Hey there, DETECTIVES! DETECTIVE WRITER here!

Before I take a little fall break, I wanted to stop by and say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has continued to listen to the podcast, read the blog, support my authors and guests, and follow along with DETECTIVE WRITER.

Over the past few weeks, we've had some fun switching things up, from conversations with returning guests to sharing a few short stories of our own. But now, I think it's time for me to take another little breather.

Sometimes, even writers and storytellers occasionally need to step away from the keyboard, put down the microphone, and simply take some time to recharge and find inspiration again.

So, DETECTIVE WRITER will be taking a short fall hiatus.

But don't worry, DETECTIVES—I’m not going anywhere! I'll be back soon with more author interviews, conversations, stories, and, of course, plenty of mysteries to uncover.

Until then, enjoy the changing leaves, cozy weather, and whatever adventures fall brings your way.

Thank you for being part of the DETECTIVE WRITER family. I can't wait to return and see you again soon!

Until next time, DETECTIVES... keep reading, keep writing, and keep on sleuthing! 🔎🍂

Hey there, DETECTIVES! DETECTIVE WRITER here for the final installment of my three-week short story series! We've had a mysterious train ride, a disturbing encounter with a mirror, and now it's time to put on our detective hats for a classic crime mystery.

In “The Missing Necklace,” Detective James Carter is called to investigate a stolen necklace from a wealthy family's estate. There are no signs of forced entry, eight potential suspects, and absolutely no shortage of secrets.

But just when James thinks he's solved the case, he receives a message that makes him realize the mystery may be far from over.

Think you can solve the crime?

The Missing Necklace

Detective James Carter had seen plenty of strange cases during his career.

But the missing necklace at the Bellamy estate seemed almost laughably simple.

The necklace had disappeared during a dinner party attended by eight guests.

No broken windows.

No forced entry.

No alarms triggered.

The necklace had been locked inside a glass display case in the study.

At 10:00 p.m., it was there.

At 10:30, it was gone.

James interviewed every guest.

The wealthy businessman.

His wife.

Their daughter.

The housekeeper.

The chef.

Two family friends.

And the gardener.

Everyone claimed they knew nothing.

James returned to the study.

He examined the display case.

Then the desk.

Then the carpet.

Nothing.

Finally, he noticed something peculiar.

A small water stain beneath the display case.

He looked toward the window.

It had been raining heavily all evening.

"Who cleaned this room?" he asked.

The housekeeper raised her hand.

"I did, Detective."

"What time?"

"About nine."

James nodded.

Then he looked at the gardener.

"You said you never entered the house tonight?"

"That's right."

James smiled.

"Interesting."

The gardener frowned.

"What?"

"Because the mud on your shoes is from the garden."

The gardener looked down.

"So?"

James pointed toward the study.

"There isn't a single muddy footprint leading into this room."

The gardener's expression changed.

James continued.

"But there is water beneath the display case."

Everyone stared at him.

"The necklace wasn't stolen through the door," James said. "It was removed from beneath the floor."

He pointed toward a loose floorboard.

The gardener suddenly ran.

Two officers waiting outside caught him before he reached the driveway.

Later, James learned the gardener had been working with the businessman's daughter.

But there was one thing that bothered him.

The necklace was never found.

Until three days later.

James received an envelope at the police station.

Inside was the necklace.

And a note.

You caught the wrong thief.

James stared at the message.

Then he smiled.

Finally, he had a case worth solving.

Hey there, DETECTIVES! DETECTIVE WRITER here, back with another short story!

Last week, we stepped aboard a mysterious late-night train. This week, we're taking things somewhere a little darker with a psychological thriller called “The Woman in the Mirror.”

Elena has been trying to move forward after a traumatic accident, but strange things begin happening when she looks into her bathroom mirror.

Is it exhaustion? Her imagination? Or is there something much more disturbing hiding behind her reflection?

Sometimes, the scariest mysteries aren't the ones happening around us.

They're the ones happening inside our own minds.

Let’s get into it!

The Woman in the Mirror

Every morning at exactly 7:15, Elena looked into the bathroom mirror.

It had become a ritual.

Brush her teeth.

Wash her face.

Look into the mirror.

Smile.

And remind herself:

You're okay.

She had been doing it for months.

After the accident, everyone told her that she was lucky.

Lucky to be alive.

Lucky that she hadn't suffered serious physical injuries.

But nobody talked about the memories.

Especially the ones she couldn't explain.

One morning, Elena stared into the mirror.

Something felt different.

She raised her right hand.

Her reflection raised it's left.

Elena froze.

She slowly lowered her hand.

The reflection did the same.

She laughed nervously.

"Okay," she whispered. "I'm tired."

She turned away.

Then she heard a voice behind her.

"Don't turn around."

Elena stopped breathing.

It was her own voice.

She slowly looked back at the mirror.

Her reflection was smiling.

Elena wasn't.

"What do you want?"

The reflection leaned closer to the glass.

"You keep asking what happened that night."

Elena's heart began pounding.

"I don't remember."

"You do."

"No."

The reflection's smile disappeared.

"You remember the red car."

Elena's breathing became shallow.

"You remember the rain."

She stepped backward.

"You remember the woman."

"Stop."

"And you remember what you did."

Elena shook her head violently.

"No."

The reflection placed its palm against the glass.

"You didn't survive the accident."

Elena stared at it.

The room became completely silent.

"What?"

The reflection whispered:

"You're the memory."

The mirror cracked.

Elena screamed.

And somewhere in the apartment, a phone began ringing.