Requisite Evil

Character Profiles

The Setting | Chisholm, Minnesota

The choice for this location became obvious as I searched for a location for the remote cabin in the opening scene. I knew I wanted it to be in a remote wooded area where the killer could take his time torturing the victim with little concern for witnesses. Located on Highway 169 in the center of Minnesota’s Iron Range, its rustic surroundings intrigued me and the ideas began flowing freely.

Let’s meet the main characters

Betsy Snelling | FBI Agent | Antagonist

Betsy, of course, is my favorite character. She is stunningly beautiful, provocative, soulful, and sexy, all rolled up into a wickedly desirable frame. Her inexplicable, immediate attraction to Dick Dantes, the lead detective, gained more meaning as the story unfolded.

Betsy was another one of my more complicated characters. Her life was driven by childhood events, which caused serious irreparable psychological damage. Her beauty, matched only by her cunningness and manipulative genius, made her the dominant character in the story. Betsy’s love for Dick Dantes was by no means the result of a natural attraction. Though she wouldn’t admit that to herself, she didn’t love him at all, but did a damn good job of holding onto the lie until very late into the story. 

I never intended to make her come across as a nice person. Despite several references to her provocative nature, there was an evilness to her that, though just scratched the surface, was undeniable. Dick’s partner, Steve, picked up on this vibe early. I made it seem like jealousy to replace what he thought he knew about her, at least for a while.

Betsy’s character was a complicated one, deliciously cunning, and very much a danger to herself and anyone unfortunate enough to be labeled an enemy. 

Dick Dantes | Lead Detective | Protagonist

Dick Dantes left behind a life of high-profile crime fighting. Having worked some of the roughest streets in the country, he had made a name for himself as being a tough, no-nonsense, but fair crime fighter. Following an unfortunate incident, he gave it all up to live out life under the radar. He had visions of semi-retirement in a small town where he could live out his fast approaching golden years with little worry of being thrust into harm’s way. It all worked according to plan... until she showed up.

Enter Betsy Snelling, an attractive, much younger FBI agent. She said she was on vacation and read about the murder at the cabin. She said she was there to offer her services, off-the clock. Betsy said a lot of things that went right over Dick’s head. Dick, realizing the age difference, tried to ignore her beauty, but like so many men before him, failed miserably. Betsy was an admitted flirt and found Dick irresistibly handsome for his age. Her flirt ensued, and they spent about 2.5 seconds establishing a professional relationship before plowing full steam ahead into the romance part.

Dick (nor anyone else) couldn’t believe his luck and immediately trusted Betsy and believed everything she told him. The case of the cabin murder had stalled, and he welcomed any input from a seasoned FBI agent. At first, things worked well. Betsy provided insight that Dick and his partner, rookie Steve Meadows, never thought of. Dick, however, began letting the personal relationship cloud his judgement. He ignored the subtle signs of obvious lies or, to put it more mildly, a misrepresentation of facts. As Dick realized Betsy may have had an ulterior motive for wanting on the case, he willfully blocked the red flags that at that point dominated his thoughts.

Once Dick and his partner identified a suspect, Betsy seemed to work overtime, trying to convince Dick he had the wrong guy. His little angel on his left shoulder told him to get a grip and not trust Betsy so much. The little devil on his right shoulder won and convinced him to follow his lust instead.

Dick eventually came to his senses. But by then, Betsy had unintentionally revealed she had issues emotionally. She began acting increasingly strange. When Dick arrested his suspect in the cabin murder, things between Betsy and Dick went south quickly. Her efforts to convince Dick that his suspect was the wrong guy became more desperate.

By the time Dick realized Betsy may have had a personal interest in the case, it was too late. Things had shifted dramatically to a horrifying turn towards the paranormal. Everyone suspected Betsy was not who she said she was, but no one could prove it. The events of that time forever shattered Dick Dantes’ dream of living out his life under the radar. He never really recovered from the loss of Betsy. He never really recovered from so much more that happened during that time.

Steve Meadows| Rookie Detective

Steve Meadows is a rookie detective assigned as a partner to the seasoned Dick Dantes. Steve had been a beat cop for a while and recently promoted to detective. He came in raring to go, full of piss and vinegar, ready for the good fight. He quickly established himself as the Yin to Dick’s Yang, the attitude adjustment to Dick’s whole been there, done that mentality. Steve was the spark that Dick needed to keep himself going until retirement, and he was eager to get the young man up to speed. It all worked according to plan... until she showed up.

Enter Betsy Snelling, an attractive, much younger FBI agent. She said she was on vacation and read about the murder at the cabin. She said she was there to offer her services, off-the clock. Betsy said a lot of things that went right over Dick’s head. Dick, realizing the age difference, tried to ignore her beauty, but like so many men before him, failed miserably. 

Call it jealousy. Call it lust from afar. Steve didn’t understand Betsy’s attraction to Dick. In his mind, he was right there, champing at the bit to woo her and she should have chosen him over Dick. He was much closer to her age, and initially did not hide his jealousy. As time passed, he settled into the idea that he would not have her, and the working relationship became at least tolerable. However, something about her seemed off, and he didn’t trust her.

He tried explaining his feeling about her to Dick and Dick responded with an expected eye roll and buzz off. But it didn’t dissuade Steve. He smelled a rat, and by Jiminee he was going to expose it, er, her. So he started digging for clues that would substantiate his suspicions. Betsy, of course, found out what he was doing, and decided for the moment to let him have his fun. As their relationship continued on its decent south, she liked Steve less and less.

Things came to a head one day when Steve confronted her in her hotel room. He decided he’d pull a bad cop power play by slapping her around a bit to get answers to his questions. He’d seen it work a thousand times in the movies and figured, “Why not? She’s just a little girl. What’s the worst that could happen?” Unfortunately, he found out, and it changed his life forever. Betsy Elizabeth Snelling was no normal FBI agent.

Scott Henney | The Pawn

Scott Henney is a pawn, an insignificant drifter, someone to be used, abused, and kicked to the curb when his usefulness is no longer required. Scott is as timid as a mouse and lives in constant fear of the voices in his head. For all intents and purposes, they are supposed to act as his savior against one in particular. A most powerful one that with increased frequency can manipulate the others into carrying out its will. It controls its victims through pain, intolerable pain, and Scott has lived with it for most of his life.

He knows who it is that commands that most powerful voice, but would never dare reveal its identity. In the beginning, he would have to be within a few feet of it in order for a connection to occur, but as time went by, it got more powerful. The distance increased and now the demon can touch him from just about anywhere. He is terrified of it and cowers in fear each time it reveals itself. He never dares look directly into its eyes and never ever questions its commands. His only goal when it is around is to drop to the ground at its feet and scurry backwards as far away as he can. He often pinned himself into a corner to pray it cannot see him. Though always a pointless endeavor, it is the only defense he has.

Even when Scott does not hear or react to the voices, he is not a well man. Having spent most of his life in medical institutions or the prison system, he is incapable of functioning in normal society. His mind was weak from the beginning. It took very little conditioning to prepare him for the powers of suggestion. He seemed to welcome the acceptance of the presence of evil, the subservience of obedience. Scott is a machine incapable of feeling or doing anything other than what he was told. In the end, Scott Henney escaped wrath, but was a mere shell of a man. 

Steve Meadows would get a glimpse of what life was like for someone like Scott. He would get a small taste of what it was like to be touched ever so gently by a finger of a Satan’s disciple. Steve would be powerless to resist it, powerless to fight it. He would have no choice but to submit to it, if only briefly. It would be enough to alter his being, what he had always known to be true and good and human. Like Scott Henney, he would come through the ordeal a broken man, unable to convince those around him he was sane.

Paperback: 9.99
Amazon

Ebook: 2.99
Choose Your Device: Kindle | Kobo | Nook | Google | Apple