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 248: He smiled.
He smiled. “I’m afraid ai can’t give you any more details at this time.” Sophie noticed that while his smile was polite his eyes were hard and sharp.
“Well, I suppose I’ll just have to stick close to home,” Sophie said before Janine could add anything else. She seemed much more inclined to argue with law enforcement and Sophie just wanted things to go smoothly so she could stop having to deal with law enforcement. Even though she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong she would be much happier to not deal with the police. “Luckily I have the week off to clear up and repair the damage,” Sophie said.
The detective turned his dark eyes towards her. She could see a flicker of interest cross his otherwise pleasantly blank face.
“Week off?” he asked.
“My boss saw the damage to my apartment and so I have the rest of the week off to deal with it,” Sophie said.
“I see,” he replied. “Then staying close to home might not be a bad thing.”
“Right,” Sophie replied.
“We had better get your restocked, then,” Janien replied. The detective nodded, stood and walked them back out of the station. Soon enough he was leaving them in the entry way with the uniformed officer in the bullet proof box eying them warily.
They left and as they entered the parking lot, Sophie found herself relieved to be out of the station.
“He was a little, intense,” Janine said.
“Yeah,” Sophie replied. Janine seemed to shrug it off as they walked back to the car. Sophie wasn’t so sure. Something seemed to be up, more than just a mean spirited person causing damage in a grownups version of a temper tantrum. She got into the car and Janine started the engine.
“I would have sworn Kristen had no clue hoe to do anything automotive,” She said ad Janine adjusted the air vents.
“Maybe she got help, or knew more than you thought,” Janine replied. She fastened her seatbelt and shifted gears, backing out of the space and then shifting to drive to get out of the parking lot.
“And you think she is capable of rigging something to explode a mailbox?” Sophie asked. She only knew Kristen from work and hadn’t seen her do much beyond desk work and long lunches.
“Maybe she has hobbies,” Janine suggested. It was a hesitant suggestion as though Janine didn’t believe it even as she said it.
“The cut up clothing and the condiments I could see her doing. She slashed tires and after pouring gasoline on the parking lot set it on fire,” Sophie said. “The canister attached to my car’s vents and the mailbox thing seem like different things entirely.”
“You think she has a partner?” Janine asked. “Or she paid someone to do those things?”
“Maybe,” Sophie said. “I don’t know what her husband does so maybe that is his sort of thing or she just paid someone.” Something clicked in Sophie’s brain. “What it the partner is the one the police want to arrest?” She suggested. “I mean paying someone to do those things is bad, but what if they want to find the person who actually did those things?” It was a new thought and Sophie turned it over as they drove.
Ten til Midnight 