The Green Flash at Sunset
Published January 31, 2014
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Blurb: While trying to rebuild her life after a horrible breakup, a troubled call from Veronica’s mother about her best friend's disappearance brings her back home to Maui. When a body is eventually found, Veronica withdraws from everyone, including her online forum – her one solace. Over a peaceful sunset, a friend who she only knows by his avatar and user name appears.
Although confused as to why he flew to be with her, she allows his interruption to her misery. Hoping that playing tour guide will be a distraction, their daily drives through the all too familiar scenery only succeeds in causing more memories to surface.
Veronica thought dealing with the murder of her best friend would be the hardest thing she'd have to overcome. She was proven wrong when she discovered she had to deal with the fact that the murder would never be solved.
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Excerpt:
There’s still plenty of time before sunset and I need to call Clay, but I figure he can meet me here instead of having to go to my parents’ house. We’d have to spend time turning down refreshments from my mother, and I don’t want to chance missing the sunset.
As I walk through the picnic area, someone jumps out in front of me. Instead of, “Boo” he says, “Caw.”
“Dammit, Battery!” That move really calls for a good smack, paybacks be damned.
He laughs. “I just got here. I decided to leave early. I figured this is where we were going to end up. Who was your friend? An old boyfriend?”
“Hardly. He’s my best friend, actually. You should have popped out earlier. I’d have introduced you to him.”
“I didn’t see you till he was pulling away. Scaring the shit out of you was an afterthought.”
“Lucky me.”
We sit smack dab in the middle of the beach and talk the time away until sunset. I marvel at how I forget to bring a towel or beach mat every damn time.
I mutter my traditional, “Crap” when it’s over.
“Give it up, Bud.”
“I’m tryin’. Do you think there’s a twelve-step recovery program? Green Flashers Anonymous?”
“Maybe you could start one. So where to now?” Clay stands and offers me his hand. “I really think our livers deserve a break. Anything else to do around here at night besides drink? No haunted caves or anything?’
Smiling wide as the idea sinks in, I say, “Now you’re talking.”
“You’re shittin’ me.”
“I shit you not.”
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