In the beginning there was light. There was likely also some kind of really loud booming sound, but mostly there was light. Anyway. The following novel holds the title of being the first in a thirteen book series. It also holds the title of being the second NaNo2013 novel I completed on Nov. 17th. It and its partners will be the ONLY series I write that goes over 4 books (I hope). It and its partners will also be the ONLY crime fiction I write and the only fiction I write that occurs completely in the real world with no fantasy or sci-fi elements whatsoever. I hope. Here we go:
Genre: Crime Fiction set in the real world.
Word Count: 80,323 (probably a bit big for crime fiction but considering I'm a fantasy writer writing crime fiction, not danged bad)
Prompt: So, funny story. Back about three years ago now a friend I made through FaceBook (Cassie, I'm looking at you ;) ) directed me to this video about a girl who went around chopping people's arms off then potted them like flowers for a garden until she chopped her own arm off. It was Japanese animation style and I probably couldn't find the video if I really tried. Anyway, my first thought was: What if someone did that with people's faces? And thus, Face Snatcher was born. It took six months before I knew who the detectives were and another two years before I finally sat down to write the thing. Yeah.
Main Characters: Detective James Reeves, Detective Mia Liu, and the Face Snatcher.
Minor Characters of Note: Chief Patterson, Lucy McGregor, Michael Brown, Catherine Taylor, and Sarah Clark AKA victim number 3. Special mentioned to Ceria as well as David Jones.
Summation: Someone's going around taking people's faces and it's up to James and Mia to track that someone down.
High Points: Brown. He's that character who adds the comic relief to the book but is way useful besides that. You know something's going to happen to him in a later book because I always treat the funny ones horribly.
Low Points: James having a kind of mental breakdown about being under so much pressure. It's his and Mia's first really big important case so he doesn't want to screw it up.
The World: Ours, as it is, right now. No magic, no future tech weaponry or hovering cars. Exactly as it is, right now.
Memorable Lines:
“He took her eyes carefully too, I’m not seeing any kind of scraping on her supraorbital process, lacrimal, zygomatic, maxilla, palatine, oh, there’s a bit on the sphenoid but that could be natural structure. I hate to say it but he’s good.” McGregor said.
“Um, I don’t know how to spell most of that.” Mia muttered. (Neither did I Mia, don't worry)
"...Anyway, the optical nerve is severed pretty deep. So he pulled the eye out as much as possible before making a single, clean cut with a pair of scissors. I only know that because the nerve looks kind of pinched here in the left eye. It’s sliced a few times in the right so he switched tools after taking the right eye and realizing that a scalpel wouldn’t cut it. Er, bad pun, sorry..." (I had to take a break to laugh at that. Ha.)
“The work emails can be hacked into by a 12 year old in one hour. I refuse to have anything sent to me through that email but ads for Viagra.” Brown said.
“Hi yourself, Reeves. They’re just about done with the pictures so you won’t really have time to interview the bartender if you want to stick around for me cutting off these bandages. I’m pretty sure we all know what’s not going to be under them though.” McGregor said with a frown.
“What a brilliant ray of sunshine you are.” Mia muttered.
“It’s a guy this time.” McGregor said.
“I see that. Our unsub must be strong. This victim must have bench pressed cows for fun.” James said. (He totally didn't realize he made a joke, btw)
“Triple B is warming up to you. I’m pretty sure Hell has frozen over.” Mia returned with a grin.
“Actually it doesn’t start snowing in Michigan until December.” James told her. (OMFG James. How are you so oblivious to these jokes? Ha)
“Welcome to my lair, leave your souls at the door and come on in.” Brown told them.
"Yeah. I need coffee but don’t want to work that stupid machine in the staff room. I swear it hates me or something.” Mia said.
James chuckled and she huffed at him.
“It’s an inanimate object and feels no emotion. It can’t hate you.” James told her.
“Reeves?” Brown asked through the door.
“Liu.” Mia said.
“Oh, better. Come on in.” Brown returned.
“I know you don’t like talking to people much, I mean, okay, that came out wrong.” James started.
McGregor smirked so quickly that James was sure he had imagined it.
“It’s okay. I’m known as the building’s bitch. The other meaning of Triple B is “Big Bumbling Bitch” seeing as I’m tall, don’t like talking to idiots so sometimes answer in monosyllable and, well, bitch is obvious.” McGregor said.
“That’s just not nice.” James muttered.
“You learn to deal or you jump off a bridge. Anyway, what else did you want?” McGregor questioned.
“Coffee?” a waitress asked with a smile.
“Can you set up an IV drip of it for me?” Mia questioned.
“Sorry about that. We got called out right after I got off the phone with you.” James said.
“No problem-o. Is that a laptop you’re holding wrongly?” Brown asked.
“Just do me a favor: don’t call tech support if your computer randomly restarts. That’ll be me. Just let it go, okay?” Brown asked.
“Tell me next time, okay? No matter how much I’m sulking or how upset I look, just tell me what you’re thinking so we can work together. I should have been there with you.” James said.
“Yeah, date night with my girlfriend, Annie. We were going to watch some slasher films then make out.” McGregor said.
(McGregor leaves)
“Okay, what part are you confused about?” James asked.
“The slasher movies. I didn’t think someone in our field would watch something gory, you know?” Mia returned.
“Focus on the case. My love life or lack thereof isn’t important right now. Besides, she’s not my type.” James told them.
“Triple B is warming up to you, Brown is calling you Boss and Taylor hates you. I think you’re having a good couple of months, all things considered.” Mia told him.
“You’re not even worthy of your badge, Liu. You’re lucky that you were partnered with Reeves or you’d have been fired years ago.” Taylor told her.
“Thanks, Brown, really, thank you. You’re amazing. I don’t know how everyone else around here gets things done.” James said.
He meant it. For a long moment all that came over the line was heavy metal music. James strained to listen to the song but could catch none of it. Brown chuckled over the line a moment later.
“Boss, if my head gets any bigger I won’t be able to get out of my office. But thanks, it’s nice to hear that once in a while. If you need a favor outside this case, let me know.” Brown said.
“Yo, yo, Taylor, chicky, way to be a bitch. Ya know, I don’t like people messing with people I like and I like the Boss and the Bossette. You’re gunna get a call from the Pats-man in 2.5 minutes I’m sure. Just long enough for her to look over the video feed I put on her desktop.” Brown said.
“He thinks he’s a kind of God. That he’s entitled to collect what he wants because he is who he is.” James uttered.
“Yeah, that’s terrifying. God complexes are the worst.” McGregor added.
“Who dares disturb the Dragon?” Brown called out.
“Boss and Bossette.” James said before he could stop himself.
“You need a shirt and I know you started storing backups at your desk. That and it would be nice to have a bullet proof vest just in case the unsub attacks either of us with a TASER again.” James said.
“You are one sick man.” Mia muttered.
“I’m just a simply collector.”
“Simply lovely.” (the killer) uttered.
“I hope you remember my face. Because I’m the one who’s going to make sure you never see the light of day again.” McGregor said.
“You’re an adrenaline junkie.” James told her.
She grinned at him then took another sip of her coffee.
“And you’re an oblivious neat freak who won’t trade up partners because no one else knows or will bother to learn how to deal with you. So, you up for doing something like that again?” Mia questioned.
"Takes all kinds."
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