500 and Counting ~ Scene 6, a #ShortStory readers help write. Catch up and join in!


Each week I use readers’ suggestions and write exactly five hundred words based on their feedback.



And just to make this interesting, I offer up one of my novels free to the commenter whose suggestion I use.



Okay…let’s write a story.



(If you haven't read the first scenes, please click on the link. Otherwise, the story won't make sense. Don’t worry; there's a link, which will bring you right back.)






Chapter 2 ~ Scene 6




Gino followed Chief Jackson and detective Mark Waters inside the house of the murdered couple. The detective had a commanding gaze and strong handshake for his age. Gino guessed him to be about twenty-eight.
Not that Gino was old at thirty-two, but he’d certainly spent more time on the streets than Mark, and yet he had that seasoned look. Eyes that read not just what your lips spoke, but what your entire body said. In his years as a police officer and detective, Gino had learned that you listened to people with your eyes, not your ears. Bad guys could utter a lie without missing a breath, but their body language screamed the truth.
The detective passed two closed doors then stepped inside the room at the end of the hallway. “Forensics has already swept the room, so help yourself, gentlemen. Though, there’s not much to see. Nothing in the room was out of place according to their daughter, who came in this morning and gave a statement.”
Gino shifted his gaze from the detective to take in the room. The place was immaculate, not one crooked picture, no dust on the nightstands; even the couple’s shoes were lined up perfectly by the bed, ready for them to step into the next morning.
Captain strolled toward the master bath, and Gino walked over to the bookcase adjacent the bed. Something wasn’t right. He knelt down in front of the case and spotted the one thing in the room that wasn’t meticulously in its place.
Eight photo albums, each with a description of its contents, stood upright on the second shelf. The older woman must have been into scrapbooking. Sheila had attempted to make a scrapbook of their wedding album, but had given up on the tedious task. It was clear that the woman who had made these was a perfectionist. Each one had a label of either a year or an event, and only one was moved a fraction out of place.
Gino pulled out the album with the embossed title, “Thurber’s Team” written on the spine.
Waters moved up behind him and peered over his shoulder. “What you got?”
Gino shrugged his shoulders as he flipped open the book with his latex-covered hand. “I don’t know, but it was the only thing in the room that looked out of place.”
He traced the outline of the blank first page, which was missing a picture based on the small amount of residue used to affix the picture.  Gino flipped the next page and there were multiple pictures of young men in football gear. On one of the pages, he read ’57 scribbled on the white frame of the photograph. Upon flipping through the pages, he discovered every page had at least one picture missing.
Captain crossed the room and hovered over the detectives. “What d’ya find, Gino?”
“I think I found our first lead, Captain.” He pointed to one of the pictures on the page. “That there’s my pap.”   



Okay, friends, what happens next? In our first five weeks, we have sufficiently scared the heck out of Gino--clearly something is going on. But before he ordered himself exorcised, we jumped into clues of this new murder and how they may pertain to his grandather's death. Remember, in a mystery, things aren't always what they seem, but can often lead you to the answers.

Please feel free to jump in by leaving your comments below. Can’t wait to see what you guys have in store for us. J


About me:

I write modern-day fairytales filled with romance, mystery, suspense, and of course, tragedy. After all, what would a fairytale be without a tragic event setting the stage? All of my novels are sensual, but not erotic, gripping but not graphic and will hopefully make you cry, laugh, love, and hope.

I love talking about all things books, so please connect with me via one of the links below.






Books available:


When two strangers have nothing left but their dreams, they must forge a relationship in Nantahala, North Carolina, a small town known as Land of the Noonday Sun.


After secrets and a mysterious background leave a wife’s life hanging by a thread, a husband must look for answers in the only place he knows—the past.

Now available at:





And coming soon, Entangled Dreams


No comments:

Post a Comment