Mimicry, page 18
In Central Park, Evie found a coffee stand and decided to treat herself. She stood to one side with her hands around the cup and her nostrils hanging over the coffee, not letting a single whiff of caffeine go to waste. She watched the joggers doing their laps, the businessmen cutting through the park on their way to work. She closed her eyes and listened to the chitchat of those passing by. She focused and heard…
“Murdered?” It was a man’s voice, surprised.
“Yep. With a hammer, no less.”
“How do you know?”
“I was there to see it myself.”
“No.”
“Yep.” There was even a hint of pride in this one’s voice. This was the type of person that made Evie sick, but her ears were pricked all the same. “I heard the screams and burst in. There they were on the floor, blood everywhere. But that was a long time ago, man.”
Evie opened her eyes, studied the men (who were both dumpy and looked like they couldn’t be trusted to hold your wallet), and listened closer.
“I just can’t believe it,” the first man said, shaking his head. “I’ve known the guy since we were kids. He wouldn’t hurt a fly!”
“Shows how much you know, dummy.” He jolted a finger forward and made a farting noise. They both laughed in raspy, twenty-a-day chuckles and half-heartedly wrestled each other. It looked like the discussion was over.
But not for Evie.
“Who are you talking about?” she asked, stepping away from the coffee cart.
The men looked at each other before the chubbier guy answered. “Calvin Durant. Why, you know him?”
Evie shook her head.
“Arrested for murdering his wife and kid,” the first man said, repeating what he’d been told only seconds ago. It looked like he was trying to impress.
“And you don’t think he did it?”
“Well, uh… not really.”
It wasn’t exactly what she had been looking for, but Evie wondered if she could make something of this. Even if the man turned out to be as guilty as suspected, at least she might have a shot at twisting the story in a way that would work for her. As long as she didn’t lie or upset anybody (which happened to be her golden rules), she could write what she wanted.
“We gotta go,” that same man told her, and they both turned to walk away.
“Wait.” Evie fished through her purse for a notepad. She pulled the lid off a pen with her teeth and spat it to one side. “Tell me more.”
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Afterword
One of the hardest parts about writing is that I love my books more after I’ve finished them. When it’s time to say goodbye to the characters. The rest of it is hard work (rewarding, but hard), but that realization seems to go out the window by the time I type up the last few words.
In this case, however, it was different. I thoroughly enjoyed returning to where the Mason Black series first started. It was always going to be a challenge to bring back the Lullaby Killer without actually bringing him back. There were expectations to meet, but I also wasn’t allowed to inexplicably restore life to a man who was long dead, because that would be ridiculous. Still, I had to provide hope for the reader. With that in mind, I truly hope I didn’t disappoint you.
I also wanted to take this chance to talk about Joanne Wood, who you might remember as a victim in the early parts of this book. Joanne took part in a competition on my Facebook page, which won her a place as a murder victim (fictionally speaking). It’s important to note that this character and Joanne herself share no likeness other than in name, and the depiction of the character’s… let’s say “poor health” was for story purposes only. It in no way reflects real life and should be treated as such. In short, Joanne is alive and well.
There’s really very little else to say about these stories right now. My mind is filled with ideas on how to end the series within the next two books. The epilogue from this entry (which came out of nowhere—it wasn’t in my outline) left me thirsty for the next book, and all I can do is hope that you feel the same. It’ll be worth the short wait.
Until then, readers, I thank you for taking the time to read this one.
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Best,
Adam Nicholls
About the Author
Adam Nicholls grew up in the southwest of England, where he studied creative writing while working a variety of full-time jobs. When his Mason Black series was first published, he quickly became a bestseller and then went on to create a name for himself in the thriller genre. Adam now lives with his wife in Bristol.
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Adam Nicholls, Mimicry
