The Fifteen Minute Novel is a novel written fifteen minutes at a time with each week day’s section starting with the sentence from the previous day. At least it is attempting to be a novel. For now I am just aiming at one continuous story, worked on for fifteen minutes each day. Started Friday January 1st, 2021 (in case you want to search for the beginning. I can’t wait to see where it ends up. It could be good, or it could be a mess. We’ll have to see. For now, here is today’s fifteen minutes.
Day 253: Tucker laughed.
Tucker laughed. “His whole family is in it up to their eyeballs,” Tucker said. “Even his mother.”
“My mother,” James said. He leaned forward. “I thought you said it was an accident?”
“With the brake line cut?” Tucker said. He glanced at James and then dismissed him, turning back to Morris. “He has to know something. There is no way he is not involved.”
“How do you know about the brake line,” Morris asked. His voice was calm, quiet, even. James kept very still.
“It was obvious,” Tucker said.
“Obvious?” Morris replied.
“You just have to know what you are looking for,” Tucker said.
“And yet that fact isn’t mentioned in your report,” Morris said. “In fact, very little is mentioned in your report.”
“I haven’t gotten around to typing in the latest information,” Tucker replied.
“Then why don’t you tell me the latest information?” Morris replied. He folded his hands and placed them on the desk in front of him.
“According to those that knew Cassie James was her knight in shining armor. He was always there to help her. Why wouldn’t she turn to him now?”
“James?” Morris said.
Tucker and Morris both looked at him. “I helped her out when she had a flat tire and made sure her car got to a mechanic. I also didn’t tell anyone she had been drinking. Then I made her promise not to drive drunk so for a while she would call me to pick her up when she needed a ride.”
“So noble,” Tucker said.
“As you said, our families have known each other for years.”
“Exactly,” Tucker said. “So why wouldn’t she call you now?”
“Because she thought I was dead,” James said. “You can’t call a dead man to pick you up.”
“Do you have any evidence that Cassie thought James was still alive?” Morris asked.
“No but he’d still know the sneaky little hideaways the family has,” Tucker said.
“I sold all of my sneaky little hideaways,” James said. “If the others had any, I don’t know about them.”
“You are going to tell me you didn’t know about the cabin up in Strawbridge?” Tucker asked. “You owned it.”
“I did and my ex-wife got it in the divorce because even when I made plans to go something would happen at work and I wouldn’t be able to make it,” James said.
“Every time?” Tucker mocked.
“Yes,” James said. “I’ve never even managed to set foot on the property.”
Ten til Midnight 