Easing into the end of the week. Not too much longer to go and we will have a full year of prompts. So coffee pot on, brew cycle started and time set for the word prompt. Let’s go.
Okay I kind of like this one. I am going to have to think about the set up though. Sadly writing mysteries is like that. You kind of have to get the premise and then start from the ending and work your way back. At least for me anyway.
Thursday, December 29th: It felt like something was missing.
It felt like something was missing. He didn’t know what. This wasn’t a place he came to often. It was owned by his father and lived in by him and his third wife. Wives number four and five didn’t care for it but his father found it too good an investment property to let go. It was leased out and brought in a profit. Gary had visited once when wife number three reigned. He vaguely remembered the scent of lavender oil and of a Pomeranian that followed him everywhere when he moved and watched him when he sat. It was like moving through the house with his own private store detective following him and he had never decided whether or not the Pomeranian had reported back to the Mrs. His actions. She had ceased being the Mrs. About two months later.
Now when he was in town and his father was between both tenants and wives, the house had been offered for him to use for the month he would need to be in town. Gary was certain it was some sort of gesture of comradery on his father’s part. After all as of seventy two hours ago he too had his own ex-Mrs. Unlike his father he didn’t have a new one lined up and no plans to build his own squadron of ex-wives.
‘But I suppose Cathy had one lined up,’ Gary said. So I suppose one of us is following the play book. Gary always thought that if he married it would be a once and for life. It was a bit of a shock to find himself traded in for a wealthier model with more hair and whiter teeth.
‘Who likes to dance.’ Gary added remembering Cathy’s parting words. Of course she wasn’t Kathy any more. Everyone was no calling her Katherine as Kathy was apparently too pedestrian.
Gary shook his head clearing away the last week if only momentarily. Something was missing here. Something was wrong. He looked around. Nothing looked out of place. The decor was generic and easily replaceable if one of the corporate tenants broke something. He doubted anything had ever been broken. He was certain if his father had any problems with tenants it would have come up. Nothing had been mentioned.
Still Gary felt that something was off. He took out his phone and looked at the screen. He could call his father and mention it, but what would he tell him? Something seems off about this place I vaguely remember from my one visit eight years ago?
Gary shook his head again and slipped his phone into his back pocket. A storm was rolling in and in addition to his luggage he had some groceries he picked up on the way in. Getting them into the house before the rain hit seemed like a good plan. Gary turned and took a step towards the door. Te sound of footsteps took him by surprise. He half turned but before he could complete it something hit him in the head and he was knocked un conscious.
When he came to rain was sheeting down the windows. The room was full of people, most of them looking official and a woman he didn’t know was squatting next to him. She wore an EMT’s uniform and he guessed she belonged to the ambulance who’s lights were currently flashing into the house from the drive and adding an extra dimension of pain to his headache.
“Don’t move just yet, Sir,” she said. “You’ve had a nasty crack to the head.”
Ten til Midnight 