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

A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is – full of surprises.

–          Isaac Bashevis Singer

Dana Bowman is investigating the disappearance last week on Halloween of her fraternal twin, Bast Overture She starts with interviewing the last person Bast interviewed, Detective Larry Hutchinson from “Missing in Action” (Beyond the Tripping Point by Sharon A. Crawford, Blue Denim Press, 2012).

Dana sits in the boardroom of the local Thurston public library where Bast had been conducting his interviews of the characters in Beyond the Tripping Point. Although she can’t see anything amiss in the room, she now knows she should have followed her original instinct – hold the interviews in their Attic Investigative Agency office. For the third time she gets up and paces around the room, tapping on walls for hidden doors. But everything remains solid. As she returns to her seat at the head of the table, Detective Larry Hutchinson enters the room.

Dana: Thank you Detective for coming in. Please have a seat.

Hutchinson nods and sits down

Dana: You were the last person to see my brother, Bast, so I would like your help finding my brother. If you…

Hutchinson interrupts: I would like to but it is not my case.

Dana: I realize that, but it was only you and Bast in this room. So, if you could at least recap what you and Bast discussed.

Hutchinson: Sorry, you’ll have to talk to the officer in charge. Detective Donald Fielding.

Dana: I am well aware who is in charge and I will talk to him. But I repeat, Detective Hutchinson, I need you to recap what occurred here in this room on Halloween.

Hutchinson: We didn’t discuss much as it is police business.

Dana stands up and glares at Hutchinson: Detective, I am not stupid. However, my brother has disappeared and you were the last person to see him.

Hutchinson: Are you insinuating that I am responsible for your brother’s disappearance?

Dana: Of course not. But to put it in the police vernacular – anything you could tell me would be helpful – even the most minute detail.

Hutchinson: Hmm. Well, I can tell you that he was asking me questions about a certain murder investigation I conducted.

Dana: I see, and would that be the one where a certain character named Chrissie finds a dead body behind a church?

Hutchinson nods:

Dana: And what did you tell Bast?

Hutchinson: Just that we were looking at several suspects.

Dana: Including Chrissie’s cousin Robbie Stuart?

Hutchinson: Yes. Now look Ms Bowman, your brother recorded our interview. Why don’t you check with his tape recording?

Dana: I would if I could. But his tape recorder seems to have disappeared. Do you know anything about that?

Hutchinson screws up his face: What are you insinuating? That I’m covering up evidence? That I took his tape recorder?

Dana: No. I need to know if you saw his tape recorder just before you left the room.

Hutchinson: Yes.

Dana: Where was the recorder?

Hutchinson: On this table, right in front of where your brother sat – right in front of where you are sitting. And I know it was still there when I left, because I saw your brother hit the stop button as I stood up to leave.

Dana: Are you sure about that? I mean could you actually see what button he hit? It could have been “pause” for all you know.

Hutchinson stands up and scowls at Dana: Ms Bowman. Please listen, read my lips even. Your brother and his damn tape recorder were still in the room when I left. And all right, I couldn’t see exactly what button he hit. But he did hit a button on his tape recorder.

Dana: Okay, calm down Detective. One more question. Did you notice anything odd in this room?

Hutchinson: What do you mean by “odd?”

Any indication of someone else in the room…a knock or other noise on those windows over there. Did anyone come to the door?

Hutchinson. No, and no. It was just an interview – your brother was trying to get information that was police business only. So outside of his noseyness….

Dana: I see.

Hutchinson:  Do you. I suggest you talk to Detective Sergeant Fielding. I’m done here.

Hutchinson exits the room. Dana sits back and mulls that over. She really didn’t need another confrontation with Fielding. But she did seem to have some kind of a hold over him. Maybe…She looks up at the wall at the other end of the room. The abstract painting isn’t really her style. She pulls out her sketch pad and starts sketching Detective Hutchinson. She thinks he is holding something back, a lot of somethings.

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.

See Sharon A.’s Upcoming Gigs, workshops, etc. at http://www.samcraw.com/Articles/BeyondtheTrippingPoint.html  

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford