TOP DRAWER FICTION

 

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

Crime Time
by
HL Carpenter

It wouldn't be fair to complain, Emma Twiggs thought, contemplating the narrowness of her small office. After all, Jim had finally relented and granted her a cubicle, no matter how tiny, that positively established her right to claim private investigator status.

Amateur sleuth until further notice, she amended, remembering her nephew’s warning. Nonetheless ...

Her thoughts were interrupted by Nancy Barnes, her good friend and peerless secretary to James Galveston, Private Investigator, as the dark haired young woman appeared in the cubicle doorway. "Jim wants to see you in his office, Em."

Emma’s eyebrows peaked. "He finally has a case for me?"

"He’s meeting with a client," Nancy said. "He wants you to bring a pad and pencil."

Emma pushed back her chair with a resigned sigh. She would have given her bridgework for a chance at a real case, but in the week since she’d achieved "amateur sleuth until further notice" status, her closest brush with anything remotely related to detecting was transcribing her nephew's indecipherable scribbles. In order to spare further eyestrain, she'd volunteered to be present whenever he felt the need to write down the pertinent facts conveyed by a client.

She hated the task.

***

HL Carpenter is a mother/daughter writing team. Two other mysteries featuring Emma Twiggs, their favorite septuagenarian sleuth, are also featured in the Second WomanSleuth Anthology.