Authors: Suzanne Jenkins
Slow Dancing (31 page)
“I’m coming into Seymour tomorrow and want to reserve a room,” she said.
“No need for a reservation,” Mary said, putting lipstick on, anxious to leave for Beauregard. “Just come by when you arrive.”
“Can I have your address?” Mary gave it freely, not cautious at all.
“How’d you hear about me?” she asked. But Noelle had already hung up.
Mary Cook was the woman she was looking for, and Noelle made the decision to leave Florida and go to Alabama; there was no other alternative. Years of systematic emotional abuse by men culminated in Alan’s mistreatment of her and he would be the scapegoat, paying the dues for all those who went before him.
The bus ride was awful, reminding her of nightmares of youth, going across the border with her mother to visit relatives. Arriving in Seymour in the early afternoon, the bus dropped her off at the corner of Mary’s street, relief when the whoosh of the hydraulic doors opened and fresh air could finally flood in. The café’ in town offered her a chance to regroup, and it was empty, business almost done for the day. An older woman with a tired limp put a menu and a glass of water down on the table. “Where’s the bathroom?” she asked.
“In back,” the waitress said, pointing to the left of the lunch counter while she returned to filling a tray of saltshakers. On the way to the bathroom, the perfect weapon presented itself; a six inch carving knife in a plastic bin of knives. Slipping the knife into her bag, adrenalin surged through her body. She just made it to the bathroom before bursting into tears, unable to bear the pain for another minute. Locking the door, she knelt down on one knee on the dirty floor and rolled up her pant leg. Using the knife from the café, she very slowly nicked the skin below her anklebone. When she was sure she missed any major vessels, she cut a little deeper, the relief coincided with the rush of air from her lungs. Wrapping the wound with gauze she always carried, she wiped the tip of the blade off and put it in her bag with her bandage supplies. She’d be able to do this.
Alan’s unlocked car parked in front of Mary’s house was a perfect place to hide and wait. Carefully opening the door, she got in the backseat and immediately fell asleep.
What she wasn’t expecting was to be a witness to the fight. The noise woke her up and at first, she couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Just as she peeked up over the back door to look out the window, he flew down the steps with his suitcase. Fortunately, he opened the front door and threw it in the passenger seat. Nerve building to enable her to kill him as he drove down the deserted road, she was just getting ready to plunge the knife into his neck when he pulled into a well-lit gas station and got out to make a phone call. Heart bounding in her chest, she tried to slow her breathing down before he heard it.
The car stopped at Towering Pines. Waiting until he went into the dining room to sneak inside the house, no on noticing due to the fuss they made over Alan’s return, she hid under the staircase, not sure what would happen next. She listened to their conversation, hearing Cate say he could have his old room at the top of the stairs. Alan and another woman named Margo chatted, and their attraction for each other was clear in his voice. Someone brought up Mary’s name, enraging her further. Having heard enough, she tiptoed up the stairs, opened the door at the top of the stairs, the heat blasting her in the face. Not thinking it might alert someone, she turned the air conditioning on, hid next to the wardrobe and waited.
It was so easy to do the deed, not at all how she imagined it would be having never stabbed a person before. She was afraid of the knife resisting of, having to force it in. Aiming at the middle of his back, the handle in an icepick grip, the extra leverage gave the sharp, pointed knife strength to slice into him like butter. He grunted and fell forward. Rifling around in his pockets, there was only fifty dollars. Laughing, she said “What a poor ass.”
Listening at the door, she didn’t wait for long to make her escape. It sounded like scraping of chair legs on the floor. Pausing at his door, she saw another staircase at the end of the hall. Taking the stairs, they led out a back door. She walked in circles in a dark neighborhood for half an hour until finally, the noise and smells of food cooking led her to the center of town and a bus station where she could hide out until the next bus to Seymour left in the morning. Killing time, hiding in the library for as long as she could without rousing suspicion, then walking down by the river, the need to confront Mary grew. She really hadn’t intended on killing her but once it was over, she was relieved.
As the bus pulled out of Seymour early that previous Sunday morning, Noelle Carson sunk down in the seat as it passed by the café just as a gorgeous man walked out with a take-out bag in his hand and crossed the street to his parked truck. She recognized him from a picture that had accompanied a newspaper article left behind in the bus station waiting room. A man and his daughter dancing for all they were worth won the grand prize Saturday night at Phillip Anderson’s Ballroom.
Author’s Note Regarding insulin detection after death.
http://blog.sstrumello.com/2008/12/murder-using-insulin.html#.VBYrsRbfNsY
Also by Suzanne Jenkins
The following are available on Kindle and in paperback on Amazon.com. Click the titles to follow the links to Amazon.
#1
Pam of Babylon
Long Island housewife Pam Smith is called to the hospital after her husband, Jack, suffers a heart attack on the train from Manhattan. It is the beginning of a journey of self-discovery and sadness, growth and regrets, as she realizes a wife and mother’s worst nightmare.
#2
Don’t You Forget About Me
The family begins to sift through the evidence of a life of deceit, putting together the pieces left behind by Jack.
#3
Dream Lover
A gritty, realistic portrait of the aftermath of deceit, more pieces of the puzzle come together as the women each attempt to go on living in the wake of despair. More characters are introduced, including Ashton.
#4
Prayers for the Dying
Jack Smith’s victims attempt to move forward while grappling with the pain and horror that he left behind. Pam makes startling revelations about herself, while Sandra hopes for a future with exciting expectations. Marie is in a most unlikely place, with the happiest news in the bleakest circumstances. Ashton’s story of a lifetime love affair with Jack is finally told, with his heartache revealed.
#5
Family Dynamics
Heartbreak and devastation move toward triumph in the fifth and final installation of the
Pam of Babylon
series. Pam is at last able to overcome the pain of Jack’s rejection, and her own role in perpetuating his deviance, when she meets Dan and falls in love. Her children move on with their lives in ways Pam would have never believed. Sandra fulfills her dreams with Tom, and a gift from Marie helps to complete their life together. Ashton and Ted build a beautiful life, and new discoveries make it richer than they thought possible, but with a twist. But don’t be deceived; what you hope for is not what you may get.
#6
The Tao of Pam
A beautiful life at the beach is marred by secrets and lies as the legacy of Jack Smith's debauchery continues to haunt his widow, Pam.
The Tao of Pam
finds Pam at a crossroad which will take her to the next phase of her life, offering her choices she didn't want to make. Her children, Brent and Lisa, move on, dealing with their own life choices, as one by one, they all come down off their pedestals.
#7
In Memoriam
In Memoriam begins with the birth of a baby boy to Pam’s former boyfriend, Dan and daughter, Lisa. Still reeling from the death of her beloved son Brent, Pam endures life at the beach with remarkable strength, while meeting a new man. Could this be her next husband? Sandra tries to balance several versions of her life while striving to be part of the Smith legacy. Lisa rises above circumstances that would destroy most, with determination.
But don't be too relieved; history does have a way of repeating itself.
We’re Just Friends
Short Story Prequel to Soulmates Book #8 A short story to fill in details after Book #7 In Memoriam and before Book #8 Soulmates. Events occur that the reader may want to know about, but Jason and Sandra do their best to keep hidden.
# 8
Soulmates
Pam faces new challenges with glamour and poise, while Sandra doesn't disappoint, and Lisa discovers new strengths. "Women's fiction with a touch of noir."
~ ~ ~
The Greeks of Beaubien Street
is the first book in
The Greektown Trilogy.
Although it may be read as a stand-alone novel, character development is on the continuum of all the books in the series.
Nestled below the skyline of Detroit you’ll find Greektown, a few short blocks of colorful bliss, warm people and Greek food. In spite of growing up immersed in the safety of her family and their rich culture, Jill Zannos doesn’t fit in. A Detroit homicide detective, she manages to keep one foot planted firmly in the traditions started by her grandparents, while the other navigates the most devastated neighborhoods in the city she can’t help but love. She is a no-nonsense workaholic with no girlfriends, an odd boyfriend who refuses to grow up, and an uncanny intuition, inherited from her mystic grandmother that acts as her secret weapon to crime-solving success. Her story winds around tales of her family and their secret-laden history, while she investigates the most despicable murder of her career.
The Greeks of Beaubien Street
is a modern tale of a family grounded in old world, sometimes archaic, tradition as they seek acceptance in American society. They could be any nationality, but they are Greek.
Thirty years ago, Terry Smith was Detroit's top news anchor. She set the standard for excellence in investigative journalism, staying at the news desk long after her time should have been over. Just as Terry's son-in-law is murdered in the city, Detective Jill Zannos faces upheaval in her own life. A new man, family intrigue and the dregs of the last case she investigated becomes the lowest priority as she and her partner Albert untangle the mess of Terry Smith and her family.
As Christmastime approaches, the family prepares for another get-together in Greektown. Relationships blossom and some end during the hardest time of the year. But as Jill and others discover, when one door closes, another opens, often with more wonderful opportunities.
~ ~ ~
We meet Alice Bradshaw when she is at a crossroad. She’s just beaten cancer and is suddenly unsure of what her next move should be. Looking back on where she’s been and what the future may hold, she knows she needs to make a big change in her life. Then her car dies on the highway after an argument with her daughter. Dave, a stranger on a motorcycle, pulls alongside her and saves the day. He offers Alice a chance at adventure. She jumps on it, much to the dismay of her children. The adventure starts a chain of events that will have Alice and her children, as well as Dave, questioning every aspect of their lives. There will be a few casualties along the way, a lot of anger, life changes and a few shocking surprises.
Alice’s Summertime Adventure
is the story of an average American family as they struggle with dilemmas we all have, and making choices that aren’t for everyone.
In the French Quarter of New Orleans, the birth of a baby to a mentally ill woman marks the beginning of life for The Savant of Chelsea. An abusive childhood segues to the operating rooms of the largest medical center in New York as a gifted but unbalanced brain surgeon waits for just the right time to redeem her past. In the end, she takes matters into her own hands. The reader will decide what happens after the climax.
Contains explicit sexual themes.
The Liberation of Ravenna Morton
Ravenna Morton is an American Indian woman living a very old-fashioned life in a primitive cabin at the edge of the Kalamazoo River. Facing modern problems when her lifelong affair with a Greek artist is closely examined by their children after a child she gave up for adoption dies, The Liberation of Ravenna Morton captures the small-town dynamic of a family's private secrets being exposed to the world. A poignant look at the melding of two Americanized cultures observed under a microscope. Adult content.
Atlas of Women A Collection of Short Stories
Women are the heart of the home. (Unless it’s a home with a man as the heart!) This volume is about women. The stories are a melding of truth from my own experiences and fiction created from both observation and fantasy.
Mademoiselle
, a novella, started out as young adult genre. But as I wrote, Philipa grew up into a young woman who found her way after a short detour, choosing the more difficult path.
The Golden Boy
ended up exactly as I imagined it would. A family deals with a loved one’s mental illness with love and support, but when there is no longer any hope for normalcy, prayer and grace allow them to step aside.