Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Vol. 135, No. 1. Whole No. 821, January 2010

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Boulder, Colorado, freelance writer Stephanie Kay Bendel has taught fiction writing for more than two decades, specializing in the field of suspense. She is the author of Making Crime Pay: A Practical Guide to Mystery Writing. Her many previous short-story credits include tales for this magazine and for our sister publication, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. During the 1970s she wrote several novels, including A Scream Away, under the pseudonym Andrea Harris.

Molly Renquist looked up as her secretary, Lindsey, opened the office door and poked her pretty head in. “Got time to see a lady who doesn’t have an appointment?”

Molly frowned. “Do you know what it’s about?”

“She says she wants you to look into her sister’s death.”

Glancing at her calendar and then her watch, Molly nodded. “Send her in.”

A moment later, Lindsey returned, followed by a tall, beautiful young Latina with lustrous black hair that fell to her shoulders in a rippling cascade. She wore low-heeled pumps and a pale blue dress that failed to hide her voluptuous curves. Other than the small golden hoops in her ears, she wore no jewelry and very little makeup, yet her appearance was striking. Molly reflected that the woman seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place her. Reaching across the desk, she offered her hand and said, “Please have a seat.”

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