Potter - 9 Murder Mysteries

This book is fictional and a product of the authors imagination. References to people, places and things are solely to create a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Apart from brief extracts used for reviews, no part of this book may be used or reproduced for any reason without prior written consent of the author.

Copyright 2013: Donald L. Potter

All rights reserved

ISBN

9781623091002

MURDER MYSTERIES

Introduction to the Collection

Mysteries are fun and exciting, particularly when they involve murder. Short mystery stories are a great way to take a break from our busy jam-packed lives and escape for a little time from reality into the world of fiction. By their very nature, short stories are single-minded, with fewer characters, and the pace is fast.

Below is a synopsis of each of the 9 stories written for your reading enjoyment:

HOLLYWOOD Stars get special treatment in Tinsel Town. The loss of a son causes a bereaved mother to buck the odds in an effort to payback an uncaring actor.

SNAP Tired of living under the domination of women causes Bill to takes things into his own hands. The result is briefly liberating, but the consequences are deadly.

GEMINI Identical twins are reunited when a sister is assigned the task of assassinating the other. A plan is devised to avert one murder, which can end in both their deaths.

WISHES A stranger offers a born loser a way out of his miserable existence. The man can have whatever he wants, but he does not consider the final outcome.

SCHEME A body washes up on the South Jersey shore. What appears to be a simple case of murder turns out to be a complex and well orchestrated killing plot

ANGELS Digging for buried treasure was Kurt Masons job. After finding a special piece of antiquity he is thrust into a world-wide adventure that could cost him his life.

SOBER Selecting the right AA sponsor may produce major changes in an individuals life. Agreeing to sponsor the wrong person could have deadly results.

WRITERS Husband and wife authors live in an isolated country home. She comes to believe he is planning to murder her. It could be her imagination or a glimpse of reality.

REDEMPTION Most people would welcome the opportunity to eliminate poor choices made in the past. But does a death row prisoner deserve a second chance at life?

HOLLYWOOD

A loud thud accompanied by the steering wheel jerking violently to the right snapped Jarrod James out of his blackout. In the twilight he saw something bounce across the hood of his car and hit the windshield before sliding into the gutter. JJ slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop just in time to keep a twisted bicycle from logging under the frame of his prize Bentley convertible.

My God, what have I done, JJ cried as he looked at the lifeless body of a young boy lying on the asphalt. He did not touch the child. Instead he pulled the bike from beneath the front bumper and fled.

In minutes he reached the safety of his home atop the Hollywood hills. Unable to reconstruct what happened, let alone think about what to do next, JJ poured an ample amount of vodka into a glass and stared through the floor to ceiling windows at the twinkling lights of the sprawling city below. He finished half the drink and picked up the phone.

Ray, its me, JJ. Something really bad just went down. I need your help.

What happened?

I think I killed a kid.

You think you killed a kid? Dont you know for sure?

Well, I was coming back from a meeting and a few drinks with Harriet at Dan Tanas and was coming up the back way to my place. Then bam, I hit this little guy riding a bike.

And hes dead?

He looked like he was. Nobody was around, so I took off.

Great, a hit-and-run. Youre right, you did something really bad.

Im sorry, Ray. Its the pills the doc gave me to keep me calm. Guess they dont mix too well with booze.

Looks like you hit the jackpot this time, my boy. Have you talked to anyone else about this fiasco?

I was going to call Harriet. After all, she is my agent. Besides, Harriet was with me this afternoon.

Shes the last person you want to know about this. If she had as many drinks as you, shell be useless too. And if not, she could be a key witness against you.

Think I could go to jail?

Lets put it this way, if you dont do exactly as I tell you, theyll be fitting you for one of those orange jumpsuits real soon. Got it?

Oh no.

Oh yeah.

What do you want me to do?

Take a shower. Put on something comfortable. And make a pot of coffee. We may be in for a long night. Im on my way. Dont do anything or talk to anyone until I get there.

Laurie Kingman had been a single mom since her son, Robert, was six months old. It was difficult in those early years, but with the help of family and friends she persevered and made a comfortable life for herself and her son. That was until twelve year old Robby was killed earlier in the evening by a hit-and-run driver. He was riding his bike in a Beverly Hills neighborhood while she, now a personal trainer, was inside working with a client.

Why? Why? she cried. He was such a good boy my pride and joy. How could someone hit him and drive away leaving him to die on the street? She sat by his lifeless form in a curtained-off area in the emergency room at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills.

Come, Laurie, her sister, Joan, said. We have to make funeral arrangements for Robby. I have a friend who works for Rose Hills. She can help with everything. In the meantime, until things get sorted out, please come and stay with Jim and me.

I dont want to interfere with your lives.

Youre family. And a family takes care of family members when tragedy hits. This is not up for discussion. Well go over to your apartment and pack after we meet with the lady at Rose Hills. Joan had difficulty finding the proper words, but her thoughts seemed to get through.

Okay, Ray Seymour said as he barged through the front door thirty minutes later. Time to provide me with each and every detail of the incident that you can remember.

Thats not a very nice way to say hello.

Look, JJ, Im not your babysitter, your shrink or your agent. Good ole Ray is your attorney. I dont get paid to make you feel good. Im the one who gets you off the hook every time you screw up. And this time, Ill earn every bit of my fee and more.

With you, Ray, its always more. Im sure your services will cost me plenty.

If you ever learn how to stay out of trouble, youll save a lot of money.

Yeah, but youd find a way to bill me for something. JJ enjoyed sparring with his lawyer, but he also believed Ray took advantage of him. He was certain that everyone he employed in someway overcharged, underperformed, or both. JJ chalked this up to the cost of being a star, particularly one of his magnitude.

Did you make coffee like I asked?

I thought a drink would do a better job of calming me down.

Stop thinking. I need to be sure youre sober when we call the police. You can get drunk later but only if youre at home. No one can see you drinking in public until we get this thing behind us.

We dont even know if I had an accident. Its just that I cant remember.