rlfj: Blog

A common response to the last chapter: zero tolerance = zero common sense. True, so true, and yet so common. Unlike common sense, which is quite uncommon.

Covid-19 has hit our household. My youngest girl might have gotten it and is now scheduled to be tested. Forget about the 'anybody who wants a test can get a test' bullshit. Even in upstate New York it can take a week or more to get the results back. Since we visited them on Saturday, my wife and I might have it, so we just scheduled our own tests. That means we can't visit my mother this coming weekend, since she's 91 and quite susceptible. So much for our vacation plans. Don't email me saying this is a hoax.

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapters 35 and 36 show that Grim is like a delicious candy bar, with a hard coating and a soft gooey center. As for the idiocy described in 36, just watch your local news sometime. This nonsense shows up every few years. No reason Matucket shouldn't see it as well. Enjoy!

A reader pointed out that the Investigations Captain has the last name Holden, with the obvious curiosity about whether he was related to the notorious Holden family of the first book. All I can say is that I had completely forgotten that when I picked the name. Holden is not that rare a name. (Unlike mine - every person in America with my last name is related to me. Nine generations ago our ancestor had four sons, who had seventeen grandsons; I guess there wasn't a lot to do on the farm at night in Colonial Maryland.) It's too late now to change it, too. People have bought the book and I can't retroactively change it.

Another couple of readers commented that Brooks Brothers declared bankruptcy and therefore Grim won't be able to buy his suits and uniforms there. That is not at all guaranteed. On filing bankruptcy, depending on the specific form, a company is given a chance to reorganize. During that period, they can continue to conduct business. Case in point, JC Penney has filed bankruptcy, but my local store is still in business. In the event a reorganization cannot be arranged, then the assets will be liquidated. The brand name, Brooks Brothers, is one such asset and can be sold to another company. Hostess Brands went bankrupt in 2012 and was liquidated; famous brands such as Dolly Madison, Wonder Bread, and Drake's were all sold to other companies.

Anyway, enjoy!

I've put another book up on Bookapy, Naughty Shorts. It's a collection of some of my existing short stories, including a new one that will be uploaded in August. Meanwhile, it's the start of Chief Reaper's new job. Let's hope he's up to the task! Enjoy!

Several of my readers took a hard look at the numbers I was using at the end of Chapter 32 to analyze the status of the Matucket Police Department. If anything, the situation is even more dire that Grim reported to the County Council. Being short 33 officers is the equivalent of being an entire shift short of officers. At the budget level being discussed, nobody has had a cost of living adjustment in years. That translates directly into high turnover, low retention, and difficult recruiting. Why did the Lieutenant Governor get involved? Probably because somebody at the Georgia State Patrol told him they were about to go in and clean house! I'm certainly no expert on police departments, but it looks like the way I wrote it was correct. Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while.

Anyway, let's see what happens next. Enjoy!