Sample Sunday: Excerpt: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO…? in Notorious in North Texas: Metroplex Mysteries III

For this first Sunday of May 2024, I thought I would offer you a small excerpt from my story, Whatever Happened To….?, as seen in the recently released anthology, Notorious in North Texas: Metroplex Mysteries III. Published by the Sisters in Crime North Dallas chapter, edited by Michael Bracken, the book has 12 stories. My story is set in my part of NE Dallas and is current, though the past is never far away, everywhere I look.

 

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO…? by Kevin R. Tipple

 

It all began with a power outage.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and the Texas heat was not quitting. Once one gets past the State Fair of Texas over in Fair Park, one can count on the heat dialing it way back. Not this year. It wasn’t backing off much at all and power outages were a constant worry. It had gone out just after two and the old family home had heated up quickly.

I finally gave up, grabbed my keys, the not-so-cold bottle of water I had been drinking, and my library copy of the latest Craig Johnson novel, and headed out. My initial plan was to hit the closest fast-food joint, but just maybe, the nearby library still had power and would probably be quieter.

There was an anxious moment as the starter ground on my late wife’s car., a baby blue PT Cruiser. It had seen quite a few miles when she was commuting back and forth to TWU and chasing her degree in Education and her teaching certificate. Finally, the old car came to life with a roar. I had not driven it in several days and the rough idle made that clear.

I took the long way to Lochwood Library, working my way through my aging NE Dallas neighborhood past the homes of high school classmates who had long ago left the neighborhood. After a few minutes, I hit Jupiter Road, turned south, and kept an eye out for red-light runners and other traveling idiots. Saturday afternoon was not my preferred time to go anywhere……

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3ydE1iL

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

In addition to having been the multiple term president of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, Kevin R. Tipple’s short fiction has appeared in numerous places online and in magazines such as LynxEye, Starblade, Show and Tell, The Writer's Post Journal, Mystery Magazine, and others. His short stories have appeared in the anthologies, Back Road Bobby and His Friends, Crimeucopia-Strictly Off The Record, and Crimeucopia-Say It Again. His award winning blog of reviews, guest posts, and more is at: https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/