The secure telephone line ringer was turned on at night and it jolted Blackie awake. He stumbled through the door in the false wall that hid the room that contained the secure line, a safe, and a lot of guns. Blackie tried to see his watch to see what time it was as he muttered hello into the telephone.

The Hulk’s voice came over the line very clear, not filled with sleep, “You awake Boss?”

“Give me a minute,” said Blackie as he shook himself. “What ya got Hulk?”

“We got somebody wants ta talk about that incident. He’s a little fuzzy right now, but his memory’s coming back. I know Mickey would be your choice, but ya want us ta do da best we can?”

“Make sure he understands whoever he names, we’re gonna get ‘em, and gonna put ‘em face to face and he’s gonna tell ‘em to their face what he told us.”

“A’right. Want us to call ya back tonight?” asked the Hulk.

“Nahh. Ya got enough adrenalin to bring ‘im back every time he passes out?”

“Yeah,” said the Hulk.

Blackie stood there with the phone in his hand reflecting…he was just getting back in circulation after an assassination attempt that left him in a coma for twenty-seven days. All his men and every snitch or person who knew Blackie were trying to get information on who the shooter was and who could have paid for the attempted hit. The rumors had cluttered the airways with stories about an old vendetta from a power struggle, a lone wolf nut, a beef over a broad from some jealous husband, nobody knew for sure yet what the real story was. With the Hulk and his partner having a potential informer, his goodies hooked up to a lamp cord, raised the possibility that they’d have the name soon. Blackie hung up the phone and headed back into his bedroom. His mind drifted to his girls. Lu, Al and Rae were home with him, Teri and Beth away at school. His heart sagged a little heavy as the thought crossed his mind, how would they have survived if the hit had been successful.

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True-life incidents make for exciting action in David Steece’s blistering story based on his own extraordinary experiences with the criminal mind, sexual exploitation, and corrupt politics. Paradox is filled with colorful, larger-than-life characters and interspersed with real-life documents from Steece’s criminal rap sheet, ownership of gambling casinos, and his late conversion to law enforcement.

Like the two faces of the Roman God Janus, David Steece’s Paradox portrays Blackie—Steece’s street name—as a connected gangster; a sociopath…nefarious, vindictive and egomaniacal. Then, conversely, it reveals him to be a true crime detective and a warm, humorous family guy; a doting father who adores his “angel” daughters.

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