Saturday, May 17, 2008

Saturday Wordzzle # 13


The words for this week's ten word challenge were: sergeant, lunatic, peanut butter and jelly, cyber space, flattery, musician, auspicious, cardinal, paprika, flowering plum tree
And for the Mini Challenge: sinister, magazine, American flag, rain storm, chess board

Go to the Raven's nest for the rest of the stories.

"The Case of the Missing Singer"

The Narwhale or more correctly Narwhal that sergeant Johnson observed surfacing aft of the ship resembled some lunatic version of an amphibious unicorn with a huge tusk over 10 feet long. Johnson pondered the wonder of these northern waters as he finished his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He went back into his cabin and sat down at his laptop, where he continued his search in cyberspace on Carla Heller and her band "Rude Flattery."

Carla was a musician of some repute. Her band's first album "Auspicious Anger" had hit number one in the alternative music category in just three weeks. Now the pop star from Finland was missing and Johnson knew the cardinal rule in missing persons cases was to not let the trail run cold.

That's what had brought him to be aboard this ridiculous little ship with a rusted hull the color of paprika hunting Carla. The "Flowering Plum Tree'" was a retro steel version of a Chinese junk used for carrying passengers and freight along the fjords of the Finnish coast. It was also the last place Carla had been seen.

When she had failed to meet her band in Helsinki they'd managed to backtrack her last known whereabouts to the ship. But no one knew what happened once she got aboard and if she ever got off. The captain and crew had a somewhat sinister look about them and Johnson wondered if it had just been a case of a crew member recognizing her from a picture in a magazine. She'd made all the papers in a top and mini-skirt made of an American flag. She'd worn this outfit in a concert in Paris, then ripped it off at the end of the concert and burned it on stage as she had stood there in camo undies.

The rain storm that had sprung up caught Johnson's attention and he stepped to the port hole to look outside. He wondered if somehow Carla's disappearance was another move made by right wing fanatics and if Carla had just been a mere pawn on the chessboard of global politics.

He'd know more after he interviewed the Captain and crew. After all, he had three more days aboard before they hit port. Some clues would surface...he hoped.

RT

12 comments:

Kimmie said...

Hi Richard!
This was an awesome story, you are very good at this. I enjoyed it very much.
Thank You for visiting my blog today.
Smiles,
Kimmie

Richard said...

Thanks Kimmie, I start back to work full time on Monday, so I'm doing my best to catch up this weekend.

Rich

Raven said...

Brilliant as always. I love the album title... and that poor Carla may have fallen pray to the right wing fanatics. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

Akelamalu said...

So, what happened next? You can't just leave us in suspense!

Richard said...

Raven: I hope the days of the right wingnuts are numbererd

akelmalu: she's a popstar; they are prone to rash decisions. Perhaps she eloped with an actor or another musician. Perhaps she chucked it all to go study with the Dali Lami.

Who am I to say?

Rich

Dianne said...

first of all - all the best for Monday! they are lucky to have you.

I loved the album titles and I am hoping Carla is OK - she's my kind of girl.

great stuff Richard.

Richard said...

Thanks Dianne, I am looking forward to getting back into the game.

Rich

maryt/theteach said...

Amazing, Richard! All of them in one! I thoought these words were hard this time.

Jay said...

"Auspicious Anger" could be the name of a blog. LOL

Great story. This could be the first page of a very good mystery novel. You should expand on it and keep the story going!

Richard said...

Mary, thanks so much for your comments here and at the Opinion Post.

Jay, the Sgt Johnson mysteries, is that what you're thinking?

Rich

Betty said...

So, what happens next? Congratulations on your job, by the way. I hope you enjoy it. We'll miss your frequent posts, but will look forward to your Wordzzles.

Richard said...

Ah, there lies the beauty of a mystery tale, eh? We'll have to wait for another installment of "the Sgt Johnson mysteries"

Rich