Never Hug a Mugger on Quadra Island (38 page)

He made a wry face. “You going to try another speed dating session?”

“I don't think so.”

“So what, then? Pick up some guy in a bar and let him impregnate you? Shit, Kyra, you wouldn't. Would you?”

“No.”

“Well that's something at least. So?”

“I think, artificial insemination.”

“Oh, go to one of those sperm banks, find yourself a genius father for this kid?”

“Not that either.”

“What's this, some sort of quiz show? Who're you getting as the lucky dad?”

“You.”

“No way!”

Kyra smiled, and sipped.

We would like to thank a number of people who helped us with their expertise. First, for many important insights into the world of competitive figures skating, Marilyn and Ian Wood; they spent hours with us, answering our questions and watching tapes of figures skating championships as they explained the meaning and quality of various moves. Also for her skating knowledge, Tina Leininger, who answered questions about the daily world of skaters. Thanks as well to Stacey and Peter Wisiorowski, for sharing with us their experiences as they underwent the complexities of speed dating—unlike Kyra's, their venture proved highly successful. Heather and Rolf Kellerhals, together with their daughter Erika (who appears as herself in the novel, the island's physician), provided us with valuable insight into the social texture of Quadra, and corrected some factual errors. And thanks to Dr. Barrie Humphrey, who taught us about the medical side of people in a coma. Finally, we much appreciated our conversation with Constable Mike Reid of the RCMP, who gave us a number of astute glimpses into police procedure on islands.

In addition, a number of people bought their—and others'—places in the novel by contributing to the Gabriola Commons (
gabriolacommons.ca
; check it out); the names they made their contributions for appear as characters. Dorothy Betts bought three characters: Bertina Anderson, Dorothy Bryan and Sam Mervin. Alison Douglas bought a place for Steve Struthers. Christine Gagnon and David Soy bought characters who now bear their own names. To all of you, our thanks and the thanks of the Commons.

We took artistic liberty with parts of Quadra Island and Campbell River. The Quadra ambulance takes seriously hurt people directly to the Campbell River hospital and not to the Island clinic. Do not travel the areas looking for certain fictitious roads and structures.

SANDY FRANCES DUNCAN
is the author of ten award-winning books for children and adults, including
Gold Rush Orphan
, which was nominated for a 2005
BC
Book Prize. Her articles have appeared in numerous literary journals, magazines, and newspapers.

 

A National Magazine Award recipient and winner of the Hugh MacLennan Prize for fiction,
GEORGE SZANTO
is the author of half a dozen novels, his most recent being
The Tartarus House on Crab
and The Conquests of Mexico trilogy:
The Underside of Stones
,
Second Sight
and
The Condesa of M
. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Please visit his website at
georgeszanto.com
.

 

Together, Sandy Frances Duncan and George Szanto co-author the Islands Investigations International Mystery series, which includes the titles
Never Sleep with a Suspect on Gabriola Island
and
Always Kiss the Corpse on Whidbey Island
.

Always Kiss the Corpse
on Whidbey Island
978-1-926741-05-5
$24.95, Hardcover

Never Sleep with a Suspect
on Gabriola Island
978-1-894898-89-8
$14.95, Paperback

Kyra Rachel from Washington State and Noel Franklin from British Columbia form the Islands Investigations International team. Together, they solve mysteries on the charming, but dangerous, islands off the west coast of North America.

 

In
Never Sleep with a Suspect
, Kyra and Noel are on Gabriola Island to investigate the murder of an art gallery groundskeeper. The island is spinning with rumors about the murder, but not everybody is telling the investigators the truth. As each falls prey to those they need to trust, Kyra and Noel learn that even charming island communities have deadly secrets.

 

In
Always Kiss the Corpse
, a Whidbey Island General Hospital nurse has supposedly died of a heroin overdose, but when his mother views the body at the funeral, she cries out, “That's not my son!” Kyra and Noel are on the case to find the missing nurse and figure out the truth behind the mysterious body in the casket.

Copyright © 2011 Sandy Frances Duncan and George Szanto

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (access Copyright). For a copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca.

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION
Duncan, Sandy Frances, 1942–
Never hug a mugger on Quadra Island [electronic resource] / Sandy
Frances Duncan, George Szanto.
Type of computer file: Electronic monograph in HTML format.
Issued also in print format.
ISBN 978-1-926971-50-6
I. Szanto, George, 1940– II. Title.
PS8557.U5375N46 2011a C813'.54 C2011-904165-0

Editor: Frances Thorsen
Proofreader: Lenore Hietkamp
Cover image: Els van der Gun, istockphoto.com

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for our publishing activities from the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, and the province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

 

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

TouchWood Editions
www.touchwoodeditions.com