Tuesday Tales 2023-4-18 Dirt

It’s time for Tuesday Tales, April 18, 2023, where we use word and picture prompts in the stories we’re writing. I am working on a cozy mystery. Today’s word prompt is dirt. We are still back in an earlier portion of the story, when Peri returns to Georgia due to her godfather’s medical condition. When you finish reading my snippet, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.

I drove out of the parking lot, filing into the line of cars leaving with the close of visiting hours. “Sure, that would be fine,” I told Dovie. Traffic thinned out as I veered onto the cutover toward the motel where we were staying the night. My curiosity persisted. “But to spend all that money. I had heard the hotel was in bad shape, but Robin and I were in Tea Thyme a few months ago when I came up to visit. It seemed a little stale and colorless but not bad. This deal must have cost Jack a boat load.”

“I don’t know the particulars, but the bank offered it dirt cheap on some kind of short sale.”

“Hmm. Marcella Strickland did mention to Robin and me that she wanted to move to Tennessee to be near her son.”

“Yes, evidently she has been after her husband to relocate for some time now.” She was quiet for a moment and then went on. “About lodging at the hotel after tonight, you know there’s plenty of space, and some of it is quite livable. Luella is in a downstairs bedroom. She had expected to be baking for the reopening in a few weeks.”

“Ahh, so Jack had a timeline?”

“Oh, yes, a very definite one. You know your godfather. Luella visited him this morning. Brought some mail.” She rummaged in her purse, drew out a batch of envelopes and frowned, before cramming them back in.  She snapped it with a definite click. “Did you ever meet her?”

“No, I didn’t even know he had a cousin in this part of the world.”

“She came down from up north after finding him on a genealogy search. Please don’t ask me to explain all the begats of how they’re related, because it’s just too much. It makes my brain hurt.”

I turned my head for a glance. She looked as if she were about to scatter into pieces.

I said, “You don’t have to explain anything at all. There’s plenty of time for that later. Shall we get a bite to eat before we go on to the motel? Maybe Robin can finish work and meet us.”

She allowed me to persuade her, and we found a late-night diner. The tea and soup seemed to put color in her cheeks and prepare her for a night’s sleep. I was bone tired as well.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the snippet inspired by the word prompt dirt.

If you haven’t done so already, check out the other excerpts at Tuesday Tales.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories

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