Cover of Sharon A. Crawford’s mystery short story collection

You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are.

― Joss Whedon

Bast has found Chrissie’s elusive cousin Robbie from “Missing in Action” (Beyond the Tripping Point by Sharon A. Crawford, Blue Denim Press, 2012). So he tries to nail Robbie down about some situations.

Bast: Come on in Robbie. Glad you could make it.

Robbie: Do I have a choice?

Bast: What do you mean by that?

Robbie: Well, the police seem to be after me and you’re a PI so you’d probably tell them you found me. I mean you found my email.

Bast: Your cousin Chrissie had it so I got it from her. Not rocket science. Now why don’t you sit down and get comfortable.

Robbie shrugs as if in resignation and sits on a chair on the side, two down from where Bast sits at the head of the table.

Bast: Okay, let’s get started. You and Chrissie were once close until your father ran off with his secretary. How come you aren’t close anymore now?

Robbie: I dunno.

Bast: Let me rephrase. Why do you keep disappearing, and have done so since your father ran off with his secretary, and only come back for funerals and the like?

Robbie: I have a life elsewhere.

Bast: Okay, tell me about that life.

Robbie: Look I came back when I found out my sister Susie was having problems and when I heard some news of my father.

Bast: Okay, you’ve mentioned two separate things. Let’s deal with them one at a time. What is this life you have elsewhere?

Robbie remains silent.

Bast: Come on Robbie. You opened that book. Now read me some chapters.

Robbie shrugs: Fine. I live on the west coast and I’m not saying where and I work in the publishing industry. Don’t earn big bucks but I make a living.

Bast: That sounds like the newspaper business. Am I right and if so, which newspaper?

Robbie shrugs.

Bast starts Googling “Newspapers British Columbia and Robbie Stuart.” He gets a long list with the former but the only Robbie Stuart that pops up is connected to his dad’s disappearance.

Bast: Okay. Obviously you use a pseudonym. Care to tell me what?

Robbie: No, but my job is legit and you are right it is with a newspaper in BC. And that’s all I’ll say.

Bast: Very well. Let’s address the other situation you mentioned – you came back when you heard Susie was having some problems and there was more information about your dad. How did you know this?

Robbie: I phone Susie two or three times a year and this time she told me she was having problems with someone spying on her and she found out that Dad might be back in Toronto.

Bast: Did she say how she knew your dad was back in Toronto?

Robbie: Someone told her.

Bast: Who was that?

Robbie: Well…

Robbie looks up at the far wall as if driven there and starts to shudder.

Robbie: Okay. I won’t say any more.

Bast: What are you looking at? What do you see?

Robbie: Nothing. It’s just best that I say no more and leave.

Robbie gets up, nods at Bast and rushes out the door. Bast looks over at the far wall. He sees nothing but the wall and the abstract painting on it. He scratches his head.

Bast, muttering to himself: What the hell are they all seeing?

You can read more about the characters and the strange situation in “Missing in Action” from Beyond the Tripping Point (Blue Denim Press, 2012). Click on the book at the top and it takes you to my profile – including book reviews – at www.amazon.com. The book is available there in print and Kindle. For Kobo e-book  go to http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/beyond-the-tripping-point or go to any bricks and mortar store and order in a print copy.

Sharon A. Crawford continues to take Beyond the Tripping Point to several readings this month. Sharon A. reads with other East End Writers’ Group members at the group’s showcase presented by and at the S. Walter Stewart Branch of the Toronto Public Library. See Sharon A.’s Upcoming Gigs at http://www.samcraw.com/Articles/BeyondtheTrippingPoint.html

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford