Murder on Autopilot

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Murder on Autopilot - book excerpt

Chapter One

"Come on, Mom. I don't want to look like a nun," Jamie Martin pleaded.

The teenager celebrated her sixteenth birthday the day before. Her biggest present was the car she was now driving. Not really driving. It was the automobile industry’s industry's newest technology, a virgin model of the Eagle Autocar, able to drive without human intervention.

Jamie planned to spend some of the money she received from her grandmother on a silk low–cotton blouse that would accentuate her perky top. Andy Netterville, the captain of the football team, was the target of her affection. The two teenagers had dated for three months, and he was a full–blooded high testosterone athlete. So far, she had resisted his aggressive advances. But tonight would be the special time for them to consummate their relationship, her first time with any young man.

Jamie planned to go alone to the Mall of Louisiana, but her mom insisted on going along. Lois Martin had never ridden a self–directed automobile and was nervous with her husband's choice. Ralph Martin’s reason the car would be safer, driving itself instead of in the teenager's hands. His daughter was no different from most, totally absorbed in constant contact with her friends on her iPhone.

"I don't want you to wear something that would give that young man the wrong idea," Lois answered her daughter.

The teenager turned to face her mind, letting the automobile navigate itself through the traffic on Interstate 12 from Denham Springs.

"Mom, I'm almost an adult. Why can't you trust me?"

"I trust you, honey. But I don't trust football players. I dated a few of them in my day."

"How did you dress for your dates?" Jamie asked.

"We're not talking about me. It's your future I'm concerned about."

Jamie had already determined she would buy two tops, one to show her mom, and the silk one to wear on the date. She also wanted some form-fitting jeans a half size too small. Although she did not think it was necessary to excite Andy further, she wanted him filled with desire for her.

They passed the Amite River bridge, and the car increased in speed to the limit with no effort on Jamie's part. She loved the car. She could text, listen to music, and talk to her friends in it without the worry of other traffic. It was a teenager’s dream.

Then the car eased up another ten miles per hour.

"Mom, it’s speeding. I don't want to get a ticket on my first ride in it. What should I do?"

"Tap the brakes," Lois answered. "According to the manual, that will let you take control back."

Jamie lightly stepped on the brake. The car sped up another ten miles per hour. Then she stomped on the brake. The car continued going eighty miles an hour. Even at this speed, the auto control expertly maneuvered through the light traffic on a Saturday morning.

"Let me call your father," Lois jerked her cell phone out of her purse.

"I don't know what to do," Jamie's eyes widened with fright.

Joe did not answer his cell, an occurrence that happened all too often to suit Lois. She did not leave a message, slamming the phone back in her purse. When she looked up, the mother could not believe how many cars they were passing.

At the Sherwood Forest exit, the car was going ninety miles per hour. A mile later, at the Airline Highway exit, it was up to ninety–five. Still skillfully dodging all the other traffic, the automobile reached a hundred miles per hour at the I–10 junction.

Jamie screamed when they left the main road and rode on the shoulder of the interstate. Lois tried to do something, but in her panic, she froze.

At the College Drive exit, they sped at a hundred ten miles per hour. The number of lanes tightened from four to three, further congesting the mass of travelers.

The auto car clipped the back of a semi-truck and spun. Both females found their voices, letting out shrills that could be heard above the traffic's din.

Jamie's car crashed through the cement retainer above College Avenue. Lois and Jamie felt the hand of death approaching. The teenager knew she would never consummate her relationship with Andy. Her final thought was what she had missed.

The car went through the retainer and landed twenty feet below in the bed of a pickup. Lois and Jamie did not feel the impact. They were no longer feeling anything. 

Chapter Two

Lyle Houston paced back and forth. He was way too jazzed to sit. The future of his whole company was a stake. His entire future was in jeopardy. Lyle owned eighty percent of Eagle Autocar. Ralph Smith owned the other twenty percent.

CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and all the major networks were rebroadcasting the Eagle Autocar Sparrow crash against the concrete blockades. A murderous, seeing the automatic car speed by, filmed it with her smartphone. It went viral and made international news. The whole world viewed the incident.

The Customer stayed away in droves, except for those who wanted to return their Sparrows. His sales staff had to assure each one the crash was an anomaly. They tried to assure them they were in no danger of the same happening to their cars.

But that was okay because no new customers were standing in line to get a chance to purchase a new electric Sparrow. Before the deaths of Lois and Jamie Martin, people could not wait for six months to receive the delivery.

Almost a quarter of those had already called and told the unfortunate salesmen where they could stuff the deposit.

The company was not cashing affluent. Lyle borrowed against future sales, putting the financial health of Eagle Autocar in peril. Houston had already invested his entire life savings. Plus, he had put a second mortgage on his home he shared with his wife and three daughters. All three of the girls were in their teens as if Lyle did not have enough distractions.

After wearing a hole in the carpet behind his desk, Lyle did the only thing he thought of that might help. The automobile company owner picked up the desk phone and dialed the number of the most famous private investigator in Louisiana. He started talking as soon as Niki Dupre picked up. 

Chapter Three

Lyle still paced after Niki arrived in his office. The long-legged detective sat calmly on the other side of the huge cherry desk. The owner had already smoked three cigarettes and was lighting a fourth while describing the situation to her. When he Paul also like the fourth cancer stick, Niki asked a question.

"How do you know it's not a design flaw?"

"Because we don't have any flaws in our design," Lyle responded. Ralph and I were the designers. We made no mistakes."

"Who is Ralph? Does he still work for Eagle Autocar?"

"No, he doesn't. Ralph and I started the company based on an idea we had sitting in a bass boat one day. He wasn't as wealthy, so I put it up all the money, and he brought his tremendous skills to the partnership. But he is no longer active."

"Why not?" Niki asked. "If I owned twenty percent of an internationally known company, I'd be here every minute of every day."

"We had a minor disagreement. Not over the automated features of our design, but on other matters." Lyle answered.

"How disgruntled is Ralph? Would he go as far as sabotaging a car to settle the argument?"

Lyle stopped pacing. He stuffed the four cigarettes in an ashtray and led the fifth one. At this rate, Niki felt he would easily go through an entire carton in one day.