TOP DRAWER FICTION

 

The WomanSleuth Anthology
Contemporary Mystery Stories By Women
Edited by Irene Zahava

 

An Excerpt From

The Disappearing Diamond
by
HL Carpenter

Emma Twiggs' excuse for making the perilous trek downtown on Wednesday afternoon was to extend a dinner invitation. It would have been less nerve-wracking to phone than to brave the teeming city streets, but Emma liked to visit Jim and Nancy. Her matchmaker's heart eagerly accepted the challenge of taming the adversarial sparks that flew between her private detective nephew and his secretary when they thought she wasn't looking.

Besides, by presenting herself at the office in person, there was always the chance she'd get to assist with a case – or, as Jim liked to say, to 'intervene'.

I feel lucky today, she mused. She evaded the cab that threatened to mow her down and entered the building without noticing the screech of tires, or the mugger who found out the hard way that nimble-footed elderly ladies weren't such easy marks.

***

HL Carpenter is a mother/daughter writing team. The Disappearing Diamond, featuring Emma Twiggs, their favorite septuagenarian sleuth, was their first story published in an anthology.