One For the Money - Murder in the Metroplex

One for the Money introduces Blake Franklin at the exact moment his patience with the system finally runs out.

A former Fort Worth police officer, Blake leaves the department carrying a quiet frustration he can’t shake. He didn’t quit because he stopped believing in justice. He quit because the red tape, politics, and failing the detective exam three times. Opening his own private investigation firm isn’t a gamble or a midlife crisis. It’s a calculated decision to serve and protect at a level the badge no longer allows.

His first client seems harmless enough. An elderly woman who believes she’s being taken advantage of financially. The kind of case Blake expects to handle quickly, cleanly, and without much drama. But something doesn’t sit right. The deeper Blake digs, the more obvious it becomes that this isn’t a simple fraud case at all.

What begins as stolen classic cars turns into untimely deaths and missing people.

Blake uncovers a carefully hidden operation built on fear, manipulation, and silence. Murder and kidnapping are part of the picture—but they’re not the full horror. The real threat lies in how quietly the crimes have been allowed to exist, protected by indifference and buried beneath layers of misdirection. Every step forward puts Blake closer to answers—and closer to danger he didn’t anticipate.

As the case expands, Blake realizes he can’t do this alone. He begins assembling a team not out of convenience, but trust—people with skills, instincts, and personal codes that mirror his own. These relationships don’t just help him survive the investigation; they redefine how he sees justice, loyalty, and responsibility.

One for the Money isn’t just the first case of a new PI. It’s the moment Blake Franklin becomes something more than a former cop with a business card. It’s the case that reshapes his future, hardens his resolve, and sets the tone for everything that follows. Because once you pull back the curtain on a darkness like this, there’s no going back to simple cases—or simple answers.