When Gregg accidentally discovers his neighbor’s lingerie collection drip-drying in her shower, he stares in fascination at a scene that looks like laundry day at the whorehouse. After his neighbor is found dead – strangled with her own fishnet stocking – the next victim might even be closer to home. Set in a suburban neighborhood reminiscent of Desperate Housewives.
A 2,900-word short story. (approximately 7 printed pages.) The e-book edition includes short excerpts from the mystery novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, Sink or Swim and Dark Before Dawn. The excerpts amount to approximately 10 pages.
Please note that the Amazon Kindle edition was published as part of the collection BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology Volume 3 (link to the left).
Download the 23 minute audiobook on Soundcloud
Narrator Nicole Poole is an award-winning narrator, voiceover artist, and actor who splits her time between New York City, Paris, and Norman, Oklahoma. She has toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and as a Certified Soundpainter, can often be found getting her hands dirty with dog-eared jazz musicians and scrappy experimental theater. She adores “wordsmiffery,” and in her spare time produces a podcast of short works at Wordsmiff Audio.com. Nicole is an Audie Award Finalist, AudioFile Earphones Award recipient, and a recipient of the Publisher’s Weekly Listen Up Award. Among the many titles she has narrated are House Rules and Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult.
The next evening, Gregg discovered his house dark. He rested his briefcase on the floor and flicked on the kitchen light. No dishes stacked in the sink, nothing cooked in the oven. Blackness engulfed the office down the hall. He’d parked behind Julia’s Toyota, so he thought she’d be home. She could have walked to visit a neighbor, he supposed. Or maybe she’d gotten sick?
Gregg jogged upstairs and opened the bedroom door. Julia was huddled in a fetal position on the bed, the only sound the whirring humidifier near the closet.
Her head tilted up and Gregg switched on the lamp. "You okay?" he asked.
Her swollen eyes stared dully at him. She’d been crying. No, sobbing.
"Something awful happened," Julia whispered.
Stacy Juba has written sweet and sassy chick lit novels, mysteries about determined women sleuths, and entertaining books for young adults and children. Her books include the Storybook Valley chick lit series and the Hockey Rivals young adult sports novels.
Stacy is also a freelance developmental editor and online writing instructor. Sign up for her free 5-day line editing class.
Stop by her other websites and blogs: Shortcuts for Writers and Hockey Rivals.
