?" Ellis turned and walked towards the other window. "Damn it. I've had just about as much as I can take of your private grief." Margaret lowered her head and looked away. "What about my pain? Don't you think I hurt? Or is it that I can only use money to satisfy your needs?" "What in heaven's name do you mean by that?" she said. "Just this. It's all right when I spend money on the things you want: exotic flowers for the Botanical Gardens,private seats at Julliard, anything that you consider worthwhile." Ellis looked Margaret in the eye. It was as if he was looking through her. "Well this time I'm going to use money, position, power, anything that I can think of to find this bastard!" Margaret held her ground. "What in the hell are you talking about? I'm talking about our daughter resting in peace. I'm talking about the newspapers and all of those reporters." Ellis' shoulders slumped a little. "They implied that our daughter was a terrible person. I just want it to stop, and I want you to stop shouting at me," Margaret said. "Don't act as if you don't know what I mean, and I'm not shouting." Ellis hesitated a moment, and for a moment he looked like a little boy. "I guess your family will say that if I hadn't spoiled her, let her have her way she'd still be alive," Ellis said. "What a horrible thing to say at a time like this. My family adores you. It's you who has the problem. Nobody is blaming you." "Yes they do. Old money is quiet money, never mind what I have achieved." "That's ridiculous!" Margaret said. "No it isn't. It's that Old World attitude again. For God's sake, Margaret, we're living on a private island with two families on it. Don't make waves, don't make a spectacle of your self." Ellis extended his arms toward Margaret, gesturing his point. "If I listened to them I would accept Beth's murder as one of today's tragedies, a product of our times. Sorry Margaret. Beth was our daughter and that's not good enough." "Have you heard anything I said? Have you forgotten the newspapers and all of their lies! Saying that our daughter was an addict..." Margaret cried. "Margaret...I'm...I don't want to upset you. You, you've had a hard time with this. Let me handle this and things will be fine, I'm worried about you." Margaret eased out of Ellis' arms. "You say you're worried about me, you'd better take a good look at yourself." "Quiet. What's that?" Ellis walked over to the window and looked out towards the mainland. The sound of a helicopter in the distance, coughing like an old truck, echoed across the island. The fog had vanished as mysteriously as it appeared revealing a small speck in the sky, which grew larger as it approached, soon the vehicle hovered over the front lawn of the Crainsworthestate. It was a spectacular sight, the snow swirling in an upward spiral as the craft floated downward and landed in a shimmering mist of its own creation. The Crainsworth's Chauffeur drove up to the vehicle and stopped. The door of the craft opened, breaking up the word POLICE, written in large white letters on a blue background. A uniformed officer exited the craft and lowered a step for the mayor. Robert, Doubleday, a tall balding man, stooped to avoid the swirling blades above him and remained in that position until he reached the station wagon. "They're here, I'm sorry. I just don't, well...I have to do this, please Margaret..." "I told you how I feel about this and you're not going to make me change my mind," Margaret said. "Aren't you at least going to say hello to Bob?" "No." "I have to go now. It will be all right. I promise you...it will be all right. I love Beth as much as you do." "We shall see, but remember, I'm against this. We should have destroyed that thing, whatever it is. I don't want Beth's good name dragged through the mud again," Margaret said. "Trust me. It won't be anything like that." "Have you read this morning's paper?" "The headlines. Why do you think I'm doing this?" Margaret shook her head, indicating she didn't know. "I want to put an end to this once and for all." "I still think you're wrong," Margaret said. Ellis didn't answer. He turned and hurried downstairs to meet the Mayor. * * * "Bob I'm glad you could make it. I know how busy you are," Ellis said. "You said it was urgent Ellis, and I know you are not prone to alarm. What the devil is going on?" "Have a seat, Bob." "Thank, you." "Bob, something terrible has happened, but before I reveal it to you, I must have your word that the press won't get wind of what I want to give you. We've had as much as we are going to take from those people." "Is this about Beth's murder?" "Yes, and it's horrible, Bob..." "What in heaven's name is it?" "We received some new information... Bob, your word?" "You have it ...no press." Ellis studied Bob for a moment before opening a cabinet and taking out a small box and handing it to him. "I have a private detective working on the case. He's a good man. I don't know how got his hands on this, but he said if we don't handle it properly, we won't be able to use it in court. I received the information last night. I haven't heard from him this morning. When he calls in, I'll have him contact you." A servant entered the library and put a silver tray on the table. He poured two cups of coffee and served them,after which he left the room as quietly as he had entered. Mayor Doubleday took a sip of coffee, placed the cup on the table, got up and walked across the large room. "Ellis my people are all over Beth's case. I know how this must be for you. When I look at you I see the samestress in your face I used to see when we were in school just before our finals. You have a habit of clinching your teeth when you're near your limit." The Mayor was standing at the window with his back to Ellis. He waited for the information to settle in before he turned around and walked back to the table. He sat in the leather wing back chair facing Ellis. "Commissioner Chapman is going to handle this for you. I'm going to give you his private number, have your man contact him." "Bob our privacy is sacred. It's as important to me as catching Beth's killer." The Mayor looked at Ellis and nodded his head. "Does Margaret know about this?" "Very little." "How is she?" "Devastated, I don't really know. Some times, like this morning, she's logical, other times... I see a lot of anger, a great deal of pain, and God knows what else, I just don't know. The one thing I can tell you is that if the papers gethold of that information, I'll loose her; if I haven't lost her already." "She hasn't left Beth's room, she just sits there looking out the window." "You have my word Ellis, your privacy is safe with us" "Good. I thank you so much for coming out here. I wouldn't have asked, but I didn't know what else to do." "You're my friend. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be mayor, it's the least I can do. I want something from you as well" Ellis shrugged his shoulders. "I want you to call your man off and let us handle it. We have some good people out there, let them handle it, Ellis?" Ellis clenched his teeth again, got up and walked across the room. "You don't understand...it's the way she died, in that dirty room. And the papers implying that she was an addict!" "All right. I'll do what I can, but I want your word that you won't interfere." Ellis turned and faced the Commissioner. "Ellis?" "You have my word, I'll stay out of it." "Good. If anything breaks I'll get back to you." "Thank you, Bob." The Mayor stood and shook Ellis' hand. "I have to get back to the city, but rest assured, we will keep the investigation quiet." Ellis walked the mayor to the door and said good-bye. Margaret stood in the shadows of the window frame watching the craft lift off. She sighed and returned to her chair near Beth's bed. She sat there, in the morning light, cradling Beth's favorite doll in her arms. Why? The question rang in her mind's ear.Why? Beth had always been a serious child, a dedicated child, in whatever she attempted. Sure she had been against her working with the underprivileged in the Bronx, but it was part of her graduate program. She would have done that kind of thing sooner or later anyway. And wasn't it true that the people there loved her and protected her? Margaret Stirred a little. Maybe Ellis was right something didn't make sense. If they loved her, they wouldn't have killed her. "My Lord..." Margaret said. The morning light shifted, casting shadows across the room. Margaret Crainsworth's strong profile resembled the ancient cameo pinned to her jacket. Her strong, New England features personified her family's heritage.           Excerpt Cliff Chandler is back with a powerful new novel, Devastated. If you liked The Paragons and Vengeance Is Mine… You will be enchanted by Devastated. This is the third book of his series and he promises us more. The tragedy in the first chapter of Vengeance Is Mine was so disturbing that his readers have literarily stopped the author on the streets to protest the event. The good news is that what we were led to believe isn’t quite true. Devastated reveals the truth about the disturbing incident, however, Chandler is the master of twist and turns so we will not reach the conclusion of this matter until our rocket ride is almost over.

Three hits
Cliff Chandler makes it three hits in a row with his latest installment of the Vic Morgan story. DEVASTATED is as readable and as fast paced as Chandler's first two books. And at the end of the story you are primed for book number four.
Jackie K Cooper
WMAC-AM/WMGT-TV










Disigold
"5 Stars!" The DLNA
"Action packed, heart racing, and dogmatic suspense-filled drama from beginning to end is only a fraction of the thrill-ride true avid readers of suspense will enjoy. Light-hearted readers need not apply." Any one who lives in the Bronx today, and who has never experienced crime point blank might not agree with the episodes expressed in Cliff Chandler's latest spin-off of his three part sequel featuring Vengeance Is Mine, and the upcoming Devastated ( February 2003). However, I do remember the pseudonymous brutal death of a victim, portrayed as Ellis Crainsworth in The Paragons, many years ago in a slum building that was infested by drug lords. It didn't matter if she was from a buppy family of socialites who personally knew the major of New York. The girl was found filthy, clothes torn and dead as a doornail. Word got around that she sympathized with some house servants of the family, got too involved and possibly caused her own death. The grief stricken mother won't act right or leave her daughter's room for days after the death, so Ellis Crainsworth decides to obtain a local crime unit to find the murderer at large. Instead, meet Vic, a has been, reject, outcast, and dirty cop who is assigned to the case with Ben who has to stretch everyday to meet minimal height requirements to be on the force. A rookie and a foul mouthed reinstated crooked cop with die-hard passion for his job whether the force believes in him or not, leads to a Training Day Part 2, but Denzel Washington would be too nice for his role.
It's a zany, cop chase with bizarre twists that will have you engaged until the end to find out "who-dun-it." Sorry, this intricately woven plot is murderously complicated and not for the passersby type reader who can't stay tuned to details, and believe me... every nook and cranny counts.The characters are well plotted, believable and definitely worse than any bad cop movie characters out. I'd like to see this book go to the big screen and could walk it into Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures myself if the dynamic helicopter scene wouldn't cost a million bucks to produce. This author is on top of his game, and the literary world agrees. It If you aren't into action books, you will be after reading the hit of the season. This one is going Disilgold and to the big screen.
This is a masterful and thought engaging work by the former Bronx resident who now resides in Macon, Georgia. I felt like I was literally in the book. If Devastated, the sequel is any more threatening than the former page turner, I think Officer Vic's days may be numbered. Well done.

Reviewed by Heather Coverton
http://Disilgold.com

























Midwestern Review
Internet Book Watch
Cliff Chandler is a multi-talented man, who is probably best known for his photography, art, and music. His photographs of Duke Ellington can be seen on the Brittney Press website. Chandler was born in New York, and has spent most of his life there, with the exception of fourteen years in Macon, Georgia. His exhibit entitled "3 Social Contrast in the Black Community" can be seen in New York city.When Elizabeth Crainsworth was found murdered in a Bronx apartment, no one could believe she had any connection to the drugs scene. Her mother spent a year as a recluse, and her father finally tapped the Mayor for help in solving the murder. He gives the Mayor a package that cost the private investigator Crainsworth had hired to solve the case his life. The Mayor tapped Ben Chapman, Police Commissioner, to provide the best he has, who happens to be Lieutenant Vic Morgan. Morgan has been "desked" since an unfortunate incident that made for some bad press. Morgan picks Jess Norman as his partner, and the ride begins.
Vic and Jess quickly establish that Elizabeth Crainsworth entered a limo and lost her life. But how far up does the connection go, and who is the "classy lady" at the center of the action?
"Monica removed her clothes and stepped into the shower. No matter how hard she tried to adjust to her trips there, the Bronx always left her feeling dirty. Damn recession, it almost wiped out my father. Now it's up to me to keep the Woolford tradition in tact. Besides, the poor deserved what they get. I don't make the rules and I didn't start their habits. They were the ones who turned me on, so why shouldn't I make a living from them — what's morality got to do with it?'"
Chandler patiently builds layer upon layer of intrigue, interspersing plenty of action and ruthlessness along the way. One can tell he is an artist and photographer, because his pictorial descriptions of the Bronx and Manhattan are breathtaking, as is his depiction of the utter corruption that the drug world produces. Chandler produces a page-turner that exposes the dark side of our society; drugs and prostitution, as the easy money/quick death trip that it is. Vic Morgan is a hero who finds a new life, a lasting love, and success amidst chaos.

Internet Book Watch
Cliff Chandler is a multi-talented man, who is probably best known for his photography, art, and music. His photographs of Duke Ellington can be seen on the Brittney Press website. Chandler was born in New York, and has spent most of his life there, with the exception of fourteen years in Macon, Georgia. His exhibit entitled "3 Social Contrast in the Black Community" can be seen in New York city.When Elizabeth Crainsworth was found murdered in a Bronx apartment, no one could believe she had any connection to the drugs scene. Her mother spent a year as a recluse, and her father finally tapped the Mayor for help in solving the murder. He gives the Mayor a package that cost the private investigator Crainsworth had hired to solve the case his life. The Mayor tapped Ben Chapman, Police Commissioner, to provide the best he has, who happens to be Lieutenant Vic Morgan. Morgan has been "desked" since an unfortunate incident that made for some bad press. Morgan picks Jess Norman as his partner, and the ride begins.Vic and Jess quickly establish that Elizabeth Crainsworth entered a limo and lost her life. But how far up does the connection go, and who is the "classy lady" at the center of the action?
"Monica removed her clothes and stepped into the shower. No matter how hard she tried to adjust to her trips there, the Bronx always left her feeling dirty. Damn recession, it almost wiped out my father. Now it's up to me to keep the Woolford tradition in tact. Besides, the poor deserved what they get. I don't make the rules and I didn't start their habits. They were the ones who turned me on, so why shouldn't I make a living from them — what's morality got to do with it?'"
Chandler patiently builds layer upon layer of intrigue, interspersing plenty of action and ruthlessness along the way. One can tell he is an artist and photographer, because his pictorial descriptions of the Bronx and Manhattan are breathtaking, as is his depiction of the utter corruption that the drug world produces. Chandler produces a page-turner that exposes the dark side of our society; drugs and prostitution, as the easy money/quick death trip that it is. Vic Morgan is a hero who finds a new life, a lasting love, and success amidst chaos.
Internet Book Watch
Cliff Chandler is a multi-talented man, who is probably best known for his photography, art, and music. His photographs of Duke Ellington can be seen on the Brittney Press website. Chandler was born in New York, and has spent most of his life there, with the exception of fourteen years in Macon, Georgia. His exhibit entitled "3 Social Contrast in the Black Community" can be seen in New York city.When Elizabeth Crainsworth was found murdered in a Bronx apartment, no one could believe she had any connection to the drugs scene. Her mother spent a year as a recluse, and her father finally tapped the Mayor for help in solving the murder. He gives the Mayor a package that cost the private investigator Crainsworth had hired to solve the case his life. The Mayor tapped Ben Chapman, Police Commissioner, to provide the best he has, who happens to be Lieutenant Vic Morgan. Morgan has been "desked" since an unfortunate incident that made for some bad press. Morgan picks Jess Norman as his partner, and the ride begins.
Vic and Jess quickly establish that Elizabeth Crainsworth entered a limo and lost her life. But how far up does the connection go, and who is the "classy lady" at the center of the action?
"Monica removed her clothes and stepped into the shower. No matter how hard she tried to adjust to her trips there, the Bronx always left her feeling dirty. Damn recession, it almost wiped out my father. Now it's up to me to keep the Woolford tradition in tact. Besides, the poor deserved what they get. I don't make the rules and I didn't start their habits. They were the ones who turned me on, so why shouldn't I make a living from them — what's morality got to do with it?'"
Chandler patiently builds layer upon layer of intrigue, interspersing plenty of action and ruthlessness along the way. One can tell he is an artist and photographer, because his pictorial descriptions of the Bronx and Manhattan are breathtaking, as is his depiction of the utter corruption that the drug world produces. Chandler produces a page-turner that exposes the dark side of our society; drugs and prostitution, as the easy money/quick death trip that it is. Vic Morgan is a hero who finds a new life, a lasting love, and success amidst chaos.