JLynch

Hold on to your hat! There may be even MORE loose ends to come!

“Yeah?” Dickie Lee growled into the phone. It was late afternoon, the day after the murder was discovered on Ledecker Island. Since then, boat traffic in front of his cabin was annoying, as people with way too much time on their hands, circled the island, hoping to get a glimpse of anything that was gossip worthy. A simple “hello” wasn’t really in his wheelhouse right now, especially this being the third call he’d gotten from Zoov since last night. He hadn’t been able to tell him much then

It’s a slippery slope, isn’t it?

Ya gotta love that Bell! C’mon! I’m so glad you like these characters. I’ve tried to make them all relatable—even Bell. Building character is my favorite thing. I frequently start with a visual (my profile pic is Carey, if you hadn’t picked up on that previously) and try to develop a personality around it. Then, the words and the action follow. Keep reading…and keep hoping!

I guess we don’t know what we don’t know. Homeless person (Apollo’s father) has time on his hands, probably observes more than we think, is probably able to surreptitiously follow Carey home. Or, possibly, Apollo follows Carey home and later tells his father some vague details about their encounter. Maybe, there was a plan to coerce money out of Carey or his parents, or even befriend them and get sympathy money from them. I could have explained it all, but does it really make a difference? Apollo is gone—that’s the bottom line.

Enjoy! Cold and clear here today. A balmy -12 F at the moment. I’m going to enjoy some playoff football and look for more of your comments! Thanks for the compliment about my writing style.

They are very VERY WASPy.

Bell is just a bad, bad, boy, isn’t he? I had a vague mental image of him sort of like Timothee Chalamet. Not in the way you might think but, how he appeared in Woody Allen’s movie, Rainy Day in New York.

Slow down! I think you might be reading too fast.

Read on. It’s interesting that Apollo has elicited such a strong reaction. One reader seemed to think he was a real person. “I hope he’s okay,” he said.

Wow! I am just blown away by this! What scene are you talking about? I can’t wait to read your story.

If you are at all intrigued by the Carey character, you’ll know more about him if you look at my profile photo. The person in that photo is the one who inspired me to create “Carey.”

I’ve had many readers react strongly to this first chapter, one suggesting that it could be a stand-alone story, in of itself. In fact, it was originally written as a short story. It’s been adapted to this much longer narrative. Don’t worry…more Toby to come!

Thanks so much for your comments, Jason! I like the “folksy” description of my writing style. People from rural areas have their own patois as do kids, of course. I’ve tried to emulate the way people talk, as best I can. I’m a good listener. So, Thayer’s name is pronounced “Th” as in “th’ink” not as is “they.” Thay rhymes with “hay” followed by “er.” It is a real name—trust me. You’ll find that out, eventually. As far as the other characters’ names, I had a lot of fun coming up with them. If you read the earlier comments, you know where the name Shamus Bueller came from. Others have come from a variety of sources, most notably the obituaries in the newspaper! Sorry about not having a complete “book” or story to read. You’ll have to be patient. There’s a LOT more to come. Also, I’m glad you enjoyed the other story I’ve published on this platform. “All My Dreams Pass Before My Eyes” was truly a passion project. I’ve noticed the numbers for that one have continued to climb which is very gratifying, to say the least.

Lots of loose ends. I like the Barney Fife comment.

There’s no question Ozzie adds a large portion of spice to the story. The character was inspired by an amateur porn video I happened to come across. The young man I viewed online looks exactly like the way I described Ozzie. We’ll see if he connects up (or hooks up, rather) with the other boys. Enjoy! And, thanks again for reading and for commenting!

Tim…as the description of the story said, “Murder, mayhem, and tomfoolery.” Thanks so much for your generous comment. As an FYI, this story, novel, or whatever you want to call it, is completely written. I’m publishing 3 chapters a week to coincide with its release at the same time on a couple of other platforms.

Thanks, Tim! I’m particularly pleased with your “great cast of characters.” Characters are my thing and, I particularly LOVE these characters.

Chris…for me, it’s all about the characters. I love writing about them, giving their backstories, peering into the thoughts inside their heads, and seeing how they react to others and the situations they are presented.

Akascrubber—interesting comments and some astute observations. The plot thickens—eh? And, I guess, some dicks thicken, too!

Gretchen Millerberg stood next to her metallic silver Nissan Murano, arms crossed, staring intently across the bay at Ledecker Island, a frown on her face. Dressed in a deep lavender suit, skirt cut conservatively at the knee. Prim. Proper. Officious. A Crow Wing County Commissioner, someone who took her very part-time position very seriously. Her reputation—crossing every “t” and dotting every “i.” This…incident…the only term she could attach to it at the moment, could be a stain on Bay La

VBlew— These are all relevant questions. But, the answer(s) are aways off. Hopefully, the unknowns will keep you reading. Yes, Thayer is one horny dude. But, isn’t he normal for someone his age?

Thanks for your comments, weinerdog! Are they connected? I wonder…you’ll have to wait and see. No. Shamus Bueller is not my real name. Isn’t it a cool name, though? I did meet a gentleman with this name and was totally amused by it. “I have to write that down!” I said. I knew I’d find a place to use it. And, so I have. You are correct about where the worst writing is posted. But, I’ve seen some pretty bad trash on several web sites. There’s no question GA is a cut above. So, I am appreciative of the number of readers I’ve gotten as well as the number of generous and thoughtful comments I’ve received here.

Thanks for sticking with this story. It only gets better! I promise!

The plot thickens!