Friday, May 22, 2020

The Diva and the Detective



Augusta Iris McKee, former opera singer, professor of music on two college campuses in 1960s Cincinnati, sometime stage director, is a strong-minded, tender-hearted, savvy lady in midlife. She loves nice clothes and stilettos. Augusta has never married, and doesn’t expect to be.
That changes when she meets Homicide Detective Malcolm Mitchell on the campus of Cliffside College, following the murder of one of her voice students. He’s the best-looking man she’s ever laid eyes on. While that first meeting is confrontational (he’s at least as strong-willed as she is, and he’s a cop), something sparks between them. As they grow to know each other, Augusta discovers important information that leads to the arrest of the killer. The friendship becomes a romance.
Augusta is seven years older than Malcolm. She’s much more sensitive to that fact than he is; after all, they’re both mature adults. But it is the 1960s, and it’s not something that happens often. Augusta finds herself involved in Malcolm’s cases sometimes in ways she didn’t expect or intend. That can be a cause of friction.
In their most recent adventure, The Case of the Chrysanthemum Murders, once again Augusta has slightly overstepped while attempting to be helpful.

***
Augusta headed down the steps, purse in hand, to find Malcolm standing in the entrance hall, his arms folded across his chest, looking none too pleased.
“That phone call was from Jim Edmonds. He just had a discussion with the Boone County coroner’s office about a visitor they had this afternoon.”
He took a step toward her, fists at his waist. “It seems a very attractive older woman was there asking a lot of questions about Anton Portnov’s death. Would you know anything about that, Augusta?”
“He called me an older woman?”
“A very attractive older woman. Good Lord, Gus. What the hell were you doing over there? You promised me you wouldn’t do anything like that.”
“Do you think of me as an older woman? I’m not that much older than you, Malcolm Mitchell.”
Augusta!” He took her firmly by the shoulders and stared directly into her eyes. “This isn’t about you. You just interfered in an ongoing homicide investigation; do you realize that?”
“I tried to call you before I drove over there. I couldn’t imagine what harm it would do.”
“Let’s see.” Malcolm crossed his arms over his chest again and leaned against the door frame. “This woman told the clerk she was manager of the string quartet Portnov had been part of at one time.”
“Well, I just thought maybe I could play on their sympathy and they might let something slip. I’m sorry, Mal. I promise it won’t happen again.” Oh, dear. The last thing I wanted was to annoy him. “I tried to present myself as a sympathetic friend of the quartet and of Anton’s. I honestly thought it might be helpful.”
She saw the twitch at the corner of his mouth and relaxed.
“You’d do better to stick with fiery gypsies like Frasquita in Carmen.” He laughed and shook his head. “Come on, I want to get to the opera pavilion early.”
He extended an arm. “By the way, for a ‘not that much older woman’ you look great to this not that much younger guy. Love that dress.”
“Mal, I am sorry about driving over to the coroner’s office.” She slipped an arm through his. “I won’t do anything again without talking to you about it first.”
“Very well, Mrs. Mitchell.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll let you off this time with a warning. I’m too busy to visit you on Sundays anyway. You know that’s a punishable offense, though.”
“Let’s blame it on the Frasquita part of me. She tends to be impulsive.”
“She’s also irresistible.” He grinned again as they headed for Augusta’s car.


**
All of the “Augusta McKee Mystery Series” books are available on Amazon, paperback and Kindle. Book 5, The Case of the Chrysanthemum Murders, will be LIVE May 24-25! Watch for it! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KBCWS24?ref_=dbs_r_series&storeType=ebooks



 Covers by Taylor van Kooten. Poster by Katy Schultz Burton