NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Her Fatal Valentine, Part 2


If you’re just joining us, you should know that Not Your Usual Suspect authors are treating our fans to an eight-part mystery round robin, Her Fatal Valentine. We started on February 4, so it’s easy to get caught up!

We continue our Valentine mystery round robin with Part 2 of Her Fatal Valentine by Marcelle Dubé

Darn it. Kyle knew she was coming—couldn’t he have left the porch light on? Especially since the street light by his house was out. She’d almost stepped in a puddle of oil in his driveway.

Lauren rang the bell and waited. So typical. The small discourtesy strengthened her resolve. Tonight she would finally break it off with him. Then she sighed. Really, Lauren? Breaking it off because he hadn’t turned the light on?

It was more than that, of course. No matter how hard she tried, she didn’t love Kyle.

She just hoped she remembered that when the time came.

She stuffed her bare hands in her coat pockets, shivering in the damp February night. When he didn’t answer, she tried the doorknob. Unlocked. Huh. That wasn’t like Mr. Security Conscious Kyle.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Hello? Kyle?” The house was dark except for a light at the back of the house, in the kitchen. What the heck was he making that it took all his concentration?

She was about to call his name again when the smell hit her.

Copper. And something far less pleasant.

Swallowing against an urge to retch, she fumbled for the light switch just as her shoe made a small splashing noise on the carpet. With a gasp she stepped back, her shoes making a sucking sound.

What the heck…?

She finally found the switch and light flooded the entrance.

The scream escaped before she could stop herself and her purse dropped to the bloody carpet with a wet thud.

Kyle lay splayed out just beyond the reach of the door, his eyes wide open, an expression of fear transforming his lean, handsome face into a caricature of itself. A tiny hole in the middle of his chest had ruined his favorite sky blue polo shirt.

And the blood. So much blood. She looked down at her black leather pumps, saw the toes limned with blood, and started to shake.

She controlled the compulsion to run. Instead, she picked up her purse with trembling hands and dug through it to find her cell phone. She finally pulled it out and punched in 911.

“911,” said a woman after one ring. “What is your emergency?”

Lauren opened her mouth to answer. Then something clattered in the kitchen and she froze.

Don’t forget to come back for Part 3 of Her Fatal Valentine on Friday, February 8.

10 comments:

Clare London said...

*arrrgh* (knuckles in mouth sounds). I loved that description of the blood on the carpet! very vivid :)

And I have to wait 2 days for the next instalment?!

CathyP said...

What a cliff-hanger! Who's in the kitchen and what are they doing???

Can't wait until Friday

Kathy Ivan said...

Don't you just love it when your brain can come up with at least a half dozen different scenarios of what might/could/will happen next?

Great job so far, can't wait until the next installment.

Jean Harrington said...

OMG, does she drop the phone? Does she make the call? Is she the next victim? What fun! Great job, Marcelle.

Anne Marie Becker said...

Oh, poor Kyle. After he went to all that trouble for her. ;)

Loved that thought from Lauren that Kyle would have been upset his favorite shirt was ruined - hah!

Can't wait for more!

Elise Warner said...

Looking forward to the 20th. Can hardly wait to see how the story ends.

Rita said...

Okay! Loved it. This is a hoot!

JB Lynn said...

Great job, Marcelle! I'm loving how this story is progressing.

Wendy Soliman said...

Had did I finish up being the person that has to wrap this all up? I'm shaking in my boots here!

Julie Moffett said...

Ooooh, the plot thickens .... :)

More Popular Posts