Tuesday Tales 2021-7-20 Touch

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It’s now time for Tuesday Tales, with excerpts from authors writing a passage based on word or picture prompts. This week’s word prompt is touch. The excerpt is from a cozy mystery. Visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.

He shrugged. “It’s no great feat, believe me. Reading one book at a time just isn’t my style.”

I touched the top book on the table, Making Sense of Heidegger, and the bottom one with the word Parmenides in the title. “Covering the full earthly gamut of philosophy?”

“You know me.” A dimple appeared in his right cheek.  “I dibble and dabble. Plus, 2500 years from the ancient Greeks to the early twentieth century isn’t such a long time by some standards.”

I cocked my head and gave him a skeptical look. “Maybe, but–  Gage Jardine, are you—are you going back to school to finish that doctorate?”

His laugh was more of a snort, and I could tell he was displeased with me. “It’s been a few years. I guess you don’t know me anymore. Hell no am I returning to that sweatbox. Don’t jump to conclusions. I read for pleasure.” Abruptly he rose from the stool, yanked out the middle book, and handed it to me. “There. Make something of that.”

I stared at a book entitled Murder and Forget and then looked up into his hazel eyes, expecting a twinkle but not seeing one.

“Well? Fire away with the questions. I know you’ve been asking everybody in Glisten if they knew Kitty Varner.” He resumed his seat and took a swallow of coffee.

I shifted toward the exquisite panorama beyond the railings of the deck. Leaves still dripped from the heavy rains. Phlox dappled among the expanse of green. Copper Ridge shimmered gold in the morning light, keeping watch. The rest was the blue of the sky. So blue it hurt my eyes. I looked back at Gage. “You knew her–Kitty?”

He nodded, studying me. “We went out a few times when she first hit town. Nothing major.”

“Do the police know?” My voice sounded croaky, and I sipped coffee.

“Your eyes are as big as saucers. Of course, the police know. Just because Roy and I are—used to be—best friends doesn’t mean I have a free pass.”

I hope you enjoyed the snippet based on the word prompt touch. Thanks for stopping by. Check out the other authors at Tuesday Tales.

Happy Reading!

Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories

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