Interviews

Detective Bannon sat in silence as the author, Amy Doestal, told her story. Her tearful interview wasn’t really a confession but more of an explanation of the past few years since first meeting her assistant, now fugitive-cop-killer. 

M Blanck came up to Doestal after a class, introduced herself, and asked the author if she would agree to a proposition: Blanck would ghost-write Doestal’s next novel and assist with promotion, publishing, correspondence, and any other duties to make the novel a success. The first manuscript was handed over in that meeting. Doestal agreed with Blanck after reading the manuscript which was submitted to Watts & Company and became a huge success. The newest manuscript was given to the author a couple weeks ago.

Doestal denied any involvement with the murders and did not know Blanck until after the New Mexico murder. Bannon thought she was sincere but the DA was charging her with accessory to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and a few other felonious crimes that Bannon didn’t care about. He wanted Blanck.

Bannon sat at his desk, alone in thoughts. He already detailed to the captain how he found Blanck over Junior’s body and he knew everyone now thought him crazy. How could a black cube remove a heart? Being frozen in time so he couldn’t help his partner? Why didn’t the cube remove his own heart? Maybe he didn’t have a heart… People told him that, especially his ex-wife as he drifted in memory to her words long ago, “You heartless son of a…”

“Bannon?” The clerk jarred the detective back to the cacophony of the department. “You’re wanted in room four. Two guys, look like Feds, want to talk to you.”

Feds. They had all the resources at their disposal and rarely used them to help out a local department. “Why would they care about Oldtown, anyway?”

Bannon hesitated at the door. “Something wasn’t right,” he thought but opened the door anyway.

“Detective Bannon,” the taller man said. “Let me introduce you to Michelle Blankenship.”

“Well, thank you for bringing Ms. Blanck back to me,” Bannon replied. “These guys can’t be Feds,” he thought as he shut the door behind himself.

 

Posted to Poets and Storytellers United: Friday Writings #7: Dear 2021…

Part One: The Dead Need No Words

Part Two: Partners

Part Three: Zen Detective

Part Four: Connections

Part Five: The Usual Suspects

Part Six: Larceny of the Heart