by Paula
Gail Benson
Have you
heard about authors writing a short story that later is developed into a novel?
Like Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of
Bees?
I’m giving
Writers Who Kill this exclusive. The blog message you are about to read may one
day be developed into a bestselling (how I wish!) novel, called “Killing
Paula.” (After hearing this story, a friend gave me that title, along with some
excellent plot suggestions, and told me I could use them. Thank you, Phil
Lenski. I’ll be sure to mention you in the acknowledgements.)
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| HorryCounty.org |
Dear
readers, I begin with my journey to Myrtle Beach to meet with cousins and
friends and enjoy a lovely vacation. I had dodged Hurricane Dorian, which came
through the week before. (I would say “dodged the bullet,” but don't let me get ahead of myself.) The weather was hot, but beautiful, and I was
anticipating wonderful company and food.
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| SC History Trail |
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| WMBF News |
To make
the journey, I decided to get a rental car and signed up for roadside
assistance. The trip to the beach was delightful. I enjoyed seeing sights I
remembered from past travels.
On my route, I drove through the small town of
Gallivants Ferry, a place which has been known for generations as the location
of political stump meetings. In fact, the Democratic Presidential candidates
were scheduled to appear there for a debate on the Monday after I returned
home.
Just as I
passed the Gallivants Ferry Convenience Store, I heard a loud pop and an
electronic notice appeared on the dashboard that my tire pressure was low. I
didn’t need to be informed. I’ve experienced flat tires before.
I pulled
into the store’s parking lot. Sure enough, the rear tire on the driver’s side
was flat as a chunk of butter sizzling in a hot pan. My roadside service paid off. A local company was
dispatched and arrived sooner than predicted.
When my
rescuer jacked up the car to put on the spare, he pointed to the dent in the
rim of the hub cap. It had a red tint around the edge. We were both puzzled
about what might have caused the damage.
I
conferred with my experts (friends who know about guns and mysteries) and
learned that some bullets contain a red substance that leaves a mark. A friend
sent me a Guns and Ammo article about
the FBI’s “new duty load” with a red interior.
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| From: https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/the-story-behind-the-fbi-new-duty-load/325989 |
The rental
car company asked me to trade the car for another, so I wouldn’t be putting a
lot of miles on the spare. After getting supper and checking into the hotel, I
headed for the rental car office at the Myrtle Beach airport.
In the
humid heat of the night, I followed the parking lot arrows to a place where a
woman (I later learned her name was Nancy) sat in a lounge chair with a cooler.
She checked me in and opened the trunk to look at the damaged tire. That was
when we discovered the hole. Please consider the evidence:
What does
that image suggest to you?
Nancy
shook the tire. We heard no noise and no bullet fell out, but the hole was
consistent with a gun shot. Although, it also might have been caused by my
hitting some rebar in the road. Or, another rental car associate suggested, it
looked as if something inside the tire might have exploded, bursting the tire
and denting the rim.
Meanwhile,
back to my bestseller. My friend Phil gave me his list of potential suspects
who could be “aiming” for me, including someone who might have made a ghostly
appearance. Now, to put it all together in a plausible story!
Anyway,
that’s how I began what became a very happy vacation, with an experience that
has stimulated my writing brain and, with tremendous luck, could be a
bestseller. Remember, you heard it here first!
Have you
ever had an experience like mine?
