Today is another double giveaway! Leave a comment for a chance to win two books — one book by Julianne Holmes (aka Julie Hennrikus) and one book by Jessie Crockett!
When we talked Barb’s husband Bill Carito into posing for an Opening Lines picture four years ago, we didn’t know it was going to become an annual event. We have a lot of fun trying to figure out what to do every year. Readers: Add your opening line for this photograph.
Liz: That fool had passed out drunk again, but this time right next to the pool. If I could just nudge him a few inches without anyone noticing…
Edith: Yeah. The ring. He said he wore it so the world would know we were “a thing.” Thing is, that there ring wadn’t much better than a tinfoil token, didn’t have no worth to it. And neither will he, soon’s I flip his sorry dead body into his stupid-ass pool.
Sherry: He was so picky about everything: the temperature of his Cabernet, his underwear had to be ironed and folded just so, his gas tank could never fall below three quarters of a tank. When he complained that the temperature of the pool was a half a degree off, I just couldn’t take it anymore.
Barb: The Henderson’s pool parties were legendary. The music was loud, the food spicy, the drinks strong. Until that Sunday morning when every adult on the cul-de-sac awoke with the mother of all hangovers, and stepped in to a waking nightmare that seemed never to end.
Julie: He slipped and fell. That was my story, and I planned on sticking to it. The plan was perfect–except for the mystery writers’ conference at the hotel that weekend. Couldn’t get anything past those people. And I tried.
The water in the pool looked lovely–clear and blue. Too bad someone had added the wrong chemical cleaners to it. My poor husband George was a goner once he got close enough to inhale. I wondered if he’d noticed I was having a thing with the poolman?
Love it, Sheila!
Hoist on his own petard – I didn’t realize when I put that acid into the pool that the fumes were not slow to disperse……
Love it!
Oops – they were not quick to disperse…
I understood, Gram!
Well, that’s too bad. I had told Sam to dispose of the body before the other guests got up.
Ha!
Wait who’s the body? I hope it’s not me!
So close and yet so far. Now no one will believe this was an accident.
Good one!
Someone had the nerve to drop dead by my pool just before the big party. Now what to do?
Now that is a clean up problem!
One arm in can do him in? What’s in the water anyways?
What is in that water?!!!! Good one!
I couldn’t decide. Move the body or leave it be? If I moved it, I might leave some kind of evidence. But if I left it the blood would eventually drip down his arm and into the pool. Then I’d have to have the pool drained and refilled and I didn’t want the hassle. I was trying to decide, gun still in hand, when the police got there.
Love it, Sylvia!
Careful, the blender is still arcing. Unplug it.
Ha!
His stupid black turtleneck – just another of his affectations! As was I, apparently, until he told me “You’re just not young and pretty enough to for me to love you anymore.”
Excellent, Vida!
“He Kissed Me”
I told him no I won’t go to the Swingers Masque. So he left and went alone. A wig, a mask, and a new dress. He came up to me, didn’t recognize me. His kisses were sloppy. Pausing him with a hand on his chest, I pulled out my special shade of lipstick — my special night shade. I didn’t kiss him. He kissed me.
He had it coming, he had it coming. / He only had himself to blame. / If you’d have been there, if you’d have seen it, / I betcha you would have done the same.
Wow! That is chilling!
I awoke confused. The last thing I remember was wondering why was he unconscious and what was that reflection in the pool?
Nice — mysterious!
He almost made it to the pool panic button that would immediately call 911 and dispatch a rescue team. At least that’s what I told him it would do– he was so frightened of the water. All the button actually did was turn on the swimming pool lights …
Ooohhh! Scary and it made me chuckle!
Nice of them to have a help button in the pool, but no way to reach it when I’ve fallen on my back.
Very interesting!
Practicing laps would have been easier in the water, so what had he been up to?
Ha! Very funny!
where am I and who is this dead man beside me?
Great opening line!
So, he headed out to do performance training. You know – create drag with all that heavy clothing on while he did laps. did he have a stroke on his way into the pool?
Love it!
Was the turkey dinner too much? Or was it the 4 drinks afterward?
Hmm..fiction or non?
When I got to the pool, I didn’t pay any attention to the man laying out with his hand dangling in the water. He looked for all the world like he’d just passed out drunk from the party that kept me up most of the night. I dove in and swam the length of the pool underwater, accidentally coming up right next to his face. That’s when I started screaming. That man was not passed out. He was dead.
This gave me shivers!
Wow! that gave me the chills. It could be the opening scene from an NCIS episode.
Yes, Patti! And it’s the body of a military member.
Do you have idea how difficult it is to get a long-sleeve turtleneck sweater off a passed out drunk? But no one would believe Colin decided to go swimming with it on. And the death of my not-so-dear husband had to look like an accident.
Love this!
As I slowly approached the pool, I thought there was no way that could possibly him lying there….
Intriguing!
Cut!! Cut!! Marcus, come and get this guy off the set. I told you to find me an extra for the pool scene and you bring me an aquaphobic!! Get me a replacement right now or I’m docking you a day’s pay!!
Ha, ha, ha! Very funny!
He remembered the rule to wait 30 minutes after eating to go in the pool
LOL! Too funny!
“You and your friend should have left it alone.” I read the text message that accompanied the photo of my friend Barb lying next to the pool. Was she dead? Unconscious? And as much as I was worried about her, I couldn’t help but think….am I next?
Ooohhh! Another intriguing contribution!
“Adolpho and Sophia, only married one year. Now, Adolpho is dead and Sophia is missing. Everyone at the anniversary party is suspect. Could Sophia be the killer? Or, could it be that she’s been kidnapped?
It’s great — I’m wondering what happened!
Wow, he fell asleep by the pool, hope he doesn’t accidentally roll over and end up in the pool.
Very funny!
Detective Gould shook his head, “This was no accident. It was fixed to look like a burglary, he was still wearing a mask. The victim had her address and alarm code on a slip of paper in his pocket, we found $4000 cash and a bible in a bag near the body. Looks like a gun for hire, but who would want to kill the Mayor’s daughter? She’s a nun for crying out loud!”
“What kind of nun has a pool and a butler?”, queried lieutenant Levy.
“The Mayor’s daughter, that kind!”, snapped detective Gould.
Let’s hope he doesn’t get fire for speaking to the Lieutenant that way…
*fired… It’s late, sorry.
No worries!
This sounds like the beginning of a great story!
We were both drunk. And I’d spent all day listening to him sing the praises of his new power tools. That’s why I lopped off his arm before I rolled him into the pool.