Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. Thank you all for your comments on last week's post. Your encouragement really helps.
I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. I'm picking up where we left off last week. Alex is talking to Nick in jail. He tells her why the authorities think he killed Mike Amerson. He had motive. He continues.
Snippet:
“Then there’s means. My gun was found at the scene.” He snorted. “As if I’d be stupid enough to leave my weapon behind, if I did kill someone.”
“But you always
keep your gun locked in your duffle.”
“Not always.”
I didn’t know
that. “That means someone broke into our apartment to steal it.”
“Uh huh. You
might want to check into that.”
As if I
wouldn’t check the logs with our security service.
“And, of
course, my fingerprints are on the gun.”
“Anyone
else’s?”
“I don’t know.”
He gave a sharp glance at Deputy Jenny who was now leaning against a wall. “They won’t
tell me. Worse, supposedly I called Amerson and told him to meet me at the
cottage where his body was found.”
“What do you
mean supposedly?”
“There’s a
message on Amerson’s phone. From a burner, but the message appears to be
from me. And last, but not least, opportunity—I can’t tell the chief where I was
between the time I left Ma’s and when I got to your apartment.”
“Okay. It’s ten
minutes from Maria’s. What could you possibly do in ten minutes?”
Nick leaned in
close and whispered, “It was more than ten minutes. I left Ma’s at one.”
“Oh, dear God,”
I blurted then slapped my hand across my mouth. My turn to whisper. “Two hours?
Where were you?”
“I can’t tell
you.”
Why? I wonder why he can't share his whereabouts. Love this so far. I wonder where he was.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Iris.
Delete"I can't tell you." Well now, that's a bit damning. Now I'm really curious as to what he was up to. It's been a while. I'm going to have to give my copy another read.
ReplyDeleteNot good for Nick.
DeleteSecrets are never good in a relationship. Tweeted. This is Daryl - it won't let me sign in.
ReplyDeleteSorry it wouldn't let you sign in. Glad you persisted, though. I've had that trouble on other sites.
DeleteNo. Secrets can lead to a rift in the relationship. Will it here?
And now I want to shake him until his teeth rattle! I'm sure Alex does as well. Unless he's trying to protect her in some way, he needs to tell her and his lawyer where he was ASAP! Great cliffhanger, Diane! Tweeted.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenna. Not sure shaking would do any good. She knows he can't tell her everything he does for the "secret" agency he works for. But, sheesh, he should be able to tell his lawyer, at least, to get him out of jail.
DeleteI'd be pretty frustrated with him by now! But more mysteries to be solved here. A very skillful snippet!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Veronica.
DeleteWell, that doesn't sound good.
ReplyDeleteNo, it doesn't.
DeleteHe can't tell her? That's not going to help with her emotional state. What was he into that she can't know? And why didn't he always keep his weapon locked up? And who can mimic his voice? This does not look good for Nick. If someone was willing to break into their apartment and wasn't caught doing it...it's looking like a very well-planned set-up.
ReplyDeleteYou nailed it. BTW, it was a text message. Guess I didn't mention that. Oops.
DeleteOh this is so good!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Viviana.
DeleteLike most everyone else I'm going "CAN'T tell"???? Oh, Nick, bad bad move
ReplyDeleteYou are so right.
Delete