Shattered Shell (52 page)
I turned and smiled and said, "You'll never know."
More laughter, and we went out to the dining room with more cups of coffee, and I sat on the couch and Diane sat near me, while Kara sat on the carpeted floor, looking up at the two of us, She gave me the box and said, "We wanted to give you something to remember, Lewis. Nothing fancy. Just a memento from our trip to remind you that you're our friend, and that we appreciate what you did, and that you can count on us for anything you need, tomorrow or next week or next year."
I began to undo the tape around the box. "Sounds special."
Diane rubbed the back of my neck. "It certainly is. I hope you like it."
And inside the gift box-past a collection of pink-and-white tissue papers-was an exotic-looking seashell, brown and pink and yellow, and wonderfully whole. I took the delicate structure out of the box and into my hand, and looked at the two smiling and happy faces, gazing with affection and love in my direction, knowing that at a point in my life just a few months ago, I had doubted that I would ever see them smile again. I was so glad to be wrong.
"It's perfect,” I said.
Afterward
Sharp-eyed readers of the Lewis Cole mystery series --- yes, I’m talking to you! --- should notice something missing from this third book in my private detective series. In DEAD SAND and BLACK TIDE, there were a number of flashback scenes, where Lewis recalled certain events that took place during his service in the Marginal Issues Section of the Department of Defense.
Such additional scenes were in the first draft of SHATTERED SHELL, when I sent the book out to my new editor, Ruth Cavin, at St. Martin’s Press. Much to my great disappointment at the time, she advised (i.e., ordered) me to remove those scenes, saying they slowed down the action of the book and didn’t add that much.
I thought she was wrong, and in one way, I was correct, because of the two of us, one of us had to be right… and after some time (and not much time at that) I agreed that she was right. Removing those flashbacks didn’t detract at all from the overall book, and made it flow that much faster.
It was also a lesson learned. In each subsequent Lewis Cole novel, I made short and cryptic remarks about Lewis’ Department of Defense background, but never again would I write lengthy flashback scenes about what he did.
Another thing I learned was how difficult it was to write this book. Lewis Cole’s dearest friend, Diane Woods, suffers tremendously as does her lover, Kara Miles. There are sharp scenes among them and Lewis. Those were hard to write, but as William Faulkner once said, “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” Meaning, of course, that you must kill your fancy writing, your flashbacks, and sometimes, you have to either challenge or kill off major characters.
Alas, Ruth left us way too soon in 2011, at the age of 92, leaving behind the legacy of helping scores and scores of mystery authors with her sharp eye and her love of the field.
Thanks so much again, Ruth.
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Brendan DuBois of New Hampshire is the award-winning author of seventeen novels and more than 135 short stories. His latest novel, FATAL HARBOR --- the eighth novel the Lewis Cole mystery series --- was published in May 2014 by Pegasus Books.
His short fiction has appeared in Playboy, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and numerous anthologies including “The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century,” published in 2000, as well as the “The Best American Noir of the Century,” published in 2010.
His stories have twice won him the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and have also earned him three Edgar Allan Poe Award nominations from the Mystery Writers of America. He is also a “Jeopardy!” gameshow champion.
He is currently at work on his next Lewis Cole novel.
Visit his website at
www.BrendanDuBois.com
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