Augustine Harper

Thoughts: So the first two days went pretty well, and so did today :) feeling really happy I made a nice, finalized outline of my story. And so far, no plot holes! Yay!

I’ve been writing a lot at work, definitely the bonus of having a job that’s partly behind a desk. But you know what they say, boss makes a dollar, I make a dime, that’s why I write novels on company time.

Anyway, the story feels like it’s flowing so far. I’ve definitely started finding the characters’ voices, which is great. That definitely means I’ll have to go back to the beginning and do some touching up, though.

Excerpt of the day: “Can I help you?” An older woman asked, lifting her head as Anika approached.

“Yeah, I’d like to speak with Detective Brennan.”

The woman tapped away on her keyboard, though Anika wasn’t sure if she was actually looking something up, or just trying to seem busy. “May I ask what this is regarding?”

“The Naveen Bhatia case,” Anika said, “he’s in charge of it.”

The woman nodded. “Well, he should be in. Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll see if I can find him for you?”

Before Anika could move, a door on her right side swung open, and by some miracle Izzy appeared. He was holding a paper cup with fresh coffee sending up wisps of steam. His eyes were on his coffee. He was completely oblivious of her until he finally glanced up, looked right at her, and muttered, “Ah, shit.”

The image of him casually sipping a cup of coffee made her irrationally angry. With her brother missing, who-knows-where, it seemed absolutely incredulous that he’d be taking the time for a coffee break.

“Coffee break, huh?” Her voice held more of a taunt than she’d intended.

Izzy initially responded with a long sip of coffee, before adding, “I needed some caffeine.”

“Looks like it.”

He shifted where he stood. “Anyway, what’re you doing here?”

Was it hard to guess? “I want to know if there’s been any progress into my brother’s…” She still couldn’t manage to say that word. Disappearance. It was a word that resonated with uncertainty and the unknown. A reminder that not only was Nav gone, but he could be just about anywhere.

Izzy sighed, “You couldn’t call first?” He glanced at the receptionist, as if looking for someone to back him up. “I’m busy, for Christ’s sake.”

“Yeah. Looks like it.”

“Hey, as a worker in the United States of America, I’m entitled to my fifteen minute break. Labor laws,” He toasted the cup at no one in particular, then added in a voice laden with sarcasm, “God Bless this country.”

She offered an exaggerated roll of her eyes at his faux patriotism. “Are you going to talk to me or not?”

“Not for the next…” Izzy glanced at his watch, “...one minute and twenty seconds, I’m not. But I have an office in the back. We can talk there.” Then his eyes moved past Anika and settled on Ben. “Unfortunately your boyfriend can’t come. It’s an active investigation, so no one but family. You understand.”

Ben nodded, then said to Anika, “I’ll wait out here. Take as long as you need.”

***

Izzy’s office was small and simply decorated, with two large windows overlooking the station’s parking lot. If she didn’t know any better, Anika would have sworn that he’d just moved into space. Though she had a feeling that the soulless design of the room was more a reflection on Izzy as a person than anything else. There was a single photograph on his desk, a tiny plastic cactus, and a degree hanging on the wall. Those three items were the only bits of personal flare she could find.

She was sitting in one of the chairs studying his framed Bachelor’s degree– Criminal Justice from San Francisco State– when the door opened. Izzy breezed in, an empty coffee cup in his hand. He tossed it across the room towards the waste basket by his desk. It hit the rim and bounced unceremoniously to the floor.

“See that?” He tsked, “I used to be a stud on the court, years and years ago. Best white kid to ever do it. Now I can’t even sink a paper cup into a trash can.”

Anika highly doubted he had ever had athletic prowess, but didn’t feel the need to engage him in that conversation. “So?”

“So?” She couldn’t tell if he was unsure of how to start the conversation or if he was trying to mock her.

Per the advice of my writer friends and editor, I have made myself a website. Feel free to take a look while I reckon with the mortifying ideal of being known.

Mostly stuff about me, my current WIP, and a blog soon to be full of advice, inspiration, and weekly quotes.

Much to the chagrin of my biological father, I am not a web designer, but I think I cobbled together something workable. Function over form in this house, people.