Moments for the Heart

Welcome back Weekend Writing Warriors. Here we are just a few weeks left before Christmas. I, for one, am excited. This time is my favorite time of year. From November 1 to Dec 31, I absolutely love. Even January excites me to an extent. And I am not just saying that because my wedding anniversary falls on the 23rd. I just love this season.

One of the quirks about me and the season is that I enjoy holiday music. So, on November 27, I began listening to my holiday playlist. This year, I could not get it playing early enough. It has been a crazy year and we all could use the positive messages nearly all Holiday music brings. So even as I type this Snippet, my Christmas Playlist jingles away in the background. From the serious to the silly, I am enjoying every note. I hope you get as much from Holiday music as I do.

As for our characters in our yet to be titled Work in Progress, we are far from holidays. It is chilly, but there is definitely no Winter Wonderland in Georgia. But Grady has unwrapped four cases and found a similarity in the case he is working. Now he is showing Masters and the team what he has discovered. It is where we pick up this week.

Here is a bit to refresh your memory:

“By the time it looked different, it was wrapped up in a body bag. I had Grady on the way and their team was on-site, so I decided to let you guys get your beauty sleep. Didn’t realize it would get this complicated. Had I known, I would have done things differently. Whatcha got, Grady.” Masters asks.

“Somethings not right about this case as a stand alone when we consider these other four cases. I won’t know for sure until forensics comes back on Nelson, but I think they are all connected.”

SYNOPSIS:

Lieutenant Daniel Masters is a 27-year veteran Savannah Georgia Major Crimes Detective. He has seen many crime scenes like the one he saw last February. Little did he know this one would change his life. Grady, the newest addition to his team, is the first to see the abnormalities, but will the rest of the team listen in time. There is a serial murder on the loose in South Georgia, and for some reason the killer leaves their final victim alive right before committing suicide. But why? Masters and Grady must find out before its too late and the next killer strikes again.

SNIPPET:

“How so.” Masters asked, his eyebrows raised, and arms folded against his chest.

Grady pointed to the screen. “These aren’t the best, but you and I were there, so our memories will better serve us. You saw the cuts; they were short, but straight line and placement was across the inner part of the arm and leg. You may also remember that they were superficial, deep enough to cause bleeding, but not deep enough to cause Mr. Nelson to bleed out. Tanner knew what he was doing.”

“Okay, and how does this relate to the other cases,” his arms still tight, but his face relaxed showing a bit more concern, he was reaching him.

***That is this week’s ten. Here is a bit more to take you a deeper into the scene***

He walked over to the displayed folders and pushed up two photos from each case file. Each showed a full-length photo on top of the coffee table, each frozen in their death pose, covered in blood. Next was the photo of them laying on the coroner’s table cleaned up, but the four cuts visible. Four clean, straight-line incisions across the femoral and brachial arteries, identical to the photos on the monitor.

Masters grunted.

“My theory is that Tanner may be the murder behind these unsolved cases. Why he let Nelson live, I do not know. Why he chose to commit suicide by cop, I have no clue. Why the murder weapon is missing, is the biggest mystery, and I have no answer. But that is my current thoughts on the case as of right now. I will have more answers once we get answers from forensics to see if the cut patterns match with our other four victims.”

Masters stared into Grady’s eyes for a long moment. Studying him. Grady felt a grating feeling. Like he was being peeled back layer by layer. Masters walked over to the table that was spread with documents and other file information. He looked down at the photos and picked up the photo of the victim before Mr. Nelson, a forty-one-year-old female office assistant. She had gone missing two months ago, found by a concerned neighbor when her mail began to pile up.

“What do you think, Carmen.”

“Grady’s case has teeth,” she said. “It makes sense. It does have some loose ends, but in 12 hours many of them could be tied up. Either Tanner is an exceptional copycat, or he’s your killer. Why he chose to do what he did is beyond all of us, but it’s one less scumbag off the streets and less paperwork for me to have to deal with.”

Masters picked up another photo. Twenty-six-year old male, mechanic. Same scars same set up and positioning, same blood poured over the scene. Then another; thirty-three-year-old banker. His story was the same. The final photo was the oldest, the first of the collection. The female was just a bit different than the rest, maybe she was the first, a bit of first kill jitters, but still masterful.

“You see it?” Grady asked. “The difference? What’s missing?”

****

The missing piece could be the key to the whole thing. The one thing that is different with the Nelson scene that is different in the past crime scene photos. Grady sees it. Will Masters?

So far, I am behind in this novel. I didn’t finish NaNo on the note I wanted to. I was about 3K short. But I am still plugging a way. It was never the finish line, just the spur in the arse to get me going to get it written. It did motivate me, however, and I have more now than I did when NaNo stared. So it did have success in that fashion. Thank you for all of your support and prayers.

Again, thanks to everyone who gave me words of encouragement last week. I needed it. It was a tough week for me. I am on the road to recovery and it was a much better week. I can write again with much better retention. God is good and I know I will get through this.

Visit Moments for the Heart Facebook page for more

I have a Facebook page that has something going on everyday of the week. Come on over, follow, and interact with my page to check it out! Here is what you can expect to find there.

—Monday is Memory Monday – I share an important event that occurred on that Monday or sometime that particular week.

—Tuesday is Talk About it Tuesday – I post a weekly video where I cover a topic that has meant something to me over the past week.

—Wednesday is when I post my blog for the week.

—Thursday is This or That Thursday – A weekly two option poll that raises the question, do you like this, or do you prefer that?

—Friday is Fun Fact Friday – I find and share an interesting or obscure fact.

—Saturday is for Weekend Writing Warriors – This is when I post my 8 Sentence Snippet from a current or past work.

I really am trying to make it fun and engaging. Something that people look forward to visiting. It has been something that has been on my heart (no pun intended) for a long time and I am now acting on it. I would love your support!!

Important Links!!

– Little Reminders of Who I Am is now available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

–The Five Barred Gate is still available on Amazon in Hardback, Paperback, and Kindle versions.

–You can purchase TFBG direct from me on my Home Page. The benefit of buying direct is you will receive a personalized signed copy!!

–My Children’s books, Elissa the Curious Snail are also on Amazon. There are 4 books about an adorable snail teaching children about prayer and believing in themselves.

–Finally you can see all updates regarding the progress of this current Untitled work in progress.

Fellow Warriors, I also have have a weekly blog that is posted in between these snippets. I would love to hear your thoughts.

AND if you have little warriors running around I now have many of my Children’s Short Stories on this website. They were originally on my Elissa the Curious Snail publisher’s website, but I now control that domain and have moved that content here. There are many stories for your little reader. These are great bedtime or anytime short stories.

In His Exciting Service,

Jeff S. Bray

Little Reminders of Who I Am

The Five Barred Gate

Elissa the Curious Snail Series

Check out amazing established and emerging writers at Weekend Writing Warriors. Each week we post new snippets from either published works or works in progress for each other to comment on. Gain insight of how the mind of a writer works and a behind the scenes look at works before they hit book stands everywhere.

Check out Colorful Creations by Carolyn