WHAT IF? Can Crime Writers Really Leave Their Dark Side Behind?

By Lisa Malice, Ph.D.

Last month, my husband and I spent eight days aboard a small cruise ship, the Safari Endeavor, exploring the inlets and islands of Alaska’s southeastern waterways from Juneau to Sitka as part of a three-week bucket list vacation. Our days were filled with off-ship activities — hiking, kayaking, meandering the shores, and photo-sightseeing skiff tours — all opportunities to admire the majesty of Alaska’s clear blue waters, stunning landscapes, and enchanting wildlife (see some favorite animal photos below).

Whale sightings, like the fluke of this Gray Whale, took my breath away. Humpback Whales are plentiful in these waterways.

Sea Otters are so adorable. We often found them floating on their backs, feet up the air, and nibbling on some shellfish.

Seals are curious creatures who will cluster pop their heads up to give you a good long look.

Black-tailed deer are not frequently sighted, so I was lucky to observe 

this beautiful creature for almost ten minutes from the aft deck of the ship.

I wanted to immerse myself in this once-in-a-lifetime adventure, fully embrace the beauty of Alaska’s terrain and life in the sea and on land, so I left my computer at home and set aside my life as mystery/thriller author for the duration of the trip.

Being fully in the moment was easy as I marveled at mountains and glaciers. Murder never entered my mind as my senses took in sea lions barking, whales breaching, otters floating, seals surfing, and bears bumbling about. I was 100% focused on Alaska’s natural wonders.

Nevertheless, the crime writer in me wouldn’t stay silent. Couldn’t, not when a curious circumstance presented itself, causing me to ponder the all-too-familiar question those in the mystery/thriller profession live by—"what if?” Here’s how it went down.

One afternoon, Lou and I opted to take different excursions – he on a skiff sightseeing tour, me on shore walk. As I made my way down the aft stairs to join my tour group, I passed by a large magnetic bulletin board with a diagram of the ship, its cabins and decks. As per the Endeavor’s safety protocol for leaving the ship, I pulled off my “Lisa” token from inside cabin 221 and pressed it into place just outside the room to indicate I was leaving the ship.  Lou had similarly moved his token before he disembarked earlier with his tour group.  

[Taken together, this board shows where all 69 passengers are—either onboard or off-ship. Such information is critical to leaving nobody behind before setting sail for the next mooring.]

When I returned from my outing, I was surprised to find my magnet already moved into cabin 221 to show I had reboarded the ship.  I assumed Lou had returned before me and had absent-mindedly moved both our magnets to show that we were present and accounted for after our afternoon excursions. A bit miffed, I made it a point to remind Lou to move only his magnet if we weren’t together, then took the stairs to the upper aft deck. A half minute later, I turned around to see Lou appear at the top of the stairs. Clearly, Lou had just arrived after me, so he didn’t move my token or his. So, who did and why? 

The normal person in me would have just seen it as a mistake made by someone else and left the thought there. But the mystery and thriller writer in me couldn’t let it lie. What if? invaded my thoughts searching for a mystery story.

What if such a move wasn’t a mistake? What if someone intentionally changed a person’s onboard status to ensure he or she was left behind? What if it was done to hide evidence of a murder off-ship? What if the person left behind had survived an attack or attempted murder but awoke after the boat had sailed? How would he or she stay alive with no food, no protection against Alaska’s weather, elements and wildlife, and no way to communicate with the ship or otherwise call for rescue? More to the point, who would arrange such an attempted murder or desertion and why? 

What if . . . this proves I will never ever be able to leave my dark side behind?

How about you? Have you ever set off on a vacation determined to put all work aside only to have it come back to haunt you with what if? If you are a reader only, do you ever find yourself wondering What if?