The house is so quiet, except for the heat making the old pipes creak. I sleep in the master bedroom. It’s cheerful with the oak floors and the multi-paned colonial windows, and I’ve moved in my furniture, but I always think of my parents first thing in the morning. I say a silent prayer and feel better. It’s been a couple of years since I lost both of them. First dad, we were prepared. He had cancer. I quit my job as a teacher to help take care of him. But then only a year later, my mother died of a heart attack. This has left me, well let’s just say, it hasn’t been easy.
I plan to get dressed in record-breaking time, but I’m straightening the covers first, thinking maybe Jerry will come over later. He’s the bright light on the horizon along with my job at the Wilton Weekly.
I’m doing a little better since Jerry and I started dating three months ago. I met him when my editor sent me out to cover a police strike. He’s a detective on the Wilton Police Force. My story proved that the cops’ demands for more benefits were justified and commiserate with the benefits of the police in neighboring towns.
Let’s put it this way, I can’t get a ticket in town, not that I’m trying.
Jerry is eleven years my junior, sure I don’t look my age, but am I crazy doing this to myself? But every time I think of Jerry, I only feel warmth, and security, no anxiety. I’ve had some disappointments over the years. Trust is the issue and I trust Jerry. He lives on an eight-acre farm with seven rescued dogs and a goat. His plan is to rescue farm animals. He’s a vegan, and now, he has me eating a vegan diet too. Well, it wasn’t much of leap, I was a vegetarian. In a meat-eating world, it was a little miracle that we found each other. This seems to reduce the age difference to crumbs, pardon the food metaphor.
Now I’m downstairs in the galley kitchen and cooking some oatmeal. I always look out the kitchen casement window over the sink to hopefully spot a doe and maybe even her fawns. I can see some huff prints in the snow. We have eight acres of wooded area with huge maple and oak trees with crusts of snow in the crook of their limbs and a wispy understory—so beautiful a winter scene. As I gobble up the oatmeal, a rosy hue is breaking the soft gray winter dawn. I take a deep relaxing breath looking at it.
Okay, everything goes into the sink and I’m rushing down the hall to get my jacket out of the hall closet, put it on and grab my shoulder satchel, hat and gloves and I’m out into the cold vestibule and slipping into my freezing boots. Here’s where I’m glad I usually run four miles a day; fluid motion.
My silver Nissan is sitting right outside the door, in the driveway, and as I slip into it, it is virtually a refrigerator. I didn’t put it in the garage last night. I was exhausted and too cold. A shower was the priority.
I’m backing out of the driveway and turning the car to head down Sugarloaf Drive. I’m always in a rush, it seems. At least I have on my gloves to protect me from this freezing steering wheel. I am so eager to start writing that I can’t wait to get to the newsroom. It’s just a few miles down Route 7, five minutes away. I’ll be writing all day, working on a feature of one of the planning and zoning commissioners. P&Z is my beat. Come Thursday, I’ll have at least three stories from the P&Z public hearing the night before.
I’m always looking for a shadowy deal. The commissioners are builders, contractors, real estate agents, and brokers. They, and the town planner, who all believe in “progress,” approve the site plans for every new building project in town. I’ve already written one environmental expose’ in my two years covering P&Z. Since, I’ve been known as the “local hero” who is protecting everyone’s well water. Most of the town lives on well water. So it’s a big deal. But that story failed to accelerate my career.
I’ve got to make that giant leap from a weekly to a daily. I’m 47, and all my colleagues are 20 years younger, and smart too. Time is not my friend. Need I say more?
I need a big one. And fast.
I’m at the newsroom, the first one here, as usual.
Eleven hours later, I’m still here, working on the feature. My fellow reporters are sitting, on either side of me planning to pull an all nighter. My phone starts ringing. It’s probably Jerry wondering when I’m leaving.
“Ros, there’s a dead body down on School Road.”
Dorothy is giving away one (1) copy of MURDER AT THE P&Z. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. The book will be shipped directly from the author. Contest ends April 3 and US entries only.
Meet the author
Dorothy Hayes, a graduate of Western Connecticut State University, taught Language Arts, was a staff writer for the Wilton Bulletin, and The Hour and received an honorary award for her in-depth series on Vietnam Veterans from the Society of Professional Journalists. She also worked as a staff writer for a national animal protection corporation, and wrote Animal Instinct published in 2006. She writes for Women of Mystery and Criminal Element and is a member of Sisters-in-Crime. Visit Dorothy at www.dorothyhayes.com
Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
Interesting start to what I hope will be a series. Thanks, Dee
Thanks Dru for this platform! And, Deanna, I am working on the second book, so I appreciate the good wishes. Truth is, I don’t want to give them up so I’m putting them to work again.
Deanna, I like the characters that’s why I don’t want to give them up. Funny how that happens, they’re your characters but it’s like I just met them.
Murder at the P&Z sounds like my kind of read. Thanks for having this contest.
This sounds terrific! Reporters are great at sniffing out stories that we all want to read about and others want to cover up.
I would love to win!
Congratulations to Dot on the publication of her new book today! Thanks for giving away a copy in a drawing.
Cheryl, Karen, and Sarah, thanks for the good words!
Sha-Li, thank you! It’s the official publishing day, thank you for reminding me, since B&N and amazon.com put the book up for sale a couple of weeks ago, I forgot. But it is now officially on the publisher’s website, Mainly Murder Press.
The planning and zoning here in our little town is under fire—so a murder at the P&Z sounds really topical to me. I’d love to read it.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
suekey12, thankfully Wilton was OK. But as a writer, I didn’t have to use much imagination on this part of the story. It was almost too easy to make a crime novel out of the goings on of P&Z. So I took great pleasure in thickening the plot!
This book looks right up my alley. Thanks for the giveaway!
Katie J., you are so welcome!
Thank you for this giveaway. I am a little amazed by the book! I am a vegetarian. My first husband was younger than me and my pipes sing too!
We just moved in and didn’t know that we would be treated to a symphony each night.
P.S. My first husband’s name was………you guessed it. That is probably TMI but I amazed!!!
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
carolee888, wow. Glad to make the acquaintance of another vegetarian with a younger husband named Jerry. What? In real life, my husband is younger than me. I think there are a lot of us out there!
I’m ready for the mystery. Sign me up. Thanks. judydee22002@yahoo dot com
Judy Dee, I’m pretty sure you won’t guess who did it, nobody has so far, and I’ve left lots of clues!!! And lots of twists and turns that make it fun.
Thanks Dorothy for letting us get to know Carol.
It was my pleasure, Dru. It was a good turnout and I had lots of fun today. Can’t wait to see who wins!
This sounds like a fine entry for my TBR pile.
Elizabeth, thanks for that comment. I have a TBR file that runs several pages in my note book, so many books, so little time! So thanks for adding mine to the list.
The book sounds terrific! I’m glad I found you here. kirsten_weiss2001@yahoo.com
Kristen, thanks so much! I’m glad I found you here!!!
I’d love to read this! It sounds really good! Thank you for the giveaway!
Hi Dru,
Just got back on line after packing Passover away for another year. Yes please, I’d like to be entered in the drawing.
NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com
Dot, sorry to be so late commenting. I love the excerpt and can’t wait to read the rest. Carol Rossi sounds like someone I’d enjoy hanging out with.
Contest is closed, but comments are always welcome