Sassy Sunday Story Starter.... from Sassy Brit 'Alternative-Read'

Well, I know I'm late, but only a little, and I finished a book last night! YAY! Now to write the review...

But instead of writing the book review, I whipped up a quick tale for Sassy Sunday Story Starter from Alternative Reads brought to us by Viviane Brentanos, author of Womens Contemporary Fiction. I know, not doing what I'm supposed to be doing....lol

Murder By Design

by:  Dottie Taylor

word count: 720

A hard rain drummed out its incessant beat. Max Jackson rested his head against the mullioned windowpane and wondered if he’d ever get used to the capricious climate. A mundane deliberation, really. The weather was the least of his worries.

Now, the police, that was the real worry. That's why he was hold up here. Not that it was bad here, except for the incessant raining, the heat and humidity, mosquitoes big enough to carry away small animals ... aside from that, it was pretty great.

And who knows, maybe they'll try to pin the murder on someone else. Yeah. Right. His fingerprints were all over the knife, her blood on his clothes, and they had been seen together, earlier in the evening. All looks pretty suspicious, even to him. Fucked. That's what he was, fucked.

He ran a hand over his tired face, and sighed. He wished Billy would call.

******

Back in New York, Billy stared at the phone. She'd promised him she'd call, but she hadn't, knew she wouldn't, it was too easy. Instead she opened the phone and dialed 911.

“Nine-One-One operator...What's the nature of your emergency?” The police operator spoke through the clicking of computer keys.

“I know the location of Max Jackson, he's wanted in connection to the Linda McNeary murder?”

“Please hold for the detective.” The operator voice was anxious, suspicious. Moments later, another voice filled her ear.

“This is Detective Michaels, with whom am I speaking with?”

“That's not really important is it? I mean, I'm just want to do my civic duty, I don't want to leave my name.”

“Yes, ma'am, but there's a reward for information regarding the case, no name no reward.”

“Oh, well... I guess it wouldn't hurt... My name is Susy, Susy Kurts.”

“Okay, Ms. Kurts, why don't you tell me what you know?”

“Well... Max Jackson, he's kind of a friend, and well, he called me. Said he was staying down in New Orleans, in the French Quarter, place called Mabel's. He supposed to have murdered that girl...”

“You sure about that?”

“As you as you're sitting there whittling your thumbs, and he did call me.”

“We'll check it out. Can you come in, sign a statement?”

“Gee, detective, I don't know....I don't want to get involved.....”

“Ma'am, you're already involved. It'd be better for us if you could come in.”

“I'll have to think about it, Detective....”

“Is this a good number, if we need to, we can reach you back?”

“Yeah, sure.”




Billy disconnected the call, went to the memory, and erased it. The night was dark, she didn't think anyone was paying attention, but still better safe than sorry. As she walked along the sidewalk, she wiped the phone clean, dropping it into a trash can, and kept walking, not missing a step. As she turned the corner, she held up hand, hailing a cab. This side of town was definitely not for her.

Back in her apartment, she turned on the hot water, added some bath salts. What was that old commercial her mother used to say? Oh, yeah...  Calgon, take me away! She sighed. She'd had a long day, and she deserved a soak, she thought. She slipped out of her clothes and into the hot water.

Well, at least all of that nasty business had been taken care of. What a mess Linda turned out to be! Then, she'd had to do damage control, get her out of the way, and it wasn't nearly as hard this time. She did have to sacrifice her one of her best outfits, she really was going to miss her Louis, that's for sure. Next time, she pick up one of those cheap rainsuits, she just didn't own anything suitable for that kind of mess.

The easy part had been getting Max to go check on Linda, that meant framing him was easy too, and the police, the idiots were eating out of the palm of her hand. The hard part was the clean up, so many loose ends to tie up. And who would have guessed Max was so damn slippery? Murder, such a messy business, only to be done when absolutely necessary. She thought for a moment. Maybe she'd make that her new personal motto.




So, okay, a little dark, sociopathic...lol... but not too bad. Fun to play with...

Ciao!