Van Alone

By: Patrick Doyle

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Giovanni Russo has forged a very particular life for himself. Working in the world of rare books, he’s independent, self-sufficient, and alone. Withdrawn but combative, he engages in personal relations only to do business and, on occasion, have sex. His aloofness draws people in. Good for business, he says to himself. Good for sex.

But Van carries a secret that he’s never shared but upon which he’s based his entire life. The shame has made him who he is, astute at business and wary of everything else. The only person he ever loved was his grandfather, now dead, but who lives on through the family home he’s now inherited. Filled with memories and memorabilia, the place is seen by Van as an opportunity to further consolidate his very private life. But that doesn’t happen.

Instead, the move provokes a series of events that put his carefully controlled physical and emotional isolation at risk. Somebody wants something he has and they’re willing to do anything to get it. And he doesn’t even know what it is. Suddenly, he’s very popular. He meets a seductive man named Maurice. A stranger claims rights to the will. A colleague takes an interest in his movements. Another is intrigued by his family history. A neighbor means him well.

But it’s his conflicted relationship with Maurice that drives him. As he becomes increasingly attached to this mysterious man, his defenses crumble. As Maurice asks him — “Why are you alone all the time? Why doesn’t somebody as amazing as you have a life?”

What follows is an adventure, a mystery, a romance, and a search for a truth long lost but never far away.