Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science - Poisons VIII

Note: If you are reading this information because you plan to use it on your spouse or in-laws, please leave. This guide if for the use of writers or students only. If you murder someone, you will be caught.

DIGITALIS

AKA: Foxglove

Where is it found? Everywhere. Digitalis thrives in acidic soils, in partial sunlight to deep shade, in a range of habitats including open woods, woodland clearings, moorland, and heath margins, sea-cliffs, rocky mountain slopes and hedgebanks. It is commonly found on sites where the ground has been disturbed, such as recently cleared woodland, or where the vegetation has been burnt.

Symptoms: Early symptoms of ingestion include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, wild hallucinations, delirium, and severe headache. Depending on the severity of the toxicosis the victim may later suffer irregular and slow pulse, tremors, various cerebral disturbances, especially of a visual nature (unusual colour visions with objects appearing yellowish to green, and blue halos around lights), convulsions, and deadly disturbances of the heart.

Fast or Slow Acting: It depends on the amount given.

How is used as a poison? Ingestion.

How can you make it so the victim won't notice it? It comes in pill form.

What would the victim at the crime scene look like? They may look as if they had a heart attack.

What would the autopsy find?

 Click to enlarge

Case study:  Two cases of digitalis poisoning are described. Case 1, a man, aged 40 years, swallowed for suicidal purposes about 50 digitalis tablets, each containing 50 mg standardized digitalis leaf, digitalis purpurea (0.5 i.u.). Death occured about 8 hours after the intake. A quantitative determination of digitalis glycoside in the gastric contents, and in the contents of the small intestine, blood and heart was performed with xanthydrol. Case 2, a child, 11 days old, because of a congenital heart disease was treated with digoxin. 1/2-1 hour before death the child was given 0.7 mg digoxin intravenously. A quantitative determination of digoxin was performed with xanthydrol in the liver, heart and lung and by the fluorometric method in the liver, heart, kidney, urine and blood.

Sources: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1009369-overview
http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/abstract/1/2/506
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitalis
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/p/plant_poisoning_foxglove_digitalis_purpurea/symptoms.htm

Agatha Christie Notes: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

I'm leaving for Canada today so I'm leaving you this post. I will check the comments later in my hotel.

I did a chapter critique for a wonderful blogger named Sean Patrick Reardon from the blog MINDJACKER: A Crime Thriller. I couldn't post the excerpt on this site because of content but be sure to check out his site. He may post my critique there.

My son and I are reading through all of Agatha Christie books in order of publication.  We will be posting our review on Mondays where I don't have critiques or other reviews.

Date: October 1920
Paperback: The Mysterious Affair at Styles: Hercule Poirot's First Case (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)
Kindle: The Mysterious Affair at Styles: A Hercule Poirot (mobi)

Detectives: Hercule Poirot, Chief Inspector Japp, Hastings
Preceded by: (this is the first book in the series)
Followed by: The Secret Adversary

Trivia: Did you know Agatha Christie only made £25 from her first book?

Characters:
* Lieutenant Hastings, the narrator, on sick leave from the Western Front.
* Hercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective displaced by the war to England; Hastings' old friend
* Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard
* Emily Inglethorp, mistress of Styles, a wealthy old woman
* Alfred Inglethorp, her much younger new husband
* John Cavendish, her elder stepson and remainderman to Styles
* Mary Cavendish, John's wife
* Lawrence Cavendish, John's younger brother
* Evelyn Howard, Mrs. Inglethorp's companion
* Cynthia Murdoch, the beautiful, orphaned daughter of a friend of the family
* Dr. Bauerstein, a suspicious toxicologist
* Dorcas, a maid at Styles

Murder One -
Victim: Mrs. Inglethorp
Means of Execution: Strychnine Poisoning

Plot Summary:
Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot makes his debut in "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." The mystery of the novel is the one of who poisoned wealthy heiress Emily Inglethorp and how did the killer get in and out of her locked bedroom. The suspects are many and Poirot must use Holmesian deduction to discover the killer. Mystery fans will delight in the first installment of Agatha Christie's famous series of Poirot mystery novels.

Favorite Lines: "Poirot was an extraordinary looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet, four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. The neatness of his attire was almost incredible. I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound." (Now, that's description!)

Poirot: "... Yes, he is intelligent. But we must be more intelligent. We must be so intelligent that he does not suspect us of being intelligent at all."

What did my son think? He thought the character of Hercule Poirot was super smart and amazing.

Top Seven British Men Writers of Fiction - 1800s

New Poll! --->

1. Sir Walter Scott
2. Charles Dickens
3. William Makepeace Thackeray
4. Lewis Carroll
5. Thomas Hardy
6. Arthur Conan Doyle
7. H. G. Wells 

Remember, these books are free on public domain for your Kindle or ebook reader.

Oh, and remember, have a great weekend. It's an order!

 

Life of a Writer: Housework Can Be Fun and Productive

The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes. - Agatha Christie

For me, the hardest part about housecleaning is motivating myself to do it. Once I'm doing it, it's not too bad.

Here are some suggestions to help get you off your computer:

1) MP3 - groove the chores away.
2) Kindle's Text to Speech - get caught up on reading while you iron.
3) Consider vacuuming as your weekly exercise - lunges and cardio.
4) Imagine how your main character would deal with housework - would her house be a mess or minimalist?
5) Imagine your next scene while you clean your tub - unless you're writing a Psycho-like scene, that's just creepy.
6) Practice dialogue with your mop or broom - if your dog turns his head at you, that means he thinks you're crazy. But really, do we care what our pets think of us? Do we?
7) Until you get in the groove, reward yourself with a new book or e-book or coffee or shoes or a new car each time you finish your chores for the week. (My husband doesn't like this one.)

Just a note: I'm going on a ROAD TRIP! From Mexico all the way to sunny Canada... wait. Crap! I picked the wrong month! Well, too late now. So, barring any problems (ex. robbed by Mexican drug cartels, lost along the California coast highway, or stuck in snow), I will try to post everyday next week (especially Talli's post). However, for some days, I will only be posting pics from my trip. Hope you don't mind! Canada, here we come!

How-to Write An Author's Bio

Length
Most bios run between 50 and 400 words, with the average length about 150 words. Double space your bio and try to it no one more than one page in length.

Tense
When you write your biography, do so in the third person. You should use present tense, unless a past tense is absolutely necessary.

Content
Depending on what manuscript the bio is for, include any qualifications, education, skills, or experience you may have helps makes you look professional. Do not include unimportant information.

Achievements
Most of your bio should be devoted to your writing achievements. Previous publications, writing awards, or degrees you have relating to your work's subject should be in the bio. If you have real life experience in your subject, be sure to also include it.

Promotions
If you are lucky enough to have been interviewed by a known publication, or have had a radio or television interview, mention that in your bio.

Tone
This should compliment your piece. If you have written a free and modern story, then make your bio the same way. Do not have a silly bio with a serious writing article.

Mood
Always present your information in a positive way. If you do not have a lot of work published, do not fret. Post what you have in an upbeat manner. Even if you have not been published before, you still have talents and qualifications - use them.

Do not make your bio seem too good to be true by over exaggerated information. Making yourself sound better than you are can, and will, backfire in the long run.

Do not lie. It will only make you look like an amateur, and could cost you future sales. Aim your bio at the editor who is publishing your work. List only publication credits that will impress them.

Here's the bio I've been working on: (It's still a WIP)

Clarissa Draper is a Canadian writer currently living in Mexico. Although trained in book layout and design, she prefers to spend her time planning and writing her code-based mysteries. Two of her short stories have been published in anthologies. She started writing full time in 2006, and is currently writing her third mystery in the Evans/Blackwell series.

Visit her at www.clarissadraper.com

Have any suggestions for my bio? I'd be happy to hear them!

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dawn_Arkin

Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science - Poisons VII

Note: If you are reading this information because you plan to use it on your spouse or in-laws, please leave. This guide if for the use of writers or students only. If you murder someone, you will be caught.

DATURA STRAMONIUM

AKA: Known by the common names jimson weed, devil's trumpet, devil's weed, thorn apple, tolguacha, Jamestown weed, stinkweed, locoweed, datura, pricklyburr, devil's cucumber, hell's bells, moonflower and, in South Africa, malpitte and mad seeds, is a common weed in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family.

Where is it found? Today, it grows wild in all the world's warm and moderate regions, where it is found along roadsides and in dung heaps. In Europe, it is found as a weed on wastelands and in garbage dumps.

Symptoms:  Initial symptoms include dry mouth then pupil dilatation. The duration of symptoms is often 24-48 hours because of delayed gastrointestinal motility; symptoms have been reported to last up to 1-2 weeks. Although poisoning may lead to fatal medullary paralysis, arrhythmias and cardiovascular collapse, Jimson Weed-related deaths mainly are as a result of impaired judgment and coordination resulting in risk-taking activities associated with accidental death.The antidote of choice for overdose or poisoning is physostigmine.

Fast or Slow Acting: The onset of symptoms occurs within 30 to 60 minutes after smoking leaves or drinking tea; and 1-4 hours after ingestion of plant material or seeds.

How is used as a poison? Ingestion or inhalation.

How can you make it so the victim won't notice it? They are ingested, smoked and absorbed topically especially through mucous membranes.

What would the autopsy find?

Case study: Jimson weed users chase high all the way to hospital - USA TODAY

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6793650_datura-stramonium-poisoning.html
http://www.erowid.org/plants/datura/datura_info5.shtml

Book Review: CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStaR 
Writer: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Blog: http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/
Paperback: here
Kindle: here
Genre: Science Fiction

How I read it: Kindle

Synopsis: To pilot the fleet’s finest ship… Few options remain for Byron. A talented but stubborn young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitude, his cockpit skills are his only hope. Slated to train as a Cosbolt fighter pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life as he sets off for the moon base of Guaard. Much to Byron’s chagrin the toughest instructor in the fleet takes notice of the young pilot. Haunted by a past tragedy, Bassa eventually sees through Byron's tough exterior and insolence. When a secret talent is revealed during training, Bassa feels compelled to help Byron achieve his full potential. As war brews on the edge of space, time is running short. Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive, and Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?  - Library Journal

My Thoughts: It wasn't what I expected. Not that it was bad. In fact, I loved it.

Here's what I expected - Dune. Here's what I got - Star Wars. And I love Star Wars! I haven't read Dune so... maybe it's Dune-like as well.

Why do I like Star Wars? Not for the Klingons...oh wait, I mean Wookies, but because of the relationships. I wanted Luke Skywalker to get his training from funny-speaking-Yoda. I wanted Leah and Hans Solo to get together. Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! And, I think those little Ewoks are so cute!

Well, CassaStar provided what I liked best in my Sci-fi reading - relationships. It didn't describe a lot of different planets or aliens but Byron (the main character) got his training. And Byron formed one of the best relationships ever - true friendship. Maybe next time Alex can put in a few Ewoks and maybe a funny-talking Yoda or two.

"Powerful writer you have become, Alex. The famous author I sense in you." - Yoda

It's all Greek to me!

New Poll ----> Vote now!

Because I had no special blogging tips to share with you today, I thought I would bore you with useless information. Unless you find it useful in your novel and then, it's no longer useless.

Anyway, I was reading the Greek alpha-beta (alphabet) the other day (no, I mean it - I really was) and I came across a letter - IOTA.

That got me thinking. Is that where the expression "NOT ONE IOTA" comes from?

So, I did research.

The word is used in a common English phrase, 'not one iota', meaning 'not the slightest difference', in reference to a phrase in the New Testament: "until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law" (Mt 5:18). -- From Wikipedia

This still wouldn't mean anything to the average person until you actually see what an IOTA looks like...

That's an iota. No, not the W-looking-letter, but the backwards-comma-thing under it. It's a wee little thing. And so yes, I know it make not make one IOTA to you but I thought it was cool.

Now, watch this 49 second video from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. If you haven't seen the movie yet, you should.

Also, Dominic de Mattos from Writes of Passage has given me the Beautiful Blogger Award and he doesn't even know what I look like!

Thank you for your confidence in my looks! If you haven't already checked out his blog, do so! What...? Oh, apparently, it has nothing to do with how I look but how my blog looks. *shrugs* Oh well...

Top Five British Women Writers of Fiction - 1800s

I think that Jane Austen is worth mentioning twice but you saw her last week. Here are my picks for this week:

Only $0.99

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1. The Bronte Sisters - I'm clumping these together because, really, how can you choose?
2. George Eliot - I love this writer.
3. Elizabeth Gaskell -North & South, need I say more?
4. Mary Shelley
5. Harriet Martineau

Life of a Writer: Recipe 1 - Chicken La Bamba

I've decided to do a series entitled: "Life Of A Writer". It's not going to discuss writing but rather everything a writer can do - when he or she is not writing - to get back to writing quicker. Because, let's face it, I'd rather be writing but often the mundane parts of life get in the way. This is a series more for me rather than for my readers but please feel free to take whatever recipes or tips you find on this site. I'm 34 and I doubt I'll look back on my deathbed and wished I had done more housework and cooking. In fact, if that thought does cross my mind, I'm delusional. I would regret, however, not finishing the last novel.

Here are some things I hate to do:

 Here are some other things I hate doing:

• Cooking
• Shopping
• Planning Meals
• Picking up dog poo
• Driving People Around

I plan to collect recipes and other useful tips on my blog so that I can find it quicker and perhaps in the future plan menus and housework schedules. The recipes will be less than ten ingredients long and will not include hard to find ingredients like rutabagas or involve prepartaion that requires lots of chopping, egg-separating, or kneading. (For example, I will not put instructions for making time-consuming-Tamales.)

Hopefully, if you are a writer that also hates the things I've listed above, you'll find this series helpful.

Recipe One: Chicken La Bamba

Ingredients: 
1) Fresh chicken breasts - as many as it takes to feed the amount of people in your home - doesn't that make sense?
2) Green Onions - chopped
3) Chunky salsa in a can/jar - open with your hand
3) White Cheese - by this I mean mozzarella or any other kind of whitish, melty cheese. (You can either slice it with a knife or grate it.)

Here's what you do:

This is a broiler pan.

1) On a broiler pan (or baking dish if you don't have a broiler pan), put the defrosted or fresh chicken breasts and cook in an oven or convection-oven or toaster-oven until almost done. That means it's not too pink inside. It does not mean burnt. (Does it need oil? I don't usually use any and it doesn't stick. If it does stick to your pan, next time use oil or buy a non-stick pan...)
2) Just BEFORE it's done, add green onions and salsa to top of breasts and bake a few minute more until done. Make sure it's done because you don't want to get sick. There should not be any pink showing.
3) A minute AFTER done, put the cheese on the top and melt.
4) Eat.

Calories: Probably a lot. It's got cheese.
How to make it lighter: Eat less of it.

What can you eat it with?

• French Fries
• Brown or Wild Rice
• Vegetables
• Salad
• A Beer
• Wine
• The list is endless - do you want me to go on?

Now, if there is a tip or recipe you want to share with me that makes your life easier, I'd be happy to put it up and give credit to you and your blog. Email me at clarissadraper at gmail dot com.

Writer's Bio How-to: An Author's Photo...That Even Your Mother Could Love

My publisher asked me to write a Author's Bio. I didn't know I even had a life, so doing a biography took research. Here's what I've gathered...

Part I - The Author's Photo

Part II - How to write the Bio (Next Week)

Part III - What can we learn from the Bio's of Famous Authors? (The week after...)

Does anybody even care about an author's photo besides the author? 

Does an author's photo sell a book? 

I have never bought a book because of the author's photo. Well, that's not true. I bought Jon Stewart's book because he's so cute and so is the man sitting on the left.

Sometimes I like to know what an author looks like. Why? Perhaps I want to know whose brain I'm delving into.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Most authors are not bad looking even though they tend to be reclusive?
• Most authors know what mascara and silk ties are because we are capable of doing research?

What could our pictures look like?

• Black-and-white (artsy and classic) 
• Color (fun and contemporary)
• Head on hand - like you're thoughtful, not like you've fell asleep on your keyboard after drinking too much wine.
• Arms folded - casual, like your sure of yourself, not because you're angry your editor sent you new revisions to do.
• Smiling - zygomatically, not in a way that says you-better-buy-this-book-or- I'm-coming-after-you!
• Serious
• Leaning or not leaning? To be or not to be? However, lean on something.
• And, if you are leaning, do you lean on a tree or a barn or a fence? Think about it. 
• Oh, unless you want to add a pet (a dog if you're a mystery writer, a cat if you're a romance writer, a camel if you're a travel writer, a Wookiee if you're a sci-fi writer).

What can you do to prepare for your author's photo?

1) Arrange a studio or photographer to take your photo. (Difficulty level: Easy)
2) Find something nice to wear - something without coffee stains and not made out of spandex and/or elastics. (Difficulty level: Hard)
3) Put on make-up before leaving the house. (Difficulty level: Extreme Mental Exhaustion - Tip: You may want to arrange for a makeover at Sears before your photo shoot.)

Now, here is my Author's photo. People say I look a lot like Keeley Hawes. Don't be jealous.

Oh, and yeah, I said it was me but it really is Keeley Hawes. I only wish I was this beautiful.

Do you have a photo? Are you happy with it? Any suggestions for us sweat-pant-wearing folks?

Picture source: This is London
Sources: http://open.salon.com

Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science - Poisons VI

Before I start, I just want to thank Joanna from Joanna st James - Bionic Writer from kindly offering me a copy of a book - Being With Him. If you haven't check out this wonderful writer's blog, I would highly recommend it. She's such an amazing person!

Note: If you are reading this information because you plan to use it on your spouse or in-laws, please leave. This guide if for the use of writers or students only. If you murder someone, you will be caught.

ATROPA BELLADONNA

AKA: Belladonna. Other common names for belladonna include atropa, deadly nightshade, death's herb, dwale, and witch's berry.

Where is it found? Belladonna is native to Europe and Asia. Some sources say it originated in India. It has been cultivated on almost all continents for centuries.Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants found in the Western hemisphere. All parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids.

Symptoms: Symptoms of belladonna poisoning include fever, dry mouth, rapid pulse, dilation of pupils, headache, difficulty swallowing, hallucinations, and death.

Fast or Slow Acting: Symptoms may be slow to appear but last for several days.

How is used as a poison? Ingestion - the berry is reportedly sweet.

How can you make it so the victim won't notice it? All parts of the plant may prove to be poisonous even when taken in small quantities. The sweet black berries are especially so. Some people have reported eating up to ten of the berries and survived, but children have died from eating just two or three. Ten to twenty will kill most adults. Just say they are eating black-berries in a salad.

What would the autopsy find?

 Click to enlarge

Case study: Before the Middle Ages, it was used as an anesthetic for surgery, the ancient Romans used it as a poison (the wife of Emperor Augustus and the wife of Claudius both used it to murder contemporaries) and predating this it was used to make poison tipped arrows.

Sources: http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/bell001.htm
http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/atropa_belladonna.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atropa_belladonna
Handbook of Autopsy Practice

Chapter Critique - Breakthrough by Stephen Tremp

This was a very difficult critique to do. 

Why?

1) The chapter is extremely polished. (If you don't already know, this book is published and out for sale.)

2) It's difficult to critique characters and plot because it's chapter fifty-eight and so, although I felt lost at times and didn't feel I had enough information, I knew the information was there, it was just in the previous chapters.

I think Stephen gave me this chapter because it's action-packed and full of suspense. I found myself wishing I knew what led up to the events I read in this chapter.

 

These are my suggestions (and I'm sorry that I don't have many):

 

1. Make sure you make sure who's talking. For example, in the third paragraph of the chapter, I had to wait until the fifth paragraph to know that it's chase who was speaking. 
2. Be care you don't repeat information. I have an example marked below.
3. POV: I had a difficulty deciding from whose POV you were writing. I assume chase but you open the chapter with Susan and Chase doesn't get involved until third paragraph and it's only dialogue. Maybe you write from multiple POVs (which is okay) however, if you're going to write from Chase's POV, make sure it's from his alone.

Chapter 58 - Starbucks

Susan pulled the Excursion to a stop in a crosswalk on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Prospect Street. The café was situated on a prime corner in Central Square, a lively commercial and business area a mile northeast of the M.I.T. campus. The four looked into the front window in a futile attempt to make visual contact with Nicky and Staci. The glare from the midmorning sun made it impossible to see inside. A few of the locals gave Susan dirty looks as they had to walk around the Excursion since the length of the SUV completely covered the crosswalk. One man gave her the finger.

Bennie rolled down the rear passenger-side window and yelled at him in a bad East Coast accent, “Hey, where do you think you are … New York or something?” The man flipped him off and mumbled some obscenities.

“Okay, we all know the plan. Susan, look for a parking spot, park illegally with your flashers on, or drive around the block until we emerge from the café with the suitcase. Then you’ll drive us back to the hotel. Bennie, you and Carol enter Starbucks first, scope the place out, and find a table close to Nicky and Staci. I’m calling you on your cell now.”

Bennie’s phone rang and he answered. “Okay, we’re ready.”

Susan made a right onto Prospect Street and pulled over. Chase, Bennie, and Carol stepped out onto the sidewalk. Susan blew Chase a kiss and drove away. Bennie adjusted his Red Sox cap, which he had bought at the airport to blend in, and led Carol into the café. Chase stayed outside on the sidewalk. He peered into the window, using his hand as a shield to block out the brightness of the sun’s glare off the glass. It was small with limited seating, but most of the customers who came in seemed to be in a hurry, bought their drinks and pastries, and headed back outside into the freezing madness.

Bennie and Carol saw Nicky and Staci right away. They sat at a small, round table with Nicky against the wall. Staci sat with her back to the customers waiting to order.

Bennie whispered into his cell phone while they took their place in line. “There are no open tables, but I’m pretty sure a group of chatty college girls sitting to Nicky’s left are ready to leave. Two young gothic-looking guys are at the table to his right. They have their laptops out, their Grande coffees, and look like they’re here to stay.”

Chase stepped away from the window as Bennie and Carol ordered their coffees. He could hear Bennie chatting with the barista as she poured their drinks.

“What’s going on, Bennie,” Chase asked.

“The group of girls are definitely getting ready to leave, but they’re taking their time. We’re walking to the station for half and half now.”

“Time it so when they leave you’re finishing pouring your cream.”

Chase peered through the glass again and watched as Bennie and Carol walked to the station and slowly poured their cream. Then the group of garrulous girls stood up and left. Moving quickly to claim the table, Carol slid against the wall next to Nicky. Bennie followed with two steaming coffees in hand, cell phone tucked between his shoulder and chin.

Bennie sat down with Staci to his left. Carol gave Bennie a wink, signaling she could see the black leather gym bag. Chase, still looking through the plate glass storefront, knew Nicky was right-handed and expected the bag to be to his right. He figured the two gothic guys made Nicky nervous and decided to place the bag to his left, next to Carol’s feet.

Bennie ended his call with “See ya,” which was the signal for Chase to enter the café and confront the assassin and her lover.

Wasting no time, Chase walked through the front door. Carol didn’t look up at him but maintained eye contact with Bennie as they conversed about the weather. Chase walked straight to the table and stood directly behind Staci, who was taking a sip of her coffee. He glared at Nicky with a look that transcended rage. His face was beet red. Veins swelled in his neck.

Nicky did a double take at Chase. Chase figured Nicky didn’t immediately recognize him as his face was still bruised and swollen and he wore a dark navy-blue knit cap pulled over the top of his head. (Here is an example of where you repeat yourself. Down a few paragraphs you say almost the same thing... however, I'm being really picky because it really is very good. I want to give you bang for your bucks!)

“What the hell is your problem, pal?”

Turning around, Staci choked on the coffee she was swallowing. “Chase, what are you doing here?” she said, too stunned to stand up.

“Surprised to see me, Staci? That is your real name, right? Staci?”

Staci swallowed hard.

“Well, if it isn’t Professor Chase Manhattan,” Nicky said in a sneer. “I can’t believe my girlfriend actually slept with a piece of trash like you.”

“She certainly wasn’t complaining.”

“Chase,” Staci said in a hushed but firm voice. “You have to be out of your mind coming here.”

Chase glared back at Staci, the bruises on his face still prominent and his jaw swollen where she’d knocked out his tooth. Chase could see, even though Staci had done a good job of hiding them with makeup, she still had plenty of deep blue and black bruises as well.

Chase grabbed an empty chair from Bennie and Carol’s table and sat down between Nicky and Staci, his back directly to his companions. Chase’s right foot was now touching Nicky’s gym bag. He leaned into the table, his neck veins now looking like crawling rattlesnakes. (if it's from Chase's POV, he won't be able to say what his neck veins look like.) 

“There’s no way you’re getting away with this. Do you understand me, Nicky?”

Nicky looked as smug and arrogant as a man possibly could. Like a prince who had just usurped the throne of the king, and there was absolutely nothing anybody in the kingdom could do to stop him.

“Get away with what, Chase? What the hell are you talking about?”

“I know what this is all about, asshole. I know what you’re so desperately trying to protect. I know you sent Staci to California to steal the suitcases and then kill me.”

“Steal from you? Are you out of your mind? Are you mad? You stole them from me. I was merely retrieving what rightfully belongs to me.” Nicky wore a sneer of contempt and utter disgust on his face.

“Those suitcases belong to your father, and he’s the one who sent me to take them from you.”

Nicky chuckled, folded his arms, and leaned back in his chair. “Oh yeah, that’s right. You talked to my father. My father—the murderer of one of the most beloved politicians of our state.”

One of the gothic guys sitting next to Nicky’s table, a short, fat, white guy with pasty-pale skin and a bad haircut leaned over and interrupted. “Hey, man, your dad was the one who whacked that O’Connor guy?”

Chase, Nicky, and Staci all turned their heads and glared at the guy in silence until he slinked back into his chair and re-entered his electronic netherworld.

“So, what now, Chase? What does that all mean? So you talked with my father. Where is that going to get you?”

Chase was talking through clenched teeth. It was all he could do from lunging across the table and punching Nicky right where he sat.

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to stop you from killing more people.” He turned to Staci and continued. “And I’m going to expose you for murdering Senator O’Connor and trying to kill me.”

Nicky jumped out of his chair. “And just how are you going to do that, Chase? Cathy … errr, Staci, has an alibi. I mean, think about it, you cretin.” Nicky was now leaning into Chase and talking barely above a whisper. It was all Chase could do to refrain from reaching up with his right hand and ripping out his larynx that was moving in and out as Nicky spoke.

“I beam her down early in the morning, and then beam her back up to the mother ship when she’s finished with you? No intelligent life down there for her to see? Are you going to tell that to the authorities?” Chase wasn’t sure if Nicky was bluffing. He didn’t know if Staci flew out to Southern California or was transported using a wormhole.

Chase wasn’t deterred by Nicky’s overbearing arrogance. He stood up and pressed forward. “I also know you’re behind the killing of those four people at Globalized Dynamics in Connecticut last week. Then there’s the cleaning lady from the State House, too. Remember her? That’s six people dead. You tried to make me number seven and failed. Big mistake, shithead. Big mistake on your part.”

“Listen to me, you lousy, stinking sack of white trash. What makes you think you can fly out all the way from California and come in here and threaten me? Do you know who you’re talking to?”

Nicky was now yelling, and every set of eyes in the café were glued on their table. Bennie tried to sip his coffee in a nonchalant manner while keeping an eye on the black leather gym bag twelve inches from Carol’s feet. (Now you are in Bennie's POV... I say this because Chase is not looking at Bennie.)

Staci smacked a palm on the table. “Hey, guys, knock it off right now!”  She looked up at Chase and as calmly as she could, said, “Chase, you should leave right now. Just get back on a plane, go home, and forget that you ever saw either one of us.”

Nicky’s mouth was still running at full speed, spewing out ramblings of how Chase had made the biggest mistake of his life by tracking them down. He was also pointing his finger into Chase’s chest, which was one of the things that Chase hated most. That was strike one. Strike two was spreading out his arms in a mocking fashion, asking Chase once again what he was going to do about it. Strike three was sticking his face into Chase’s with his mouth still running.

Chase’s right fist slammed into Nicky’s jaw. Nicky never saw it coming. He reeled backwards, bouncing off the wall behind him at an angle that made him stumble. He fell onto the table the two gothic guys were sitting at and knocked their laptops and coffees onto the floor. Customers at other tables jumped up and started backing away, some of them running out the door. Staci bolted out of her chair and stood toe-to-toe with Chase.

This was just the distraction Bennie and Carol needed. Carol used her right foot to slide the black leather gym bag to Bennie. He bent over, picked it up, and spun around so his back was to Staci as he headed out the door. Carol was right behind him, as were a dozen other patrons.

“Get out of here now, Chase. I mean it. Get out, go home, and never come back. Do not make contact with Nicky or me again. Do you understand?” She was looking Chase dead in the eyes, and Chase stumbled over his thoughts for a few seconds. There was a brief moment of awkward silence.

“What?” Staci cocked her head to the side.

“Your eyes. They’re green,” Chase said.

“What? What are you talking about? They’re green. So what?”

Chase realized she must have worn blue contacts when she was in California. He couldn’t believe he was momentarily caught staring deeply into the eyes of the woman who had only recently tried to kill him. With her blonde hair and green eyes, she was even more incredibly beautiful than she looked in Laguna Beach. Chase quickly recalibrated his bearings. He started to turn toward the door when Nicky stood up, rubbing his jaw with his right hand.

 “It’s okay, folks,” he said, looking around the café and holding his hands up in the air. “Just a little lovers’ spat, that’s all.”

He then stepped into Chase. “Listen up, buddy. I know that you’re not going away. Fine. Have it your way. But understand this. You’ve accomplished absolutely nothing by coming all the way out here. I’m going to bury you, Chase. Know that. I’m going to personally bury you. Now get the hell out of here while you still can.”

Chase had finished the three things he set out to do: confront Staci, grab the suitcase, and punch Nicky in the face. Mission accomplished. It’s been a good day.

He turned and headed out the door. Once out on the sidewalk, he first looked left but didn’t see the Excursion, Bennie, or Carol. Running to the right side of the Starbucks onto Prospect Street, he saw the SUV a half block up with the flashers on, backing up fast toward him. Bennie was leaning out the backseat passenger window, frantically waving at Chase to run up and jump in. Within seconds, Chase was in the front seat. Susan put the truck into drive, and the four drove off, making their way over the Harvard Bridge and back into Boston.

By the book: Here
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Want Some Killer Shorts?

Margot Kinberg at Confessions of a Mystery Novelist has been collecting 50 word short mystery stories written by various bloggers (yours truly is included) and she's posting them on her blog today.

Come check them out!

Go-Go-Gadget - Vote!

I have two short posts today!

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Top Five British Male Writers of Fiction - 1700s

 

1) Daniel Defoe was an English writer who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and is even referred to by some as among the founders of the English novel.

2) Matthew Lewis was an English novelist and dramatist, often referred to as "Monk" Lewis, because of the success of his classic Gothic novel, The Monk.

3) Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones.

4) Jonathan Swift is remembered for works such as Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal, A Journal to Stella, Drapier's Letters, The Battle of the Books, An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity, and A Tale of a Tub.

5) Horace Walpole - Gothic fiction, as a genre, it is generally believed to have been invented by the English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto.

By the way, all the books above are Public Domain Books meaning  you can read them for free.