Page 69 of Without a Clue

“So I have to say,” I bring up quickly and casually, “it was a little surprising seeing you back there with a knife.”

“I don’t see why. Neena’s been carrying one around in her purse two of the past three days.”

“Do you always carry around a knife?”

“Obviously not.”

“But you carry one around now.”

“Given the situation, yes.”

“And you and Hugh have never had any trouble getting along.”

“Nothing beyond the typical.”

“Have you ever had any arguments?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“What have you argued about?”

“The usual. Transportation services. Publicity plans. The weather.”

“Have you ever killed off anyone in your books?”

“I write historical. Death is abundant.”

“But murder?”

She pauses.

Purses her lips so deep I wonder if she’s going to make herself bleed.

“No.” She pauses again. “I mean yes.”

I lift a brow. There’s at least one that I know of. The House of Claire. But I haven’t read all of her works. “No, but maybe yes?”

“I . . . I can’t be responsible for remembering every little detail in my books.”

“It’s a pretty big detail to include,” I say. “It’s a pretty major premise.”

“Unlike people and their one-hit wonders, I’ve written a lot of books.”

“What?” I say. Is she really insinuating that she can’t be expected to remember those kinds of details from her books? I was planning to use this quick-pace style of interview to guide her toward talking about murder in her books and how she feels about the motivational factors for her killing characters. Hoping to catch her resonating with them. Figure out why.

But this?

I’ve talked to Hugh plenty of times over the years. The man may forget what he just bought in a bag in his hand, but he never forgets his books. Any of them.

The plotlines are a part of his core memory.

When you’re a reader, you forget details. You forget scenes. But when you have poured your heart and soul into a story you’ve created in your mind and spend a year editing, followed by another year of meticulous edits, you don’t forget.

I know as close to firsthand while not actually firsthand as anyone can get.

And what Jackie has said is just not true.

“How many books have you written now, Jackie?”