Saturday, January 7, 2017

Taste the Book: SU-MA

From my newest release, SU-MA, Quarry Hall Book 10, from Desert Breeze Publishing.

Su-Ma had an awful suspicion that she didn't want to follow up on. Her phone rang, startling a squeak out of her. Her new ringtone, Petra's song, "Not of This World," earned grins and chuckles from the other three. She stuck her tongue out at Sophie and tapped the screen to answer the call, expecting it to simply be another telemarketer. The song was specifically chosen as the general ringtone, for numbers and contacts she didn't know or hadn't classified or blocked.

"Yeah, who is this?" a scratchy-young female voice demanded as soon as she said hello.

"This is the owner of this phone. Who are you calling for?"

From the corner of her eye, Su-Ma saw Vincent open his eyes and raise his head, and her stomach felt like it dropped another five inches. She had hoped he was asleep. That meant she wasn't going to be able to put off reporting to him about George any longer.

"Listen, smart--" The caller sighed. "Sorry, kind of nervous."

"Who are you calling to talk to? Chances are pretty good this is a wrong number, since it's--"

No, the worst thing she could do would be to admit to someone who might turn out to be trouble, that this was an unlisted number. Her leg ached enough to make it twitch. Maybe moving would help. Offering an embarrassed smile to Elizabeth, Carter, and Sophie, she got up and went down the far side of the patio, off the end where Vincent wasn't lying.

"I really think this is a wrong number," she said.

"Sorry. I started off wrong. Look, I'm trying to catch up with Sue-Marie Stankiwiecz."

"Why?" escaped her nearly in a yelp. Su-Ma stumbled on the last step. She glanced over her shoulder, but no one seemed to be watching her. "How did you get this number?"

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