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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 27, 2017 17:48:18 GMT -5
If you have an idea for a Literary Mosaic, post it here so we know. You needn't go into details if you'd rather not spoil it, just so long as everyone knows who's starting the next one. So I came up with an interesting idea for a LM book. Did anyone else call LM9 yet or can I do my thing there? For the Future Schedule, see here.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 27, 2017 18:22:04 GMT -5
Saving this for LM 10
Thomas Rodgers was coming home after a long day at work. He wasn't a very remarkable man; he wasn't handsome, but he was not ugly either. He didn't have any special talents, but he made a decent living as an accountant for a major business in London. Though he had no fame to his name, he had to put up with the occasional reporter outside his door from time to time, because though he himself was not famous, his neighbor was. Adolf Gunnarson had made a name for himself over the years as a private detective, a "modern Sherlock Holmes" they would say. But for Rodgers, it was something of a burden to live in Gunnarson's shadow. Why did the reporters even come to him for questions? Rodgers hardly knew him and Gunnarson never even gave him the time of day. The most he got was the occasional hello in the hallway. But little did he know, today would be very different. As he came home and entered the main hallway, he went up to the second floor. The building had eight apartments on this floor, and if we were to look at it from a top view, they were arranged in two rows of four. On the left side, there was 2-A, 2-B, 2- C and 2-D. On the right there was 2-E, 2-F, 2-G and 2-H. Gunnarson lived in 2-C, and Rodgers in 2-B, the apartment directly to the left. Across from D was E, across from C was F, across from B was G and across from A was H. Rodgers was just coming up the steps to his floor, when he saw something most peculiar. There was Gunnarson, knocking on the door of apartment 2-F, in short bursts, clearly trying to get the man's attention. Was this for a case? Then the door opened. "Hello? Oh, Gunnarson, what can I do you for... Wait, what are you doing?!" The tenant cried out. Much to Rodgers' horror, Gunnarson had pulled out his service revolver and emptied all six bullets into the man. Then, as if nothing happened, Gunnarson turned around and walked back into his apartment, not even bothering to close the door to 2-F. Rodgers ran up to the door, and much to his horror, there was the dead man, six bullets in his body; four in the chest, one in the neck and one in the head. Though he could not believe what had just transpired, he knew it was his duty to report this crime. ... Adolf Gunnarson was reading in his apartment when he heard a knock. He went to answer it... there was Gent and two officers. He was immediately restrained. "What the?! Gent, what is the meaning of this?!" Gunnarson said "Adolf Gunnarson" Gent said as a tear formed in his eye, "you are under arrest for first degree murder" he said, as he gestured to across the hall. Then, an officer reached into Gunnarson's shirt and pulled out the revolver... it had been recently fired, with all six cartridges expended. Then they held up his hand... small black specks were on it. Gunshot residue. "Why Gunnarson? Why?" Gent asked. But Gunnarson could only be shocked. "But Gent my friend... I did not kill anyone!" he said, confused and shocked. Gent shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry Gunnarson, but the evidence in undeniable. You'll have to accompany me to Scotland Yard" he explained.
Thomas Rodgers looked on as Gunnarson was handcuffed and taken away. Then an officer came up to him. "We'll be contacting you in the coming days for an official statement; is that ok with you?" he asked.
"Yes, of course. I'll go write something down so I know what to say when the time comes" Rodgers replied.
"Good. Enjoy the rest of the evening sir" the officer said as he left. Rodgers went into his apartment and proceeded to write everything down.
"Why Gunnarson, why?" He thought. But he was an accountant, not a detective. He worked with numbers, not cases. So he shrugged off the thought and continued writing his statement.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 27, 2017 18:31:45 GMT -5
LM 9-
The Banshee and the Dullahan
In a park in London- a lone traveler is walking on his way home. Suddenly there is this loud, piercing scream. He looks around and sees nothing at first. Then he makes his way down the road. He sees a human figure. It screams again. To his horror, it looks like a Banshee. The victim happens to believe in the old Irish legends, and runs away in fear. But in the distance, he sees a rider on a horse. In one hand, he is holding his head. It's a dullahan! The man tries to run away but is not fast enough- the Dullahan strikes him down with a sword and rides off.
Next day, the police are baffled by a very unusual crime scene, but luckily there is a witness who describes what happened... prompting them to bring in Stein.
What unravels is a rather earthly explanation for what happened.
.........
One night, a man was traveling alone through a park in London. It was rather late and he was anxious to get home. After falling behind at work that day, he had to stay an extra three hours to make up lost time and was exhausted. Fortunately, once he got beyond the park it was a matter of three blocks to getting home.
"What I need is a cold, stiff drink... but why does it have to be a Thursday night?" He lamented to himself. Just then, he heard a loud scream.
"What the? Who is there?" he asked. Then he heard the scream again.
"Are you all right? Are you in pain?" He asked. The scream was heard yet again.
Then at last he saw the source of the scream. It was an old, decrepit looking woman, and every time she opened her mouth she let out that loud, screeching scream.
"What the... it can't be?" He got a little closer, and once in full view, he was horrified.
"A Banshee?! But they don't exist! What was it Patrick told me... in Irish myth they were harbingers of death or... something? No, no it's not possible! But then why?"
Finally, the banshee raised her hand and pointed... behind this man was a figure on a horse. But something was not quite right... it's head was missing from its neck, and was hanging alongside the rider on the saddle.
"A dullahan?! This can't be real!" He screamed.
"Harold Byrne!" The dullahan screamed, before beginning to ride towards him. Byrne began running away but it was no use; in a matter of seconds the dullahan drew a strange looking sword, struck Bryne down and rode off into the night; then the banshee disappeared as well.
A stunned witness who saw the whole thing was so frightened, he ran straight to the police station.
Naturally, no one believed him... but then the call came in about a body being found in a park. Realizing what they had, the sergeant in charge said "get Stein on the case; he can break it open."
Next morning, Anthony Stein arrived at a most peculiar crime scene.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 27, 2017 19:00:58 GMT -5
That actually sounds like it would work as a good short story. Something happens, police are baffled, but Stein gets right away the explanation.
Just my thoughts.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 28, 2017 15:43:04 GMT -5
Hey frankthetriviaman, I just had a thought about LM10 - what if we made a courtroom drama out of it, in the style of Perry Mason, Matlock and the like, but with the Literary Mosaic characters? Just something I thought of while I was doing some yard work today. Also, is it alright for me to call LM11 and LM12? I have a couple ideas I want to use for them.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 28, 2017 15:48:06 GMT -5
Could work; I've only seen one episode of Perry Mason though, so you'll have to "direct" that LM, if you will
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Feb 3, 2017 15:28:58 GMT -5
This scene I want to include before the trial takes place, in order to close a plot hole:
Gunnarson sat in his cell nervously as Hartley came up to him.
"Well?"
"Im sorry Gunnarson, but they can't help you" Hartley explained.
"What?!"
"Miss Marple said something about after a sleeping murder case, she was "too old for this line of work" and Poirot is busy with a case involving a murder at a farmhouse (i.e. The Hollow) so they are busy" Hartley explained.
"What about those brothers I keep reading about in the news?" Gunnarson asked?
"Those Hardy boys? They live in America and they are teenagers" Hartley said dismissively.
"Darn it all" Gunnarson said, feeling defeated.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 3, 2017 16:33:51 GMT -5
Gunnarson never swears. Not even 'darn' or 'dang' or what have you.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Feb 3, 2017 16:40:35 GMT -5
Darn isn't a swear word; not even for the 1940s; it's fine. What else would he say in that context?
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 3, 2017 16:41:11 GMT -5
So here's a quick outline of what we have next up so far:
LM9 - The Banshee and the Dullahan (Frank) LM10 - Untitled (Frank) LM11 - Untitled (Diesel 11) - After a murderer strikes, Gunnarson finds comparisons with a long forgotten case from the past. LM12 - Untitled (Diesel 11)
And I also have an idea for our 15th volume in which Gunnarson is tasked with solving a murder that took place over 70 years before. (Based on a real-life unsolved death.)
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Feb 3, 2017 16:42:03 GMT -5
Darn isn't a swear word; not even for the 1940s; it's fine. What else would he say in that context? I know it's not, but he'd probably say something Swedish or make an annoyed noise.
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Post by Toz76 on Mar 16, 2017 23:26:17 GMT -5
If I may, I'd like to claim in advance LM13 as a follow-up to LM8.
PROLOGUE
The two men met in an alleyway near the port of London.
"So, you're the pig who ratted the Stabby Jones Gang to the fuzz. I always knew you were a loose cannon, Finley."
"Now, n-now, Chang, the rules said we could back out at any time."
"But you ain't supposed to rat us out. We had a sweet deal going! Do you know how expensive it is to smuggle Ephedra?"
"Look, I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you..."
"Your life will do as a start." Chang drew a knife.
Just then, a voice boomed from the shadows. A shadowy figure wearing a black hooded suit with yellow accents and gloves emerged.
"Your Ephedra contract interests my boss, and he wishes to make an offer to your boss. Our facilities are state-of-the-art, and we could refine it better and cheaper than you ever could. But this infighting must stop. We abhor killing in all its forms. This infighting must stop."
"I'll kill you first!" Chang yelled, charging, but was stopped in his tracks by a sedative injected into his neck by a second, identically dressed figure. The figure grabbed Chang's knife, turned to Finley, who was being restrained by the other figure.
"Now, you and your Oriental friend will see just how we punish those who oppose us without killing them." He said, pulling out a second syringe. "What we do won't hurt your efficiency at the labor camp."
The morning brought a crime scene that would be strange if Gent hadn't seen some variation of it several times over the past 8 months. Two severed arms, one white and one Chinese, lay on the quayside. There was no sign of the rest of the bodies, no fingerprints, and only one clue, the calling card of the orginazation that had done this: a gold coin engraved on one side with the Latin phrase In Pace Animam (peace through life), on the other an elaborate design with one word engraved dead center: BLADE.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Mar 23, 2017 7:52:18 GMT -5
LM20 (or some number before or after but ideally 20): Funeral Fog During a funeral, and old lady disappears in the fog. When she is found dead in the woods, everyone realizes that a killer is roaming free within the fen. Now it's up to a quirky French detective to solve a seemingly unsolvable case.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 28, 2017 15:41:49 GMT -5
This idea is for one of our later novels; if I had to estimate, maybe after the 15th, but before the 20th.
It will either be a scene for the very beginning or the very end of said novel; probably the ending.
......
Gunnarson was standing outside the office of the Chief of Police for Scotland Yard. Till only a few days ago, it belonged to Davis Gent. But now that he had retired it belonged to his successor. Though Gunnarson had heard some things about Richard Turner, he had never actually met the man. Deciding it was a chance to meet the new Chief of Police, he had come on the premise of congratulating him on the new position.
He knocked on the door and a voice said "door's open" back. Gunnarson proceeded to enter.
"Can I help you?" Chief Turner asked.
"Hello, my name is Adolf Gunnarson. Perhaps Gent told you about me before he retired? I just wanted to offer my congratulations on you becoming Chief of Police, and a chance to properly introduce myself" Gunnarson explained.
Turner was a younger man, possibly no more than his late thirties. He stared for a few seconds before it finally clicked.
"Ah, yes, of course. Gent did mention something about a Swedish unofficial detective who collaborated with the police" he said. "Were you two friends?" Turner asked.
"Oh yes; we went way back. Often I was brought in to help with certain cases they just couldn't figure out" Gunnarson explained.
"Yes, I've heard about all that... and about all the legal garbage you manage to avoid by not being an official detective" Turner said, turning his eyes away from Gunnarson and back to the paperwork he was working on.
"Pardon?" Gunnarson asked.
"Look, I appreciate the work you did in the past, but times are changing. New leadership means new rules. And one thing I'm telling you right now- you're not getting the same treatment under me that you got under Gent" Turner said, not even breaking eye contact from the paperwork.
"I don't understand" Gunnarson replied, confused.
"You never testify on cases. You never submit official reports attached to said cases. Heck, you don't even follow half of the rules that sworn officers abide by" Turner explained.
"Gent said I wasn't obligated to; and st any rate what does that have to do with me?" Gunnarson asked.
"Simple really. I'm instigating a new rule that bars all who aren't sworn officers and medical examiners from entering crime scenes. Matter of public health and safety really. So that means that unless you are reporting a crime, you wont be near any crime scenes. Now, I respect your right as a Private Detective to investigate cases on behalf of clients, but I expect you to do so with respect to the law." Turner said, still not looking up from the paperwork.
"So does that mean?" Gunnarson began to ask, as Chief Turner raised his head at last to look at Gunnarson.
"I'll put it in terms you can understand Gunnarson: I, Richard Turner, Chief of Police for Scotland Yard, hereby ban you from all crime scenes and police casework. If we need you, we will come to you, not vice versa, and only with my approval. As of now, the detectives have every right to keep you out of crime scenes, and any attempt to get involved with a police investigation forcefully will be interpreted as Obstruction of Justice and you will be arrested." Turner said, before turning his head back to his paperwork. Gunnarson was speechless and just stood there for a moment. Not even lifting his head, Chief Turner simply said "if you've got any other questions make it quick; I've got paperwork to finish."
"Just one; will you be personally investigating crime scenes?" Gunnarson asked.
"No; there's enough detectives for that. I'm Chief of Police, I've got too much paperwork to worry about that" Turner said, still not lifting his head.
"Ok, thank you" Gunnarson said as he left the office. He passed by Detective Walton, who overheard everything.
"Heh heh... I told you so. Looks like Turner has no interest in being a friend of yours". Walton said before going back to his report.
Gunnarson did not talk to anyone else had he left Scotland Yard; somehow he figured he would not be coming around there anymore.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Mar 28, 2017 16:50:00 GMT -5
I like the idea, but I don't envision Gent retiring until his sixties and he's only in his forties currently I believe.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 28, 2017 16:50:53 GMT -5
Gent is in his late fifties; he fought in World War I
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Mar 28, 2017 19:47:25 GMT -5
Hmm... I must've missed that, but it doesn't fit that well with what I originally intended. Gent and Gunnarson are both in their forties RN was my intention, with Gunnarson being the older of the two (and Hartley late thirties).
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 28, 2017 19:55:41 GMT -5
Sorry; let me reword that then (we never really established his age until LM 8)
It's 1946 "now" and we know he fought in at least 1916.
So if we put his birthday in 1896, he's 50
Alternatively, we can put it in 1898, and he's 48
If you go back to LM 8 where Gent killed Drugg, it explains why it is so important that Gent being in WWI is part of the story
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Mar 28, 2017 20:02:06 GMT -5
Oh! I remember now, thanks. If we can I'd rather go with the latter option if that's possible, and Gunnarson 49 perhaps?
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 28, 2017 20:16:45 GMT -5
Could work. As to the retirement; The way I see it, we can justify his retirement in his early fifties. I'm thinking something like this:
"Times are changing Gunnarson. The people I dealt with in my career are either locked up, not making moves anymore, or are dead. A new generation of crime is taking the torch now, and that means we need someone new in charge of the police. Someone more in tune with this new generation, and able to deal with the new challenges ahead."
Also; I would suspect that, if we assume Gent became a Policeman in 1920, then he's been at the job for 26 years. Police officers retire after 20-30 years of service, so it makes sense.
Trust me, it will make a lot more sense once we get to the story
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