The Fifteen Minute Novel is an attempt to take a single prompt and use the last sentence written each day as a start for the next day. This year I had several prompts circling around a similar story, so I have combined them. However, the story starts the same way each day, with the last line from the day before and a timer set for fifteen minutes. The hope is to end up with a complete, if very rough draft by the end of the year. Some stories are better than others, but I always learn a whole lot about my own writing when I do this so for me it is not only a nice way to work out a story, but it is a tool for helping my writing get better. And so, we continue this story for 2024 with…
Day 247: He was sitting behind a desk that looked like more like it was designed for a bank teller.
He was sitting behind a desk that looked like more like it was designed for a bank teller. Sophie supposed that the bullet proof glass protected him but when she walked up to talk to him she had the uncontrollable urge to ask about opening an account and making a deposit. She squashed down the urge.
He didn’t look like he would appreciate it.
He looked as though he was in no mood for any form of levity. Sophie hoped it was just his work face and that he didn’t go through life like that. She gave him her name and told him the detective she was there to see. He nodded and picked up the phone calling back.
“He’ll be with you in a moment,” she was told. He then gestured to one of the benches. Janine shrugged as they both turned and walked to one of the benches. They sat and waited quietly, neither feeling much like talking. Periodically the man behind the glass would look at them. Sophie wondered if it was to ensure they were behaving. She felt a bit like she had been sent to the principal’s office.
Sophie fought not to sigh with relief when the detective showed up. He had a splotch of mustard on his shirt that was still a vivid yellow and his breath when he greeted them smelled like he had just finished the last bite of sandwich before coming to greet them.
“I hope we didn’t interrupt you lunch,” Sophie said. She looked around for a clock. “I didn’t think about that before we headed over.”
“Not a problem,” he said. “Let’s start with the exclusionary finger prints first and then we will talk.”
Sophie and Janine were both finger printed, mostly because Janine visited often enough that she might have left prints. Janine looked excited by the prospect and Sophie felt a bit like a criminal. They were allowed to wash their hands in the bathroom but Sophie knew it would take a while for the last remnants of the ink to be removed from her skin.
“As long as it doesn’t transfer to anything it should be fine,” she mused as they headed back towards his office.
“Transfer?” he asked.
“The ink,” Sophie said. “I spent the morning cleaning up my apartment with more left to do and I’d hate to leave black smudges everywhere.”
“Ah yes, I heard about your morning troubles,” he said. He indicated the guest chairs and Sophie and Janine sat in front of his desk while he sat behind it.
“We have had luck matching fingerprints,” he said. “But it is good to get yours on file for comparison.”
“Matching fingerprints to my apartment and someone?” Sophie asked.
He nodded. “And to the air vents in your car.”
“So one person responsible for everything?” she asked.
“It is but the case is ongoing,” he replied.
Sophie was certain that meant that he couldn’t tell her any details.
“I came in to give my finger prints but I also wanted to know if there was a time when I would be able to get my car back,” Sophie asked.
“We would like to keep it just a few more days, actually.” He said. “We have a couple of more tests to run and then we should be able to release it by the end of the week.
Sophie let out a sigh of relief. “The end of the week would be great.” She said.
“I can’t guarantee it will be the end of the week, but I think it likely,” he corrected.
“Likely is still good,” Sophie replied.
“Is it because of an arrest?” Janine asked. “Because you might arrest someone and therefore no one will be tampering with it again?”
He smiled.
Ten til Midnight 