While Twiddling my Thumbs

[MartyS]

While Twiddling my Thumbs

 

I had an epiphany

 

There is no question in my mind that what I wrote in # 20 of “Twiddling our thumbs, regarding the disappearance of the vessel, which Rachel took on the charter, is accurate.

 

Seeing as no further chapters have been published, since that posting, I would like to make a retraction and an addendum,.

 

CJ, I have written, “plans carefully to put us in the Land of Smoke and Mirrors.” Oh, yes he does.

 

I ask you one question. What has been written, in any of the chapters posted so far, which indicates Rachel is in Australia? After reviewing the posted chapters, I have come to a conclusion, Nothing!!!

 

There is not even an inference she is there. CJ has permitted me, and mayhap you, to build a house of cards, which could topple at the slightest touch. He has skillfully hidden this mystery in the obvious one, the disappearance of the Ares.

 

It certainly might make me feel all warm and fuzzy, if Trevor was reunited with Rachel in Australia. Rachel demonstrated a feeling of sadness in the Prologue, while thinking about her son.

 

But, Dirk and Jim have discussed the fact that it was good for Joel to be with Trevor, when he learned the truth. This was before they became aware of the fact Joel was no longer with him. They also did not know about the pirate attack at that time. I am looking forward to read about Dirk’s reaction when he learns of it

 

I am removing the sentence, “Rachel goes to Australia,” from #20, THE BOTTOM LINE.

 

I believe that Rachel did not die at the time, the vessel she took on the charter, was reported missing. Where she went, or what she is doing now, is a mystery to me. She might even be the master of the vessel Stardancer that Bridget observed. If she is, that might help to explain Dirk’s insistence that Trevor stay away from the Bahamas.

 

Let me wander down that possible path a little way. Ares is a celestial sign. The name Stardancer is self-explanatory. Could this be a tie-in. This is just a thought.

 

One thing I did not go far enough into was Dirk’s coming clean. He is waiting until the Statue of Limitations has expired. Why? He does not wish to be prosecuted for any offenses, he may have committed, setting up Rachel’s Witness Protection Scheme. He could go public. He is going to need to prove she did not die at that time. He may or may not know where she is at present. He would not have to produce her in the flesh. If he were to produce evidence, which positively identified her as being alive, at a date subsequent to May 19th, 1997, that should cover the point. In fact it would be best for him and Trevor, if he could prove he has no knowledge of her present whereabouts.

 

Bridget and George are very worried about the Cartel learning what might be concealed on the Ares. If the Cartel even suspected what, Bridget and George fear might be there, the two of them would be history. Bridget has said so. If the Cartel moves on them, they would not stop there. They would want to clean house. They damn sure would want the Ares and Rachel. Dirk and Trevor would become the conduit to finding them.

 

It may be the path to salvation for Dirk and Trevor is already in progress. Ned is involved in the rehabilitation of Trevor’s Atlantis. What might he find? A large amount of money would be nice, or solid leads to Arnold’s stash. Whatever Bridget and George fear was hidden on the Ares might wind up in the hands off the authorities. A combination of the two would most likely help the authorities believe in the authenticity of the information.

 

If I remember correctly, the person, or persons who, provide the United States Government, with information, leading to the seizure of smuggled items gets a tax-free reward. That certainly would be nice, if Trevor’s insurance company gets itself off the hook on his claim. If they do not get off the hook, that reward would certainly get Trevor a head start in his planned career as Master of a charter vessel. I would also guess that Ned would put Trevor on his Christmas card list. (And Vice Versa)

 

If cash were discovered Trevor might have a fairly good chance to claim it. I am willing to bet the bill of sale, included language indicating all property aboard was part of the Ares. Bridget did eliminate Arnold before he had actually turned over the vessel. The sale had been finalized. Bridget has stated she was unable to stop the actual transfer because of this. Arnold did not have a chance to remove anything he might wish to keep. It was not until much later, Bridget learned about Arnold’s possible construction of additional hidden places.(If this did happen as I outlined, I bet Arnold has been sitting for almost ten years, looking up at Bridget, and laughing his head off.)

 

If Trevor wanted to keep clear of any IRS involvement he might consider staying away a little longer. My knowledge concerning money earned overseas is years old. I never dug into all of the requirements. I was considering working overseas many years ago, but changed my mind. One thing I vaguely recall is: absence from the United States for eighteen months was required.

 

Trevor has already admitted to concealing income. In this, he is a man after my own heart. I do not believe it is a crime to cheat on taxes. Unfortunately the US government does not agree with me. I have made honest mistakes filing my taxes. (Believe me, they were honest mistakes.) (It is true, so help me.) Unfortunately, honest mistake or not, they sent me a bill for the amount, PLUS INTEREST AND PENALTIES!!!!! If any IRS Fink is reading this, don’t start licking your chops, there is nothing to find. I do not touch a hot stove a second time. Now a, Wet Paint sign is different. After all, it might have dried since the sign was put up.

 

Approximately twelve hours and we can bring to a halt twiddling our thumbs. We will be able to continue our literary journey. Unless, CJ posts another delay notice. If he does that, I will strongly consider modifying one of my other posts. I could replace the Bless with an F***, and revise the wording. NO. Can’t do that. I would get in trouble with the moderators for use of improper language. (Even if they agreed with me about the provocation.)

Edited April 18, 2011 by glsswm

[TalonRider]

I'm not sure where exactly, but we've been told that Rachael was from Australia and has family there. Before Trevors journey began, Dirk was planning to send Trev to Australia at Christmas to meet his family there. This is also after the limitations had expired. Assuming she is still alive, that would appear to be where she is.

[MartyS]

I'm not sure where exactly, but we've been told that Rachael was from Australia and has family there. Before Trevors journey began, Dirk was planning to send Trev to Australia at Christmas to meet his family there. This is also after the limitations had expired. Assuming she is still alive, that would appear to be where she is.

 

Ahh Yes TalonRider

 

Every thing you say is correct until you reached the word "Assuming" Think about it. Do you trust a nasty old goat, not to take advantage of us. Please remember what I said about CJ and "The Land of Smoke and Mirrors". She may be there, She may not be there, I do not have a clue.

 

 

Marty

Edited April 18, 2011 by glsswm

[C James]

Wow, that was a very thoughtful and insightful analysis!! I love it!

 

Of course, I'm the only one who knows the answers which means I'm the only one who can't comment on the overwhelming majority.

 

Trevor has already admitted to concealing income. In this, he is a man after my own heart. I do not believe it is a crime to cheat on taxes. Unfortunately the US government does not agree with me. I have made honest mistakes filing my taxes. (Believe me, they were honest mistakes.) (It is true, so help me.) Unfortunately, honest mistake or not, they sent me a bill for the amount, PLUS INTEREST AND PENALTIES!!!!! If any IRS Fink is reading this, don’t start licking your chops, there is nothing to find. I do not touch a hot stove a second time. Now a, Wet Paint sign is different. After all, it might have dried since the sign was put up.

 

So far, the only income-concealing that Trevor has admitted to are his tip money from charters. He kept that in cash, in part to avoid getting stung for taxes on it. We did however see him do the Greek charter, and that was done in cash, so that's another instance. Personally, I see nothing wrong with that. He earned the money, he needs it, and he earned it outside of the US. It's illegal but not immoral, IMHO.

 

The US, by the way, is the only industrialized country that considers the income of a US citizen, regardless of country of residence, to be taxable in the US. For example, if a US citizen moves to another country, their global income still has to be reported to the US. The US makes foreign taxes count against any US tax liability, but if the citizen is living and working in a low-tax region (or retired to one) Uncle Sam still wants a cut. And in any case, the overseas citizen still has to file US tax forms. It does not matter how long the citizen has lived overseas. For this reason, a great many US expatriates renounce their citizenship, and the number is growing every year.

 

Hrmm, I can comment on the writing techniques! I do use misdirection, foreshadowing, clues, etc... and sometimes, a bit of suspense. in fact, I've used just about every tool in the writer's toolchest at one time or another. Well, except one: cliffhangers. I never use those.

 

My goal is to write the story so it can be read in two ways; as a regular read, or as a mystery. For rules, they are just basic standard rules for third-person writing: The characters can be mistaken, mislead, or even lie. The narrator cannot be. The narrator can use misdirection by via allusion, but he cannot tell untruths. Also, in my case, I make sure there are enough clues so that the reader has the ability, if they can figure it all out, to solve the mystery themselves. On the other hand, some things that seem like clues might have multiple meanings.

 

Here's an example I can share, because the reveal for it has since taken place (we now know that Bridget isn't exactly the nice (though fond of formality)grandmotherly type she pretends to be.

 

It's the scenes where we first see Gonzalez and Bridget together.

 

Bridget waited for what she felt was a suitable amount of time before opening her massive front door. “Hello, Officer Gonzalez. It is a pleasure to see you again.”

 

Officer Gonzalez, in plainclothes, stepped into the ornate foyer before replying, “Thank you, Mrs. Bellevue. I do need to inform you that I’m here in an official capacity and anything you say may be used in court.”

 

Bridget waved dismissively, her head held high. “Yes, I recall that from the last time. I’m not senile you know, though I suppose the formalities must be observed.” Bridget led the detective inside, to her formal living room.

 

Taking a seat, notebook in hand, Officer Gonzalez looked around the room, and then out the picture windows at Bridget’s formal garden, and beyond it, at the sleek power yacht at her private dock. The notebook was there only so that he could jot down his thoughts; his recorder was already on. “Mrs. Bellevue, you said that you had some information.”

 

Bridget took a seat beneath a large portrait of her late husband. “Yes. As you are aware, I still keep in touch with some of Arnold’s,” she glanced reverently up at the portrait, “contacts within your department. What prompted my call is the Carlson case: the murder of Rachel Carlson. I happen to know that you are, quite rightly, investigating Dirk Carlson for that. You are also looking into the disappearance of his son, and suspect that of being a murder as well. I ought to mention at this point that Lisa Whitaker, a friend of Trevor’s, is also a friend of mine.”

 

Officer Gonzalez nodded, just once. “Yes, I am scheduled to meet with her,” he said, seeing no harm in disclosing something he was certain Bridget Bellevue already knew.

 

Folding her hands primly in her lap, Bridget looked at Officer Gonzalez for a long moment, and the only sound in the room was the slow ticking of a massive antique grandfather clock. After several seconds, Bridget said, “I won’t mince words. When you last came here, I was deeply offended, and I was also of the opinion that you were either delusional or incompetent. Since then, and based in part on recent developments, I have amended that view somewhat. I am now willing to entertain the notion that a murder may indeed have occurred, and I recommend that you look closely indeed at this Dirk Carlson.”

 

“That was not what we discussed–” Officer Gonzalez said, only to be cut off by Bridget.

 

“Indeed, but it ought to have been. You droned on at great length regarding motive. Had you been thorough, you would have unearthed a glaring connection between the two cases, one that indeed plays directly into motive. I rather suspect that you did not, because your mind was closed to other possibilities. Therefore, I have unearthed it myself,” Bridget said, in a haughty tone.

 

Keeping his temper under control and maintaining a businesslike demeanor, Officer Gonzalez ignored the insult. “And what connection might that be?” he asked.

 

Bridget smiled coldly. “A motive, of course. Perhaps it would be best if you see for yourself.” Bridget stood, walked across the room, and opened a small credenza. Withdrawing a manila folder, she handed it to Officer Gonzalez. “You can easily verify these sale records and I suggest that you do so.”

 

Officer Gonzalez opened the folder, and after reading several of the old documents, he allowed his eyes to open wide in surprise. “This is... interesting,” he said softly, and then added, “I’ll need to keep these.”

 

Bridget nodded. “Of course you may. After all, you might well be dealing with a serial killer, and in spite of your prior conduct, I will do everything in my power to aid your investigation. I shall start now by telling you that you are once again on a wrong track: Trevor Carlson is alive and well. I know this for a fact, because he came here shortly after the attempt on his life.”

 

“He was here?” Officer Gonzalez asked. It was a standard question, under the circumstances, intended to prompt the interviewee to elaborate and confirm.

 

“Yes, and I said so a mere moment ago, a fact which I am certain that your tape recorder will confirm. Trevor had a captain for his boat, Julie, who happens to be an old friend of mine. She arranged a meeting. He was seeking advice, regarding methods by which to evade his father’s grasp. The boy was badly rattled, and to my discredit, I assumed he was merely a runaway, evading some family issue. I advised him as best I was able, telling him to return home. Only later did I become aware of the attempt on his life and the death of his mother under markedly similar circumstances.”

 

“Do you have any proof that he was here?” Officer Gonzalez asked.

 

Bridget shook her head slowly. “Proof? No. However, when you speak with Lisa Whitaker, who is in contact with him, she can confirm that he is alive, and perhaps arrange for him to tell you so himself. She was also a witness to the attempt upon his life, and as such, I believe that she is in grave danger. I informed her of the fact that Dirk Carlson was seen, by you, driving slowly past her home.”

 

Officer Gonzalez’s stomach began to churn. He was well aware that Bridget had contacts within the department, but what she had just said indicated that her contact had given her at least partial access to the case files, which were supposed to be highly restricted. “I’d like to know exactly how you came by that piece of information,” he asked, in a level tone.

 

“I have no doubt that you would,” Bridget replied, with a prim, satisfied smile, as the room returned to silence, punctuated by the deep ticking sound of the clock.

 

Officer Gonzalez, though he was young and had only been on the force for a few years, was unaccustomed to being talked down to, and he was angered by the apparent fact that someone in his department was leaking confidential information. He wanted to find out the source, so, acting out of both habit and instinct, he decided to turn up the pressure. “You have just admitted to interfering with an ongoing case by disclosing illegally obtained internal information, which is chargeable as obstruction of justice. You have just admitted to a felony, Mrs. Bellevue.”

 

Bridget waved her hand in a dismissive way, and paused for a moment to light a cigarette. “Oh, fiddlesticks. Given the objective facts in such a case: that the actual source is a member of your own department, and that you have ignored a clear and present threat to the life of a young girl who happens to be a material witness, can you imagine what the team of attorneys that I could hire would do with such a charge? Furthermore, at this moment, you have asked about what you perceive is a leak. What you have most tellingly not done is to inquire about the attempt on Trevor Carlson’s life, which I have mentioned twice. I find your focus... troubling, from a competency perspective, as might Lisa Whitaker’s attorney, were she to retain one at my urging. It would be most amusing to take these matters into open court, so by all means, officer, arrest me,” she said, and then blew a leisurely smoke ring in his direction.

 

Officer Gonzalez remained silent for a few moments, as he realized that he’d just been adroitly maneuvered and then threatened. The mention of attorneys – which he had no doubt that Bridget Bellevue would be delighted to arrange and fund – was a clear threat. The claim, he suspected, would be that by withholding information, he had placed Lisa at risk by depriving her of the chance to take precautions. That, he knew, was a legal argument that was likely, but not certain, to fail. However, he also knew that if any harm befell Lisa, that equation would change. Bridget had also presented him with a stark choice; admit that he did not know about the attempt on Trevor’s life, or carry on as if he did, depriving him of information relevant to a murder case. Bridget was powerful and well connected, and that, he knew, made her potentially dangerous to his young career, particularly if armed with facts that could be construed – especially by a lawyer of the caliber she could afford to hire – to draw a picture of incompetence on his and his department’s part. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed his pride and said, “I would, of course, have asked about this reported murder attempt, and I’m doing so now. Also, I will make sure that Lisa Whitaker receives police protection.”

 

Bridget gazed at Officer Gonzalez for a few moments, and then nodded once. “Very well. See that you do, and we can place this unpleasantness behind us. As for the attempt on Trevor Carlson’s life: his boat’s engines were sabotaged. This left him disabled and unable to enter harbor in a rage sea. The only reason he survived was that Lisa’s boyfriend, Joel, swam out in heavy seas, at risk of his own life, with parts so that a repair could be effected. Lisa witnessed this, and Dirk Carlson is likely well aware of their involvement, because Lisa and Joel picked up the parts from a marine supply chandlery, which just happens to be Dirk Carlson’s line of work. I believe that it was hardly a coincidence that he drove by her home. As for the sabotage itself, it ought to be a simple matter to prove who is responsible.”

 

Officer Gonzalez nodded. He was not inclined to disclose the fact to Bridget, but he already knew, because Dirk had mentioned disabling Atlantis’ engines when he’d filed the runaway report on Trevor. “I’ll look into that,” he said, and then realized that Bridget may well already know: she’d already demonstrated that she had access to information from the Carlson file.

 

“See that you do so. Given that Rachel Carlson was lost at sea aboard the Ares – a sister ship to the Atlantis – and under similar circumstances, I think you ought to look very closely indeed. I will also hold you personally responsible for Lisa Whitaker’s safety. Bridget paused for a moment, and then added, “If you have further need of my assistance, feel free to contact me at any time. I have no wish to detain you from your duties any longer.”

 

Realizing that he’d just been dismissed, Officer Gonzalez ignored what he considered a mild affront. Standing up, he again glanced around the room, and then replied, “I’ll see myself out.”

 

As soon as Officer Gonzalez had left, Bridget stubbed out her cigarette and turned to gaze up at her husband’s portrait, one of several in the house, as a faint, satisfied smile appeared on her lips.

 

Now, when we first read that, just about everyone read it the wrong way. They didn't see that this was Gonzalez's second interview with Bridget; that he's questioned her once before, as a suspect in the murder of her husband. The original impression was intended to be that she's a tough character who is helping Lisa and pushing an incompetent cop (And that's how she played it). However, now that we know she killed her husband and Gonzalez had previously questioned her, those same words read differently, because the conversation now touches on their prior interview. Reading it now can give a very different impression of what's going on.

 

That's a mental trick; using what's in the reader's mind (preconceived ideas and theories) and using them to draw out the results the author wants. Or, in this case, making the scene to be read to give two very different impressions, based on what the reader thinks of Bridget going into the scene. There are even a few scenes in the story designed to be read three different ways, depending on the theory the reader holds. BTW, I don't know what this technique is called; I'm not very well versed on the terminology of writing. If anyone does know what it's called, please let me know. (If I'm going to use something, I really ought to know its name!)

 

I like to shake things up to try to keep them interesting. Some parts, I wrote just for fun, as a kind of self-indulgence; the travelogues. I did include plot-relevant parts so they'd have some justification for being there, but I worried about having them, until quite a few people told me they liked them. So, I use them for fun, and also for introducing things needed for the plot. For example, Pompeii was a fun excuse for me to mentally revisit a place I loved seeing. (Trevor's route, and the photos on the chapter, are mine). But, I also used it for many other things, including prompting Trevor to think of underwater archeology.

 

Gibraltar was in large part setup for Trevor's little pirate problem and subsequent minor nautical inconvenience (having to find a way to get to Australia). The canned hot dogs are introduced there, the garlic press is reintroduced, we see Trevor's interest in the big sundial (an early clue that he has enoguh interest and knowledge to work out solar navigation). After that, there was the scene where Joel strips naked to help Trevor with the seacocks. That was a fun scene, one of my favorites, but its real purpose was to intoduce the valve grinding grit that Trevor used to take out the pirate's engines.

 

CJ

[TalonRider]

Perhaps presuming would have been the better choice instead of assuming. We should never assume something. You probably know what they say about the word.

 

Who knows, maybe even CJ doesn't know if she's there or not, But we won't know until we get there.

[C James]

Who knows, maybe even CJ doesn't know if she's there or not, But we won't know until we get there.

 

Do I know? Hrmmm! Either I do or I don't, or if I did, I could have forgotten.

[MartyS]

Do I know? Hrmmm! Either I do or I don't, or if I did, I could have forgotten.

 

Hmmmmmmm. Listening to CJ saying that, I definately think he is is getting more confused by the day, I would not be surprised if he attempted to create an 8 day week. You know what I mean. Like 2 Wednesdays.

[C James]

Goats cannot count!

 

Or, an eight day weak could be due to Australia's backwards calendar (Winter in July!).

 

[MartyS]

Goats cannot count!

 

Or, an eight day weak could be due to Australia's backwards calendar (Winter in July!).

 

 

CJ

 

Did you say weak? HMMMMMMMMM Maybe you should submit your Forum posts to your team for editing. You just told us, goats can't count,and now this.

Edited April 21, 2011 by glsswm

[TalonRider]

I have been known to slip in and correct things for him from time to time. He's also said in the past that it's difficult to type with hooves since he doesn't have fingers.

[MartyS]

I have been known to slip in and correct things for him from time to time. He's also said in the past that it's difficult to type with hooves since he doesn't have fingers.

 

Hi TalonRider,

 

You are absolutly correct, as do I. What caught my eye, was the combination of Australia and weak. I thought I would rib him a bit. If I write a lengthy post, I do it in Word first. Without a spellchecker, I would be dead. I thought it kind of funny. In a very short post, he admits to being unable to count, and then demonstrates a spelling error. I guess I have a weird sense of humor.

 

Marty

Edited April 22, 2011 by glsswm

[C James]

Hi TalonRider,

 

You are absolutly correct, as do I. What caught my eye, was the combination of Australia and weak. I thought I would rib him a bit. If I write a lengthy post, I do it in Word first. Without a spellchecker, I would be dead. I thought it kind of funny. In a very short post, he admits to being unable to count, and then demonstrates a spelling error. I guess I have a weird sense of humor.

 

Marty

 

I absolutely (not absolutly ) have a weird sense of humor too.

 

I call myself the king of typos :king: ... I have a knack typing something other than what I'm thinking. Plus, of course, typing with hooves is hard...

[Phantom]

Or typing near cliffs... Jus saying

[C James]

Or typing near cliffs... Jus saying

 

Now that's just not true!! I'd never go anywhere near a cliff! Goats are very adverse to cliffs, and cliffhangers.

[MartyS]

I absolutely (not absolutly ) have a weird sense of humor too.

 

I call myself the king of typos :king: ... I have a knack typing something other than what I'm thinking. Plus, of course, typing with hooves is hard...

 

 

CJ

 

I am glad you said something. I was beginning to worry about you. When you were a little kid, before you became a big goat, I was told they sent you to school. The old farmer who raised you, wanted to get you Edumakated. He wanted you to learn the three Rs: Redin,Riten and Ritmatic.

 

After reading that post I thought you were failing two of the three subjects. I knew you wouldn’t want to sit in the corner and wear a pointy cap.

 

Now you explained. You are not dumb, you are challenged.

 

Now I wont be worried any more.

 

Marty

Edited April 22, 2011 by glsswm