Speculative Fictioneer and Blogger, Milo James Fowler, of In Medias Res
will be interviewed here at scribbleandedit
over three consecutive days from Monday 12th - Wednesday 14th August 2013.
Here's
the opening to Milo's novella, Immaterial
Evidence:
Excerpt Immaterial
Evidence © Milo James Fowler
They say no good deed goes
unpunished. I had two bullet holes in me to prove it.
My tale of woe, like so
many others before and since, starts with a girl. But this one was just a
kid—snatched off the street while out for an evening stroll with her parents. I
should have known better than to take the case, considering how little I had to
go on, but times were tough, and I needed the money.
I couldn’t have known how
much it would cost me in the end—or how special that girl truly was.
“They’re here.” Wanda
Wood, my part-time secretary and full-time confidant, let the drapes fall back
in place on her front window. “You sure about this, Charlie? Leaving town?
Ain’t like you.”
“Can’t stay here. Not with
Ivan gunning for me.” I winced, adjusting the sling that held my right arm. I
glanced around Wanda’s apartment—a nice place, but not nearly big enough for
the both of us. Had it been a week already? “As much as I’ve appreciated it.”
“I wouldn’t let anybody
come after you.” She sat down beside me on the sofa.
“My own personal
bodyguard.” I chucked her under the chin.
She shook her head, blonde
curls bobbing. “You save that little girl’s life, and you’re the one who pays
for it. Office burned to the ground, your friend killed—” Just as her eyes
started to glisten with tears, she turned away from me. “Life really ain’t fair
sometimes.”
“Hey.” I touched her
cheek, and she fixed me with her pair of shining sapphires.
“The mayor’s office is a
real step up, don’t you think?”
“I liked working for you.”
“And you will again.” I
stood. “Soon as I get my detective agency up and running in Little Tokyo, I’ll
send for you. It’ll be just like old times. You’ll see.” I raised an eyebrow at
her. “Unless you don’t like the idea.”
“Oh, I like it fine.” She
took the crooked arm I extended toward her—like I was the one escorting her to
the door and not the other way around. “I’m just afraid I’ll never see you
again.”
“You should be so lucky.”
She gave me a playful
shove. I gave her a peck on the cheek.
“You’re a hero, Charlie.
Don’t let anybody tell you different, not even your own self.”
Here's Milo's original typed MS for the character and story:
Have any of you kept your original MS's from years back in your earliest writing days, like Milo?