Tuesday Tales 2024-4-16 Button

Welcome to Tuesday Tales, powered by a small group of authors, where word prompts inspire passages in the books we’re writing. Today’s word is button. My snippet is from a cozy mystery set in fictional Glisten, Georgia. When you finish reading, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.

“He had a diary or journal, as he called it,” Luella spoke up from the far counter, where she was folding kitchen towels that had been removed from the dryer. “A worn, brown leather one with an unusual button closure.” 

I nodded at her. “Good. I’ll look for it. I wonder where he picked up something like that? It sounds handcrafted.”

She squinted, thinking. “He told me once, but I don’t recall. Overseas someplace.”

A notification sounded on Roy’s phone, and he left the room to talk. I wanted to ask him what the news had been when we were in the police station interview room yesterday. I hadn’t done so last night, and today Luella was around. He might not be able to tell me anyhow. We were friends, but duty and the integrity of the department came first.

I needed to speak to Brady Pryce about the upgrades and hoped the spirits would leave me alone, especially the one insisting I find the murderer. I might be able to nose around a little and discover things, but the police were investigating like mad hatters. Surely someone else would soon turn up on their murder radar besides Luella and me.

Roy returned to the kitchen, chugged down the rest of his cooled coffee, rinsed the cup, and placed it by the sink. As he turned to face Luella, his expression was serious and thoughtful. “Almost ready to go to the station now, Miss Wyler? Detective Pelier is there and will meet us.”

The blood left Luella’s face. She set a stack of towels in the cabinet, retrieved a jacket from the curlicue coat rack in the corner, and shrugged into it.

I wanted to pat her hand or hug her. Instead, I offered a semblance of a smile. “Roy will bring you home afterward.” I floundered to think of something comforting. “Do you know what you’d like for supper?”

She shook her head, as if supper didn’t matter in the least, and trotted down the hallway after Roy.

He opened the back door of the cruiser for Luella, and she climbed in. I wondered why he didn’t let her ride up front. Then I caught a glimpse of a laptop and other unwieldly electronic equipment physically situated in the front passenger seat. Apparently, the front seat served as a car desk, and I guess he didn’t get much call for neighborly rides. It must be weird for Luella to ride behind a steel mesh partition. Uneasiness settled in my stomach.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the piece inspired by the word button. 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

All rights reserved, copyright @ 2024 Flossie Benton Rogers