#WeWriWa - The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: Enough Pity Partying

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. Last time, Alex finally gets home from the jail when her friends descend on her. After holding it all in for hours, she falls apart.

Snippet: 

My two besties sat on either side of me and rubbed my bare shoulders.

“Hey, it’s going to work out,” Ellie said.

“There, there now,” Dottie crooned like I was one of her kids with a scraped knee. No hugs or kisses were going to make me feel better. Though she tried.

“I miss my mom.” I sobbed my heart out. Mom should have been here. She should’ve been the one to twitch my veil, hug me, and commiserate over that stupid deputy interrupting the wedding. Instead, cancer stole her from me.

And a little more:  

“I know, I know,” Dottie crooned again.

Ellie ran to the bathroom and got a wet washcloth. She handed it to me to wipe my tears. I gasped at the cold.

“Enough pity partying.” That was Ellen. Straight to the point. “What did Chief Hoesen say?”

While I appreciated their help, I couldn’t bear any more questions.

“Please don’t ask. I don’t know what happened. I do know Nick is innocent.”

“Of course, he’s innocent,” Dottie proclaimed. “Anyone who thinks different is a moron. Like Deputy Dawg. That man is several bricks shy of a load.”

“He’s more like a brick,” Ellen concurred. “How dare he march into church and arrest Nick?”

 

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and healthy and have a great week.

#WeWriWa - The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: Unwanted Company

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. Last time, Alex and family (hers and Nick's) left the police station. Each to their own home.

Snippet: 

Pop punched in the code to unlock the back door to the office then ushered me through. I’d closed the agency for the wedding . . . and for the following week. Now, I wished I hadn’t. I needed work. First, I needed to get out of the dress. Spanx held everything in, but now it had to come off.

A rapid pounding on the door behind us stopped us both. Pop and I looked at each other. He checked the peephole then let in my two best friends and their husbands, their arms loaded with packages. 

I so did not want company.

And a little more:  

After hugs and questions—which I didn’t/couldn’t answer—we all trooped upstairs to my apartment.

“We gathered the leftovers from the reception.” Practical Dottie explained the packages. “We figured you all hadn’t eaten since breakfast. I called Tony and Maria. They’ll be over shortly.”

More company. Great. Just great.

Leaving the men to deal with the packages, Dottie and Ellen followed me into my bedroom. Ellie turned me around. I expected more questions. Instead, she said, “Let’s get you out of your gown.”

Between her and Dottie, I was soon free of the beautiful, white tulle and crepe. And the Spanx. Now, I could breathe again.

“I can’t bear to look at that dress.” Ignoring Ellie’s cringe, since the dress came from her store, I said, “I don’t want to ever see it again.”

Without a word, she hung the gown on the back of my closet door. Out of sight, out of mind. My perfect day had been shot to shit. Sorry, Mom, I mentally apologized for cussing. Mom would be so ashamed of me.

That’s when I lost it. I sank down on my bed and burst into tears.

 

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and healthy and have a great week.

WeWriWa - Wedding Wrecker: It Doesn't Look Good

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. This has been a good writing week. After many, many weeks/months, I'm finally writing again and this story is finally going places. I attribute that to you for your encouragement.

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. I've skipped a few paragraphs from the previous post. Alex is still at the police station. Chief Dan Hoesen has finished questioning her, her dad, and Alex's parents and told them all to go. Alex insists on seeing Nick.

Snippet:

Dan called Jenny. “Take her back to the jail.”

The deputy hurried over to him. “You’re not arresting her, too, are you?”

“Arrest her? Lexie, uh, Alex? What? No.” Dan was more flustered than I’d ever seen him. “What are you—”

Then she smirked. Ah. She tried to make us lighten up. As much as I appreciated her effort, I wasn’t going to lighten up until Nick was out of jail.

The bad thing about writing a lot of dialogue is that the 8-10 sentence limit gets eaten up quickly. Thanks for letting us add a little bit more.

And a little more: 

I followed Jenny down a short corridor and around a corner. She unlocked a door to another short hall, then to the jail itself. Nick sat on the edge of a cot, his head in his hands, defeated. His tuxedo jacket lay on the end of the bed, his tie undone, and the first couple of buttons open at his tanned throat. No cufflinks, but he’d rolled up the sleeves of his once pristine white shirt, revealing his strong forearms. Arms I wanted around me.

“Nick?” I hesitated before rushing to the cell.

Two strides, and he was shoving his arms through the bars. I pressed as close as I could and held him, too.

“Oh, babe.” He caressed my face, misery riding in his. “It doesn’t look good.”

 

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay healthy and have a great week.

WeWriWa - Wedding Wrecker: A Clock Watcher?

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 plus your good wishes for my husband and me.

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. After a deputy arrested Alex's groom, Nick Palzetti, at the altar, the police chief, Dan Hoesen, is still interviews Alex. The lawyer, Hans Bogardus, tries to keep her from giving away too much information and/or shooting off her mouth. The latter is a hard task.

Snippet:

“Did Nick leave the apartment again?" the chief asked. "Before you went to church?”

“Yes.” I groaned. “His mother came over to help me dress. When she found him there, she shooed him back to her house. And before you ask, that was about eight this morning.”

“Eight? Before or after eight?”

“If I knew you were going to ask me exact times, I would’ve looked at a clock when he left.”

And a little more:

“He left before eight-ten because that’s when Dottie arrived, and he was gone by then.” After a severe scolding from his mother for bringing bad luck by seeing me. Maybe there was something to that. Bad luck had certainly found us.

“And the next time you saw him?”

“At the church, when I was waiting to walk down the aisle.” I remembered how happy I was at that moment. Happiness dashed within minutes.

Dan consulted his notes, not that there were a lot of them. I tried to read what he’d written upside down, but his writing was too cramped.

“To reiterate,” he said, “You know for sure Palzetti was in your apartment from eleven forty-five until shortly after midnight. He returned at three—” He glanced up at me. “—oh-five, left again before eight-ten this morning. Is that correct?”

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay healthy and have a great week.

WeWriWa - Wedding Wrecker: Bad Luck

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. 

A new year and new efforts. After an almost five month hiatus, I'm back. Once again, life got in the way of doing what I want to do. Hopefully, I can follow through sharing snippets this year. As I wrote in another blog post, I'll do the best I can and accept when I can't.

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. After a deputy arrested Alex's groom, Nick Palzetti, at the altar, the police chief, Dan Hoesen, interviews the family, starting with Alex. The lawyer, Hans Bogardus, tries to keep her from giving away too much information and/or shooting off her mouth.

Snippet:

The chief cleared his throat. “When did Nick leave the apartment to go to the bachelor party?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask—” I stopped remembering Hans’s caution.

“Who should I ask?” Dan slanted a glance at Hans. “She can tell me that.”

When Hans nodded, I said, “Jim, Jim Matthews. And Pop, uh, Frank O’Hara.”

“I know your dad.” Dan's lips curved into a sort-of smile--the first since this mess began--then scribbled a note on his legal pad. “After you got home from your party, when did Palzetti leave?”

And a little more:

“It must have been around midnight, since his mother came up to the apartment and said she’d dismissed the driver. She told Nick he had to drive her home.”

Dan made another note. “What time did he return?”

“Three-oh-five.”

He eyed me with a raised eyebrow. “And you know the exact time because . . .”

“Because he woke me up when he crawled into bed.” Heat flooded my cheeks. “I looked at the clock. His mother said he couldn’t—”

“Alex?”

I ignored Hans’s caution. “I want to explain. His mother said it was bad luck for him to see me on my wedding day. But he came back anyway.”

“And you say he came back at three o’clock.”

“Three-oh-five.”

 

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay healthy and have a great week.

 

#WeWriWa ~ The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: A Shark, White Teeth and All

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. Apologies for missing last week. My computer died (or so I thought) last Saturday, and since I'm a confirmed procrastinator, I couldn't put up my post. Turns out I'd plugged in the wrong charger cord. No wonder my batter didn't charge. Glad it was only that instead of needing a new computer. Anyway, on to my post for this week.

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This snippet picks up where we left off last time. (BTW, thanks for all your comments, esp. those about Alex running her mouth.) The police chief, Dan Hoesen, is interviewing Alex. The lawyer, Hans Bogardus, is with her. The last line was: What happened after you got dressed for the rehearsal."

Snippet:  

“Nick and I went to the church. After the rehearsal, we had dinner at the Golden Fleece.” The chef at the popular restaurant was a friend of Nick’s.

“And then?” Dan prodded.

“Maria, Nick’s mother, hustled me out to a limo, where my best friends were waiting.”

“Who?”

“Dottie, Ellen—”

Dan tore off a sheet of paper from his pad and shoved it across the table to me along with a pen. “Write down their names—first and last. And where you went.”

 

And a little more:

I did as instructed, before pushing the paper back to him.

Dan glanced at it. “Did Nick go with you?”

I shook my head. “Our party was Girls Only.” I grinned thinking about Nick coming along. Until it hit me. Nick was in jail. I sobered quickly.

“What time did you leave the restaurant?”

“Seven? Or a little after. Maria would know. Do you want me to get her?” I started to rise, but Hans drew me down with a hand on my wrist.

“I will talk to her later,” Dan said. “What did Nick do?”

“I assume he went to his bachelor party.”

Hans tapped the table next to my arm. “Only speak to the things you know. Don’t assume or guess.”

The chief glared at him. “When did you return to your apartment?”

“Eleven forty-five.”

“You know that exactly?”

I grimaced. “Yes. Maria made a point of telling me to tell Nick to drive her home because the limo and driver were done at midnight.”

“Nick was in the apartment when you returned?”

“Yes. We talked for—”

Hans tapped my forearm. “Remember what I said. Only answer the questions. Don’t volunteer any more information than what the chief asks.”

Dan pursed his lips. “Is that really necessary, Counselor? She isn’t accused. I’m just trying to find out where Palzetti was.”

Hans didn’t say anything, just stared at Dan. That look. OMG, I’m glad it wasn’t directed at me. His dad might be elegance personified. Hans looked like a shark, white teeth and all.

 

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great week.

 

#WeWriWa ~ The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: Don't Volunteer Any Info

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release.

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This snippet picks up where we left off last time. The police chief, Dan Hoesen, is interviewing Alex. The lawyer, Hans Bogardus, is with her.

Snippet:  

The chief cleared his throat. “I apologize for my former deputy’s insensitivity. We will restart the interview.” He nodded behind me, waited a second or three, then repeated my name and date.

Former deputy? I wasn’t touching that. I wanted to get this interview over with.

“State your name and relationship with the accused.”

“Alexandra O’Hara, uh, Palzetti—” Holy shit. I’d never called myself that before. “—wife of Nicholas Palzetti.”

“Tell me what you did yesterday.”

 

And a little more

“Everything? After the rehearsal and dinner, my girlfriends had a bachelorette party that started—”

“Only when and where you saw Nicholas Palzetti,” the chief said.

Oh, good. He didn’t need to know how foolish we all were.

“In the morning, we went sailing, had a picnic, and came back to my apartment about four-thirty.”

“Only answer the question,” Hans said. “Don’t volunteer any more information than what the chief asks.”

Chief Hoesen glared at him before making a note on his legal pad. “So, you both went back to your apartment. Then what did you do?”

“I got ready for the rehearsal.”

“And Nick?”

“After I finished my shower, he took one.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “I don’t need every detail. What happened after you got dressed for the rehearsal?”

 

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great week.

#WeWriWa ~ The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: Explain to Your Lawyer, Alex

 Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. Thanks to everyone who commented last week.

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This snippet picks up where we left off last week. Everybody's still in the police station.

 Snippet:

“May I assume you are recording this conversation?” Hans pointed to a video camera in the upper corner facing me.

When Chief Hoesen nodded, I looked in the corner then turned to face Hans. “Yet?” I mouthed.

He didn’t instill in me the confidence I had in his father. Instead of the classy elegance Pieter presented, Hans looked like a farm worker—about five-ten and a solid two hundred pounds, in his overalls he didn’t look like a lawyer. Clean-shaven and his blond hair barber-cut instead of a stylist, he could’ve posed for a John Deere calendar.

Did I need him with me? I’d known Dan Hoesen all my life. When his high school girlfriend babysat me, he often came along. He’d gotten me out of more scrapes as kid . . . and as an adult. He even acted like my surrogate father when the Pops moved to Arizona. We had a great relationship.

Until now. 

And a little more:

He eyed me sternly before nodding to the recording device. “Statement given by Alexandra O’Hara Palzetti, spouse of the accused Nicholas Palzetti.”

“A moment, Chief?” Hans said. “I understood the wedding was interrupted by your deputy before the vows were taken.”

“Deputy, stop the recording.”

That’s when I noticed the two-way mirror behind the chief. “Deputy? Who’s behind the mirror? Jenny?”

“No,” Dan said. “The sheriff’s office loaned us a couple of deputies for the summer.”

I knew that. When our small town exploded with summer visitors, they always brought in help from the sheriff’s department and the police academy.

At least it wasn’t Jenny, though I knew I could depend on her discretion. Better than that dope Deputy Dawg. When Nick got out of jail, I was going to kill that jerk. Oops, better not say that out loud.

Dan eyed me. “Do you want to explain to your lawyer, Lexie?”

“About . . .” I’d lost the train of thought.

“Your marriage.”

“Oh, right. Nick and I were married on Christmas Eve last year by a judge. Never mind why we didn’t tell anyone. His mother wanted us to marry in the church. That’s what was interrupted by Deputy Dawg.” I glared at Dan. “I hope you gave that jerk what for. He didn’t have to stalk in and arrest Nick at the altar.”

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great week.

#WeWriWa ~ The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: Alex isn't charged...yet

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. Thanks to everyone who commented last week.

I'm very excited to say that I've reached the halfway point on this book. It's been a long time since I started it. This week, I felt energized enough to push myself to write. Your encouraging comments have certainly helped. Thanks so much.

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This snippet picks up where we left off last week. Everybody's still in the police station.

 Snippet

Deputy Jenny Sampson opened the door to the interview room. “Chief wants to talk to you, Alex.”

“Hans, will you come, too?”

Maybe he could keep me from blurting out something that would incriminate Nick.

“I planned to.” He had a boyish grin that was supposed to reassure me. Fat chance. Nothing short of Nick’s release would assure me.

“I’m coming, too,” Pop said.

 And a bit more: 

“No.” Jenny held up her hand. “Chief wants to talk to each of you separately. Hey, Hans. How ya doin’?”

He eyed her closely, especially her name badge. “Jenny? Little Jenny Hogmeier? You married Joe Sampson?” He gave her a big hug. “When did you grow up?”

“Grew up and had a baby, too.”

Small towns. Everybody knew everybody. And that meant, by now, everybody knew about Nick.

“Excuse me.” Tony interrupted. “We can do Old Home Week another time. My son is in jail, and I want him released.”

Jenny shrugged while Hans gave her a sheepish grin.

She led Hans and me to another interview room. Chief Hoesen sat on one side of a plain fake wood table. He had a yellow legal pad in front of him. He indicated that I should sit across from him.

He glanced up at Hans. “Lexie doesn’t need a lawyer present. She isn’t being charged.”

“Yet.” Hans sat next to me but slightly off to the side.

Gee, thanks, guy. Give the chief a reason to arrest me, too.

 

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great week.

#WeWriWa ~ The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: What Happens Next?

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. Thanks to everyone who commented last week.

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This snippet picks up where we left off last week.

Hans, the lawyer, (and his father Pieter) with Alex, her dad, and Nick's parents at are crowded into an interview room at the police station. Hans warned them not to talk about Nick amongst themselves. Like, what else was there to talk about?

BTW, since this is a work in progress, suggestions are always welcome.

Snippet:   

After a lengthy silence, I couldn't stand it any longer.

“What will happen next?” I repeated Tony’s question.

“If the facts as Deputy Dawson presented them pan out, Nick will be formally charged. There will be an arraignment. The judge will set bail, and Nick will be released.”

“Not until then?” I protested.

From my cases, I knew how long it took to get on the docket for an arraignment. Waiting would be agony, knowing Nick was behind bars.

Everything caught up with me. I flung myself into Pop’s arms and sobbed. “Nick couldn’t have killed that man. I know he couldn’t.”

Pop rubbed my back, trying to calm me down. No amount of calming was going to fix this situation. My husband was in jail.

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great weekend.

#WeWriWa ~ The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: Beach Pooper Scooper

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. Thanks to everyone who commented last week.

Sorry, sorry, sorry for being late to post. I think my brain disconnected yesterday. Either that or I forgot. Nah. How could I forget?

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This snippet picks up where we left off last week.

Hans, the lawyer, (and his father Pieter) with Alex, her dad, and Nick's parents at are crowded into an interview room at the police station. 

BTW, since this is a work in progress, suggestions are always welcome.

Snippet:  

“Okay, folks,” Hans said. “I know you have many questions. Apparently, the officer jumped the gun. He should’ve brought Nick in for questioning, not gone straight to an arrest. Chief Hoesen is dealing with that.”

“That jerk will be lucky if he’s assigned to pooper scooping on the beach,” Pop said.

“He’ll be lucky if he has a job,” Tony added. “So, what happens now?”

“Chief Hoesen tried to question Nick. He had the good sense to wait for me, or my dad, to be present.” Hans glanced over at Pieter who nodded.

 And a little more:  

“When can I see Nick?” I needed to ask him about the threats.

“Not until the chief says. He’ll want to talk to each of you first.”

“Us?” I exclaimed. “Why?”

“I imagine,” Tony said, “Dan will want to verify what Nick told him.”

Hans nodded. “It’s best that you not talk amongst yourself. Dad?”

“I will caution them.” Pieter’s words came out slowly, as if he had difficulty speaking. That stroke must really be affecting him.

“About . . .” I raised my eyebrow.

“About anything regarding Nick,” Hans answered. “I can be present during the interviews, although it won’t be necessary to have a lawyer present because you haven’t been charged.”

What else was there to talk about?

We sat in silence.

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great weekend.

#WeWriWa ~ The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: Bad Luck

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. 

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This snippet picks up where we left off last week.

Hans, the lawyer, is with Alex, her dad, and Nick's parents at the police station. The last sentence was her dad saying he was always proud of her.

BTW, since this is a work in progress, suggestions are always welcome.

Snippet:  

Pop’s words brought a little sunshine into my miserable thoughts.

“According to the wife that wasn’t their only altercation,” Hans went on. “She said Nick and Amerson got into a shouting match at the gas station the day before yesterday.”

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “Hang on. Nick doesn’t get into shouting matches with anyone.”

Hans shrugged. “When Amerson didn’t come home after work last night, she called his friends, looking for him. He still hadn’t come home this morning.”

 

And a little more: 

Hans continued. “That’s when she called the police. Deputy Dawson responded. A witness saw Nick running away from a deserted cottage early this morning. When Dawson checked, he found Amerson. Dead.”

“What time was that?” I asked. “Nick was with me most of the night.”

Maria swiveled my way. With her lips pursed, she eyed me. “I told you and Nick not to see each other before the wedding. It’s bad luck. See? Bad luck.”

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great week.

#WeWriWa ~ The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: The Nasty Little Creep

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. 

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This snippet picks up after the last time I posted (2 weeks ago).

The lawyer is in with the chief of police, getting answers to why Nick was arrested. The story is written in Alex's POV, so that's her thinking at the beginning of the snippet.

BTW, since this is a work in progress, suggestions are always welcome.

Snippet: 

Why had Deputy Dawson gone into the church to arrest Nick? Why not wait until the wedding was over?

“Did the deputy have to have cause to arrest Nick?” I asked. “Evidence?”

Pop nodded. “When did the murder happened?”

We all shook our heads.

“Why Nick?” Me, again.

Nick, a few years older than Ron, never did anything to him in high school. Deputy Dawg was getting his revenge on me. That nasty, little creep. I wanted to claw his eyes out of his head, rip out his hair, knee him—

And a little more

Hans returned, cutting off my revenge fantasy. Along with a chair, he brought his father with him. I thought Pieter should go home and rest. Before I could suggest that, Hans told us what he’d learned.

“They found the body in an unused cabin, south of the Fair Winds Bed and Breakfast. The wife said Nick had threatened Amerson with physical violence.”

“But that was weeks ago,” I protested. “After I punched the guy.”

“You punched Amerson?” Pop glanced at me in admiration. “I assume you had a good reason and didn’t let your temper get away with you.”

“Po-op.”

“Of course, she did,” Maria said. “He held me at gunpoint.”

“He what?” Tony shouted.

Maria told the Pops how Amerson had stormed into the office looking for me. He’d held her hostage, waiting for me to return, and how I’d rescued her. “She was so daring. Frank, you would’ve been proud of her.”

Pop rubbed my shoulder. “I’m always proud of her.”

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great week.

#WeWriWa: The Case of the Wedding Wrecker - My Perfect Day?

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. 

Sorry for being AWOL for the past few weeks. But, it's a new month, and I'm starting up again. 

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. If you haven't read the previous Alex O'Hara mysteries, I should point out it takes place in West Michigan, along the Lake Michigan shore. The Dutch settled in Michigan starting in the 1830s, most heavily on the west side of the state. My Dutch ancestors settled in the area north of Detroit. I had fun using family names for some of my characters.

To catch up: After Nick was arrested, everyone gathered at the police station. Nick's dad called the family lawyer to get Nick out of jail. The lawyer's son, also a lawyer, came, too. Hopefully, they'll get some answers.

BTW, since this is a work in progress, suggestions are always welcome.

Snippit: 

“I’d rather have Pieter,” Tony groused. “Look at him. Couldn’t even change his clothes.”

Maria turned away from me and laid her hand on his forearm. Maria, the pacifier. “You told Pieter you needed him right away. Hans is staying with Pieter because he can’t drive.”

“But I don’t know this guy,” Tony protested.

“Me, either,” Pop chimed in. “I agree with Tony.”

“Wait,” I said. “Why can’t Pieter drive? He doesn’t look well. What happened?”

 And a bit more . . . 

“He had a stroke last week. He should be in rehab,” Maria tsked. “As much as we all like Pieter, this case would be too much for him.”

Stroke? No wonder he didn’t look good. Why hadn’t I heard? We sat for several minutes. Finally, I couldn’t stand inaction. I had to get up and move. When I did, I tripped on the train. “Maria, please help me.”

Since she’d help me dress that morning, she knew how to detach the train. “Let’s get that veil off, too.”

I’d forgotten about that. Too many thoughts, so much worry.

What happened to my perfect day?

 Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great week.