
Yard Sale Treasure
Charles broke into a sweat when he saw the hat. Wide straw brim and distinctive Halloween motifs around the crown. A pumpkin, black cat, ghost and a witch.
‘Don’t you like it?’ Juliet looked crestfallen. ‘I bought it at a yard sale. I thought it would be perfect for our first Halloween together.’
‘I love it!’ Charles hugged her. Then frowned.
He pondered all afternoon. Surely it couldn’t be the same hat. Sally told him it was an exclusive design and the store took a photo for their Facebook page, but sales assistants probably tell all their customers the same. It was just a coincidence his gorgeous new girlfriend found a hat just like his ex-wife’s.
He resolved to put it out of his mind but it was impossible as Halloween approached and stores filled with reminders. Pumpkins, black cats, ghosts and witches. They haunted his days and sleepless nights.
Then Juliet told him she’d be going shopping in the city with her sister the following day. ‘I don’t want to spend a day without you, darling, but I haven’t seen Jenny for ages. You don’t mind, do you?’
‘Of course not!’
As soon as Juliet’s car disappeared down the street, Charles raced to his garden shed. He needed to be sure. Selecting a long-handled spade he dug furiously in the pumpkin patch. Three feet. Four feet…six. He’d buried Sally deep along with her clothes and credit card he’d used to buy a one-way ticket out of town, corroborating his story that she’d left him. And that hat. That awful, creepy hat.
He sweated profusely as the sun rose higher in the sky. His back ached but finally the spade clunked on the metal trunk. He cleared the soil from its lid, began to lift the latch, when…
‘Boo! Gotcha!’
He looked up. The sun glinting on the police badge blinded him for a moment but he recognised the voice.
‘Charles Richardson, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Sally Richardson. You do not have to…’
Another case solved by undercover detective Juliet Collins.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThe characters portray a variety of emotions during the story which allows the suspense to build up during the second half to culminate in a wonderful surprise ending. Very well written and easy to read. We do love a good mystery, especially with a female detective!! Go, Juliet!

Thank you Voice-Team! I really appreciate the feedback from you and all the other readers/writers. It certainly helps to build confidence. I haven’t written a lot of mystery stories so was thrilled so many people enjoyed it, and were surprised at the end. Perhaps I’ll feature Juliet in another story one day 🙂
Fun story Sandra.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThanks Mary, I had fun writing it 🙂
Wow! What a wonderful story. Loved reading it. Didn’t guess the outcome at all.
Thank you, Musing Mind! That’s really good to hear.You always wonder if you’ve succeeded in keeping that surprise until the end 🙂
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleInteresting story Sandra. You get that inkling all the way through that he’d been up to no good. Certainly dedication to duty to have to be the girlfriend of a suspected murderer.
Thank you, Carrie! Even though I knew how I was going to end the story, I gave an ‘inner cheer’ when Juliet nabbed him. And yes, what dedication to have to pretend to care about him in order to get justice for his poor wife 🙂
Hmmm, I fear your undercover cop will face some issues related to entrapment and illegal searches, but it was a great story. I really enjoyed it.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you, Alan. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This kept me guessing right to the end. A really good read. I never saw that ending coming.
Thank you, Genya 🙂 I appreciate the feedback. As the writer I knew how I planned the ending, of course, so wasn’t sure if I’d managed to keep readers guessing. So glad you liked it 🙂
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleHa, ha – I thought he had buried his hat with her, and was going to be horrified to find it missing, caught out again. I love it when the writer leads you down the wrong path. Well written Sandra.
Thank you, Eric. I wasn’t sure if I’d managed it so very glad it worked. 🙂
I enjoyed reading this story and was not expecting the ending.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you, Inderjeet! I’m very glad you liked it and really appreciate the feedback 🙂
A perfect suspense thriller!
Thank you very much, Leena! That means a lot and I’m grateful for the feedback. 🙂
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleYou built up the base of your story very well, Sandra. As a reader I was quickly drawn into the intriguing situation, wondering what the connection was and how it would be resolved. Good job!
Wow ? . You perfectly made it. It is very easy to read and understand. You draw different emotions to me while reading your story. You led me to feel surprise in a very amazing ending.
Thank you very much, Lotchie! I’m very glad you enjoyed it and were surprised at the end. I had a lot of fun writing this one 🙂
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleWhat an interesting story you’ve written, Sandra! I didn’t expect such a turn of events.