THE DEVIL'S FOUNTAIN

AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

PLOT

A startling discovery comes to light as financial fraud investigator Ed Castillo accepts a project to value the assets of a large estate from one of the oldest and most venerable Florida families. this is one of the largest fortunes in the country, the assets’ value estimated in the millions of dollars.

The vast fortune is about to be inherited by an heir . According to conditions set in the will, dating bank to the king of Spain, the entire fortune can only be awarded to one heir or inheritor of which five remain alive …for now. But there can only be one living relative to inherit all of the wealth and fortune.

Before the bequeath can be awarded, a missing and mysterious document known only as “The King’s Velum ” must be found and unearthed from its undisclosed  secret location. Additionally the parchement providing clues to its location must be found and the cipher of its riddle must be broken, a series of trials must be passed, as well as  legal requirements  met to ensure that all the demands of the unusual codicil in the will are adhered to.

Castillo is soon persuaded to also accept the investigation of the nearly seven years old unsolved missing persons case of the Gardner’s, the wealthy aristocratic South Florida couple who had left the bitterly contested and yet to be adjudicated will.

The Gardners, had been the inheritors of the historically significant and mysterious estate known as “Las Palmas” located in the affluent neighborhood of Coco Plum on the intracoastal near the shores of Biscayne Bay in Miami Florida.

 They were reported missing by their nephew during one hurricane wind-whirling afternoon almost seven years ago. Castillo is soon drawn in and begins to delve into their disappearance and possible murder. They were presumed dead and brutally murdered ;  based on the amount of blood found at the scene. DNA testing had identified four different types of blood three were  identified as earl Gardener’s, his wife’s --—and their house keeper’s , the fourth remained unidentified.

Their nephew soon became the prime suspect , hounded by the police , and facing unequivocal incriminating evidence of his guilt, he is soon accussed, arrested and brought to trial. Ed , Manny and Dr. Pierre are then  recuited to aid his defence attorney in solving  the  case.