After getting, what to me, were wonderful reviews on Amazon for my first novel, “Justice For Lindsey,” I decided to write more stories. I developed two new characters, and published their first two stories as novellas. This was the beginning of the Sophie London-Evin Foster series.
Sophie is an established author of mysteries and Evin is a private investigator. Book one in the series, “He Never Said Good-Bye,” tells the reader how they met and under what circumstances. Book two, “Deception in the Moonlight,” brings our two characters together once again.
This week, I am offering my blog followers chapter one of book one, and the prologue for book two. They can be purchased in one volume on Amazon.com, by clicking on the book cover located under, “Books Written by Christina Siwik, to the right of this post.
CHAPTER ONE-“He Never Said Good-bye.”
Sophie got up from her desk chair and stretched. She had been sitting and typing on her laptop for two hours. However, for some reason, she was having a difficult time concentrating today. The words had been flowing but sure lacked cohesion. She had just read what she had written, and it made absolutely no sense. She wasn’t even sure what her characters were talking about. It almost sounded like they were in two different stories. She didn’t know what the matter was, but maybe it was the fact that William had left the house far earlier than he usually did. When she woke at 7:00 a.m., he was already gone. It was so unlike him as he was a man of habit. He got up the same time every morning, even on the weekend. He left for work at the same time and arrived home the same time each and every day. He always kissed her goodbye and told her he loved her, but none of that happened this morning.
However, when she stopped to think about it, maybe it wasn’t William’s leaving early that bothered her but instead the strange dream she had last night. She seldom had dreams of any type, but this one had unsettled her. It was dark outside, and Sophie was still sitting in her writing nook and tapping away on her laptop. The doorbell rang, and she walked downstairs to see who it could be. When she opened the front door, William was standing there, all disheveled. He looked at her and said, “I couldn’t solve it, Sophie. Now it’s up to you.” Then he was gone. She didn’t believe in premonitions. She relegated those to the characters in her books. However, the dream was bizarre, and since William had left early, she couldn’t even tell him about it.
Sophie had been worried about William’s strange behavior for several weeks now. Maybe that is why she had the dream. It was probably just her subconscious at work. He had become quite secretive and a few times had stayed at work long after all his patients had left. When she asked him about it, he would say it was nothing to worry about.
“I have a problem I’m taking care of, Sophie. You are not to worry. I will have everything worked out very soon. I love you very much. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. No matter what happens, I want you to remember that.”
Just recalling those words made her feel better, so she decided to grab herself another cup of coffee and drink it on the back deck. She padded downstairs to the kitchen and poured the hot brew into her mug. William had given her this mug just two weeks ago. It had a photo of a laptop keyboard and the inscription, “For My Favorite Author.” Then, she took her coffee and stepped through the French doors onto the back deck.
She absolutely loved the views they had from this vantage point. The hills were beautiful today. The vibrant greens of the foliage stood out against the azure blue of the cloudless sky. It was going to be another hot and humid Tennessee day, but it wasn’t too bad for now. She stood there admiring the view as it always calmed her. Plus, maybe some time away from her computer was all that she needed. For some reason, whenever she was working on writing one of her mysteries, she became suspicious of the world around her. She always thought it was because she spent so much time in her character’s minds and lives. She chastised herself for being so worried. After all, she and William had a storybook romance and marriage. As she stood there, her mind drifted back to the day William and she had met.
—–
Of all places, Sophie Davis and William London had met at the National Corvette Museum located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Thirty-year-old Sophie had been researching a novel she was going to title, The Corvette Murders. Being an established author of mysteries, Sophie decided to try her hand at writing a true-crime novel. The book she had planned was being based on a 1983 triple homicide that had taken place in Texas. They had been quite gruesome murders as the three victims had been stabbed and shot multiple times. While she was researching the cold case, the only suspect the police had targeted was actually arrested. Several mystery writers she knew were doing the same thing at the time. She knew that she would not be able to begin writing until the case was all resolved, but she was still interested in the possibility of getting a book out of it.
Sophie had already done extensive research in Galveston County, Texas, where the murders occurred, and she spent a whole week there interviewing anyone who would talk to her. Since the novel was only in the research stage, Sophie wanted to gather as much information as possible while it was still fresh in people’s minds. She also wanted to make sure she had all the accurate details before writing the novel.
Yesterday, she visited the Corvette factory, located just a little more than a mile north of the museum she was now visiting, to learn more about the car’s construction. Since the murders had taken place at a Corvette repair shop, she wanted to make sure all the technical things she wrote about would be accurate as well. She found the construction of the Corvette all rather fascinating.
Her contact at the factory suggested that if she wanted to learn the car’s history, she needed to visit this museum, so here she was. She was about halfway through the car displays and stood in front of a 1975 Chevy Corvette convertible. She was admiring the car’s beauty when the silence was suddenly broken.
“It is a beautiful specimen of a car, isn’t it,” the voice said.
Sophie turned to see a very handsome man standing behind her. She judged him to be in his late thirties. Sophie herself was 5’7”, so this man had to be at least six feet tall and in great physical shape. He had short wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. When he smiled, dimples showed on each of his cheeks. He was dressed in a tan pair of cargo pants and a navy-blue polo shirt. Even though his dress was casual, she could tell from experience that he had class.
“Yes, it is,” she said. “I was just admiring the design and color. I also like the fact that it is a convertible.”
“Did you know that 1975 was the last year they built a Corvette convertible until 1986?” he asked.
“No, I didn’t. I’m just beginning to learn about the car. However, you seem to know a lot about Corvettes,” she noted.
“It’s my favorite car,” he said, then added, “By the way, my name is William London. I just happen to own a 1975 Corvette convertible. I am here for the annual National Corvette Homecoming.”
“They were telling me about that during my visit to the factory yesterday,” she said. “My name is Sophie Davis. Today is my first visit to the museum. I am here doing some research for my latest novel.”
“You’re a writer?” William asked.
“Yes, I write mysteries under the pen name of Paula Arnold.”
“Paula Arnold? Why not use your real name?” William asked.
“When I wrote and self-published my first novel, I didn’t know how my father, who was a Baptist minister, or my mother would react to some of the language and situations in my book,” she said. “My mother’s choice of books always had a Christian theme to them, and I guess that is what I expected my parents to want for mine.”
“I understand,” said William. “So, Sophie Davis, what do you think of the museum?”
“The cars are awesome. I have learned so much about them in just a few hours I have been here. Do you come here often?”
“I live in Franklin, Tennessee, and get up here three or four times a year. I never get tired of looking at these cars.” Then he asked, “How would you like to go for a ride in my 1975 Corvette convertible?”
Sophie had always been a bit of a free spirit, so she did not hesitate to accept William’s invitation. They spent the next three hours flying down Interstate 65 and sightseeing in Bowling Green.
When they stopped for an ice cream sundae, William asked her about her writing. “How long have you been a writer, Sophie?”
“I started writing and self-publishing my books about ten years ago while I was still attending Vanderbilt University. Then, about five years ago, an actual publisher contacted me and offered me a contract. I was quite surprised but didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I probably will never make millions, but I make enough to live comfortably, travel and research my books. This trip was easy as I still live in Nashville. What about you, William? What line of work are you into?”
“I am a dentist and have my own practice in Franklin. I opened it up about ten years ago, but I lived in Columbus, Ohio, before that. I obtained my dental degree from OSU. I was right out of dental school and felt fortunate to find a practice in Columbus that needed another dentist.”
After their sundae, they took a tour at the Historic Railpark and Train Museum located in Bowling Green. William had commented on seeing the wheels turning in her head.
“You have such a dreamy look in your eyes. I bet you’re thinking of how you can use these old train cars in one of your stories, aren’t you?”
“Am I that transparent?” she asked with a laugh. “It’s just every time I visit someplace new, that seems to happen.”
Sophie had a wonderful time with William and he promised to give her a call. With her living in Nashville and him in Franklin, they were only twenty-five miles apart. It was 5:00 p.m. when William took her back to her car parked at the museum.
Much to her surprise, William did call her the following week, and it wasn’t long before they saw each other regularly. One Saturday night, they had taken in a dinner show at a famous country singer’s restaurant. Later, as they were walking along the riverfront near her loft apartment, William had popped the question, and she had accepted.
Since both William and she had lost their parents at a young age, the wedding ceremony in late August took place in the courthouse before a judge. William had been an only child with no close relatives; therefore, he had his former partner stand up with him. Sophie’s only near relative was her older sister, so she stood up with Sophie. Her sister had made the trip to Nashville alone as her teenage sons were attending a local sports academy, and their father remained home with them.
William had wanted to go someplace special on their honeymoon but didn’t want to be away from his practice for very long. In the end, they had decided on a three-day trip to London. Sophie was elated as she had always wanted to visit there. They spent their time wandering around the city looking like your traditional tourist. They saw all the sites like Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. They were lucky to catch the changing of the guard at the Horse Guards. Of course, they had to eat their share of fish and chips in a traditional London pub. William had even agreed to spend some time in a beautiful bookstore called Waterstones. However, the highlight of the trip for Sophie had been their attendance at a performance of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre located on Haymarket Street. Each night in London, they took an evening stroll along the river Thames. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
After their marriage, she had sublet her loft apartment until the lease ran out and moved to Franklin with William. After they had been married about six months, he sold the small home he owned in town, and they built the beautiful home they now occupied. It sat at the end of a col de sac on two lots. The five-bedroom, four-bath-house was constructed to look like a two-story brick colonial. However, inside, it was a traditional log home. It was rather large for just the two of them, but the extra space did come in handy when they entertained. However, what Sophie liked best about their house was the location. Every morning, she could sit on her back deck and enjoy the peaceful view of the Tennessee hills. She and William would sit on the same deck in the evening and watch the sun go down as it disappeared behind those rolling hills. They would talk about their dreams for the future and make plans for their wonderful life together. Now they had been married for almost five years and as far as Sophie knew, a very happy five years.
—–
Sophie took her empty coffee mug back into the house, refilled it, and went upstairs to return to her writing. He had told her that it would all be taken care of soon. Maybe it would take her mind off of William. After all, she thought it had been a good five years and a good marriage after all. She just wished he had confided in her the problem he was trying to solve. Maybe she could help. She certainly hoped so, as she did not like to see him under so much stress.
Sophie spent the rest of the day writing and doing some research online for her book. She had to go back over what she had written in the morning and completely change that part of her story. William was not yet home by 6:00, and Sophie was a little concerned, as he always called or texted if he was going to be late, but so far, she had heard nothing from him. He had taken the Jeep today as he said he was leaving early and getting the tires rotated. The tire place closed at 5:00, so he should have been home.
At 8:00 p.m., William was still not home, and Sophie still tried not to be too worried. Maybe he had thought of something he needed to take care of at the practice and gone back. By 10:00 p.m., she was beginning to get very concerned. Where was he? This was so unlike him. He had never been this late before. Could the problem he was working on be much more severe than he had let on? Had the problem put him in some type of danger?
At 11:00 p.m., she finally turned out the lights and tried to sleep. Until today, she usually had no trouble falling asleep; WILLIAM NEVER CAME HOME.
PROLOGUE-“Deception in the Moonlight.”
When Rachael had finished the yoga class and returned to their suite, she was pretty disappointed to find Justin was called away. It was a shame as they were here to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. However, when she read the entire note, her spirits picked up. The first part had said, “I am sorry, but I got an emergency call from the company. It seems I forgot to sign the proposal with my drawings for the new building. I may be back late, but don’t worry.” There was a bit of space, and then she had read the rest of the note. “To make up for my being gone, let’s take a moonlight walk and meet each other in the Treehouse at midnight. I hear it is so beautiful and romantic. It’s such a short walk from the lodge: only twenty minutes. Just follow the yellow markers. I have a very special surprise waiting for you. Love, Justin.” The note was written in the neat printing Justin used when he wrote on his architectural designs. She wondered what Justin had in mind. It sounded so romantic.
She went to the front desk to ask about the trail to the treehouse and how easy it was to find in the moonlight. The manager was there and assured her it was an effortless twenty-minute walk, and all she had to do was follow the yellow markers just as Justin’s note had said. He told her that guests at the resort took it all the time, and no one had gotten lost yet.
Wanting to look her best, she had dressed in her faux black and white wrap dress and her black open-toed high heel sandals. She had taken special care to curl her shoulder-length auburn hair and fix her make-up as she would for a night on the town. She had on her diamond earrings and necklace that Justin gave her yesterday for their anniversary. She left the suite at 11:30 p.m. as she didn’t want to be late.
Just like the manager had told her, the yellow trail had been easy to find and to follow. However, she must have missed a signpost somewhere. After walking for about ten minutes, she couldn’t find any more posts. Now, she was tired and a bit scared. Pushing the panic out of her mind, she continued. It seemed like she had been walking for hours, but she realized it had only been twenty minutes as she checked her watch by the moonlight. She was supposed to be there now and hoped Justin wasn’t getting worried about her.
She was upset at herself for losing track of the markers a couple of times when a cloud had covered the moon. When that happened, she had found herself walking in circles. Now, she was back on track, but it was past midnight. She was sure Justin was probably worried about her by now. Finally, she saw the treehouse in the distance. She couldn’t wait to see what Justin’s surprise was. He had already given her the necklace and earrings. What else could he have in store for her?
The treehouse was all lit up, and the light was filtering out of the windows. She thought she heard someone moving around inside as she climbed the steps. It was probably Justin. He probably wondered where she had been, and knowing him, had been pacing back and forth.
She called out, “Justin, is that you? I’m sorry I’m late, but I missed the trail a couple of times. I’ll be right there.”
There was no reply inside the treehouse, so she kept climbing the steps. She reached the top and opened the door. On the table was a bouquet of a dozen red roses, a bottle of champagne, and two champagne flutes, just like the resort had supplied them that first night. She noticed that one flute was full, but the other was empty.
“I said I was sorry I was late, Justin, but you didn’t have to start without me,” she said with a half-laugh.
Then she saw the note. It read, “I was worried that you had gotten lost. I have gone to look for you, and I will be right back. Enjoy the champagne. It is delicious. See you in just a few minutes. I have the rest of the surprise with me. Love, Justin”.
She picked up the filled flute and drank it to the bottom. Just as Justin had said, it was delicious. Then she saw the shadow and turned around.
The person began to walk towards her, and Rachael grabbed the shadowy figure.
“My Charli should be the one here, not you,” the figure said. Those were the last words Rachael heard before she slumped to the floor.
As always, I hope you enjoy my stories, and until next time…
“Don’t save today for tomorrow.”
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