Introduction

When FBI Chief Investigator Francis Palmer and Maurice Lumen’s paths collide, a dozen young women are already dead—bodies strewn in the woods across southern New England. Crippled by the loss of their families and haunted by mistakes, they wrestle with skeletons and ghosts neither understands. Who is destined to pay for the sins of their fathers and who will pay for their own?

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Excerpt

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GHOSTS

T U E S D A Y , 2 1 O C T O B E R 1 9 7 5

The third time Mo collides with Palmer, their worlds are unraveling, and twelve young women are dead. He tenses as Palmer navigates

his chair closer. Casters straining against linoleum tiles spin and squeak in objection, stopping when the distance between the two men suggests an intimacy they do not share.

Palmer’s breathing is rhythmic, his words unsympathetic. “Okay, then, Mr. Lumen, one final question. If none of the scenarios we’ve discussed here seem likely in your estimation, are you the killer known as the Pastoral Predator?”

Shaken by the question, Mo leans back, shifting his eyes away from the chief investigator’s glare. Staring at Palmer’s fresh-lit cigarette in the ashtray, he sees willful abandonment in a silent bed of ashes. Smoke rivulets that earlier suggested memories now harbor only ghosts. A small stack of baseball cards rests in his palm. Unfurling his fingers, he inspects the one on top. Worn edges represent tangible evidence of a two-hour interrogation, time passing at the pace of a dying man’s desperate crawl. It has all led to this moment. He refocuses on Palmer but cannot offer an answer.

Palmer, inching closer, rephrases the question. “Maurice Lumen, are you the Pastoral Predator?”

Mo understood the question the first time. He’s asked himself the same several times over the past week. Still, he cannot answer. Again, he looks away. On the opposite side of the table, Agent Lowe recedes into the arsenic-green drywall—a spectator bearing silent witness to his mentor’s cool competence. Mo seeks encouragement in Lowe’s eyes but finds indictment in their reverent anticipation.

B R I A N L E B E A U

Attention returning to the stack of cards, Mo studies the one on top and notices a new crease in the cardboard. His mind drifts to this evening’s crucial game, irresistibly drawn to the simultaneous hope and despair it may deliver. Sitting in this unwelcome space and facing accusation, he’s filled with anxiety on two fronts. He prays the next thirty-six hours will bring an end to the uncertainty, providing relief in both cases.

Unable to answer, Mo stares at a crack in the wall behind Palmer. He’d noticed it earlier, but it’s grown during the interview. With this last question, it appears somehow larger, more sinister—a crooked smile mocking him. Afraid of its condemnation, he looks down, observes the movement of the second hand on his Timex, and considers the alternatives. Across an eternity comprised of fifteen measured ticks, a decision is made. He straightens himself, looks his accuser in the eyes, and responds. “No, sir.”

Retrieving his cigarette, Palmer flicks the ashes, showing no emotion as he settles back. “Well, Mr. Lumen, I believe we’ll be talking again, but, for now, you are free to go.” He gestures in the direction of Agent Lowe, his subordinate’s color resurfacing. “We’ll continue our investigation with the help of your responses, evaluating your proximity to the crime scenes and relationships with the other primary suspects.” A disingenuous smile emerges. “Thank you for your time and stay close to home until you receive confirmation the investigation is closed, or we bring you in for further questioning. Do you understand?”

Mo responds politely, as he always does. “Yes, sir.”

Following a long drag, Palmer exhales. A dispassionate cloud of white consumes remnant blue streams still rising from the ashes. view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

While writing "A Disturbing Nature," author Brian Lebeau drew inspiration from the most infamous crimes of the '60s and '70s. What parallels did you see in the book to the real life crimes committed by serial killers during that era? Did you see similarities to any notorious killers specifically?

What clues did you notice in the book that led you to discover the identity of the killer? Did anything throw you off the trail or surprise you?

It is clear that the two main characters, Mo Lumen and Francis Palmer, are emotionally and intellectually very different from each other -- but in what ways are they alike? Do they share common ground? Why do you think that's important?

How does this book explore complex issues like race relations, psychological disorders and social justice?

How do you think this book handles the blurry line between man and monster? Did you have sympathy for the killer at any point during the book? How did that impact your relationship to the character when the killer was revealed?

The book is mostly set in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Have you ever visited New England? What is it about this region that lends itself well to a gritty, suspenseful story like "A Disturbing Nature?"

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