The Diary Reveals Small Help-- Maybe

                                         

I wanted to believe that Amy's diary might offer some help in sorting this whole mess out. The fact was this MESS was more than I ever bargained for when I bought this Eden. Any where else I would be finishing my book, not stuck waiting from some improbable act to give me a plot.

                                                   CONSIDERING MURDER

                                                               Part 17

Jennifer and Jake. I thank any god that might exist for putting them on my side. My side. Never in my life had I thought ‘my side’. Until now. And all because of that little bitch, Amy. I did wish her dead, but I did not kill her. Sheriff Marlings knew that now. Unless he had some diabolical plan for trapping me.

I was pondering the situation when Jennifer called. “Got your message. What’s up?” I related the diary story. “No shit. How much have you read?”

“Scanned most of it. That girl was just that—a girl. It’s a lot of drivel, but a few parts are more enticing.”

“Like what?”

“Like she worried that Harold was messing around.”

“No shit. Sorry-- I said that already. OK if Jake and I come over after supper?”

By the time Jake and Jennifer arrived I had marked the relevant diary pages with post-it note labels. Side by side at my dining table when eating, my desk when writing, Jake and Jennifer read the marked passages. “We need an outline of –whatever you writers make outlines of,” Jennifer said. “You can do that, Connie.”

“Me and how can I do that?”

“Shit Connie, you’re the writer. Put this mess into a plausible plot.”

“And how do you expect I can do that. I don’t know anything beyond my run-in with Amy, and what I’ve read in this work of art.”

“But you know murder,” Jennifer said. “And you have the basic facts. And this.” She waved the diary around. “Do whatever it is you do when you write.” Both Jake and I scowled. “Do you think she would have left him?”

Jake said, “You know that doesn’t make any sense. If she was going to leave him, why would she have that man working on a nursery. Listen to this.” He took the diary from Jennifer, paged through it and read, ”I asked Harold if he really wanted this baby. He said more than I could know. I think Shirley just made it up about Harold and some other girl. She’s just jealous. I do hope it’s a boy.” Jane closed the diary. “Now I ask you, does that sound like trouble?”

“Connie, make notes of the diary.”  Jennifer’s smile was almost a smirk. “You can outline the contents. Then I suggest you get it back in the trailer before someone comes looking for it."

"Why me?"

"You're the writer. Let us know when you're done. We'll confab over it." She laughed with such gusto I had to fight my annoyance."Come Jake, the man has his work cut out for him."