Murder Explodes With A Bang

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Murder Explodes With A Bang - book excerpt

Chapter 1

Flavia Wild was as low as possible. Nothing in her life was going in the right direction. Her kids, ages twenty-two and nineteen, had left home to go to college. She seldom heard from them, and when they called, their only requests were to send money. No matter how much she sent from their educational funds, it was never enough. She and her husband, Ron, had not anticipated the steep price hike in a bottle of beer. Both of her sons seem to be getting a major in skirts and an MBA in alcohol consumption.

Her job was in jeopardy. Her small law office was being absorbed by a large legal firm in Baton Rouge. Flavia was a good receptionist, capable of filling in for the paralegals when necessary. But the larger firm already had a receptionist, one with boobs the size of cantaloupes. The other girl was also twenty years younger, and the rumor spread that at least one of the partners in the takeover firm was having a tryst with the bosom beauty.

To top off the week, Ron moved out of the house. He said it was not her fault, just that he no longer wanted to be married. He said he needed some alone time to reassess his path in life.

Then she discovered the automatic payments through their banking account. Ron paid all the bills since he made a lot more money. As an architect, Ron's specialty was the design of multi-million-dollar homes. Some of his layouts were the show homes in Baton Rouge's finest neighborhoods.

He ran with the money crowd. He and Flavia attended the charity galas, the balls, and trips to the Baton Rouge Symphony. They were on the A–list for every social gathering of the capital city's elite.

Until about six months ago. At first, the outings slowed. Even when they went, Ron left his wife as soon as they entered, and she did not see him again until it was time to go home. Then the excursions stopped. Every time they received an invitation, Ron had an excuse not to attend.

Flavia had to re-examine herself. She had put on thirty pounds during her twenty-five year marriage. She enrolled in a Pilates class three days a week. It did not help. As soon as she got home after each one, she ate a bowl of cookie dough ice cream with a generous portion of chocolate syrup to cool down. In the six weeks since she had been doing Pilates, Flavia gained four pounds.

Then the deserted wife found out Ron had a roommate. Her name was Trixie. At twenty years old, Trixie was younger than their oldest son. When Flavia drove over to the apartment, she got her first glance at Ron's lover. That first glance took her breath away. The young lady was the spitting image of Flavia from twenty-five years ago. The same slender build. The same thick brown hair.The same rock-hard legs.The same button nose. The same dimples.

When Flavia left the house to get the Saturday morning paper at the end of the drive, she did not think that her life could get any more miserable. She was wrong.

Chapter 2

As soon as Flavia stepped inside her home, she realized she was no longer alone. The biggest hint was the gun barrel only six inches from her head.

"Come on in and shut the door," the figure dressed in black said. His tone suggested the intruder was a young male, not much older than her sons. He was not huge. Both of her kids were taller and huskier. The only parts exposed were his eyeballs. Deep, blue, intelligent eyes. Not ones to strike fear in lonely women.

Flavia obeyed him. He led her to a rocking chair and motioned for her to sit down. Afterward, he used duct tape to secure her arms and legs to the chair. After that, nothing made much sense.

The kidnapper went to the kitchen. He took some time fumbling through the cabinets, but soon returned with two steaming hot cups of coffee. "If I let one of your arms free, will you behave?" he asked.

Flavia nodded eagerly. Of all the things she imagined happening to her next, getting a freshly brewed cup of coffee was not in the top ten. Or even the top one hundred.

"If you throw this coffee on me, I'll have to cut you to show you I mean business," the young man continued. He set the cup in his left hand down and drew out an eight-inch straight blade. While Flavia trembled, he cut the duct tape from her right arm. He then handed her the cup in his right hand while still holding the knife in his left.

Flavia spilled a third of the contents because her hand shook so badly. The coffee was so hot it burned her lips. She did not care. The intruder was treating her nicer than Ron had recently. She had no idea why he had taken her captive, but it was not bad so far. Hesitantly, she asked the question.

"Why are you doing this to me? Is it Ron?"

The kid laughed. "This has nothing to do with that scoundrel. As far as I'm concerned, he and that tramp deserve each other."

"I don't understand," Flavia said. "If this isn't about Ron, then why are you here in my house?"

"Justice," the boy replied. "Nothing but justice."

Chapter 3

Flavia stared at him when the kidnapper said nothing more. She finished the cup of coffee. This situation was more confusing than any she had ever been in. No matter what angle she went at it, this whole scenario made little sense. However, for some reason, she was no longer scared.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked.

"Flavia Foster Wild, graduate of Zachary high school and attended three semesters at LSU. But you found a meal ticket in Ron Wild, and classes were of no significance afterwards. You dropped out of school at nineteen."

"How do you know so much about me?" she asked.

"Because I did my research. I wanted to know all there is to know about the woman who stole my life."

"But I don't know you. I mean, I don't recognize your voice." Flavia was scared again.

"You're right," the boy snarled. "You don't know me. I was nothing but collateral damage to your evil."

"Evil?" The words shocked Flavia. "I've never done anything evil to anyone in my life!"

The slap came out of nowhere. Flavia's cup shattered on the hardwood floor. Blood trickled out of her mouth as she sobbed.

The kid stared at her, unrepentant for his rash action. Even with the glove on his hand, the blow almost knocked Flavia into unconsciousness.

"Why did you hit me?" she muttered.

"Because you lied. You defiled my father, and now you're lying to me. I will not accept it."

"Your father? Who is your father?" Flavia asked.

"It's like you not to keep up with all the lives that you have ruined. How many has it been?"

"I don't know," Flavia wept. "I don't remember ruining anyone's life. I don't do that sort of thing."

"I guess you don't remember the lake retreat you went on twenty-four years ago. You and Ron had only been married a year when it happened."

Suddenly, Flavia remembered.

Chapter 4

"Tony," she spurted. "You must be Tony's son."

"Bingo. You win the prize. And now you're getting it."

"Wait." Flavia struggled to recall the details.

She and Ron had joined four other couples to attend a resort on the banks of Lake Maurepas. They had been married for less than a year and had no kids. A weekend with friends seemed like a fun thing to do. It did not turn out to be much fun.

On the second night out, Flavia had way too much to drink. Since she seldom drank any alcohol, that was not much. But it was enough to cloud both her judgment and her memory. That proved fatal.

At one point, she passed out. When she awoke, she was naked. In the same sleeping bag with her was a naked man. And it was not Ron. Flavia panicked and screamed. When the door opened, Tony's wife, Susie, walked in. After a single glance, she was gone. That was the last she had seen of either Tony or Susie.