Philip Clark

The Pit Stop Philip Clark

ONCE IT HAD BEEN A THOROUGHBREDRACE TRACK, THEN IT W AS A MIDGET AUTO RACE TRACK AND LAST IT BECAME AN OILFIELD. IT WAS PUMPED TO NEAR DEPLETION AND THE FEW WELLS THAT WERE STILL ACTIVEWERE MANAGED BY AN AMBITIOUS MAN WITH AN UNUSUAL IDEA. HE CONVERTED THE OLDTOOL HOUSE TO A PRIVATE CLUB CATERING TO YOUNG PEOPLE, BASICALLY THOSE FROM THEMORE UPSCALE WEST HOUSTON NEIGHBORHOOD,. MOST WERECOLLEGE STUDENTS AND EVEN SOME HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS. THEIR AGES WERE NEVERCHECKED.. THE BEER AND SOFT DRINKS WERE FREE, AS THEY WERE INCLUDED IN THE'COVER CHARGE,' THE POLICE WERE UNAWARE OF THEOPERATION AS IT WAS IN A SECLUDED AREA AT THE END OF A DEAD END AND SELDOM USEDSERVICE ROAD. THINGS WENT WELL FOR THE OPERATOR AS HE ACCUMULATED A GREAT DEALOF PERSONAL WEALTH OPERATING THE 'CLUB' - 'THE PIT STOP', UNBEKNOWN TO THEDISINTERESTED AND ABSENTEE OWNERS OF THE COMPANY. HE OPERATED IT ON WEEK-ENDSFOR OVER TWO YEARS. THEN ONE OF THE PARTYGOERS W AS FOUND DEAD UNDER A NEARBYBRIDGE. IT MEANT LITTLE OTHER THAN THE DEAD GIRL WAS THE DAUGHTER OF ONE OF THEOWNERS. THEN A SECOND VICTIM, ANOTHER GIRL FAMILIAR WITH THE "PIT STOP" WASFOUND, THEN ANOTHER. THE POLICE WERE REASONABLY SURE THAT THEY WERE RELATED. THE COMMON DENOMETER WAS "THE PIT STOP' BUT MANY THINGS WOULD HAPPEN BEFORE THEPOLICE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE MURDERER. THERE ARE SUPRISES UP TO THE END, BUTTHR READER WILL BE STARTLED BUT THE SAD ALMOST POIGNANT END OF THE BOOK.