Criminally Good Stories Volume 4: 20 Science Fiction and Fantasy Mystery Short Stories: Criminally Good Mystery Stories, #4

By Connor Whiteley

Fourth Volume in the acclaimed mystery series!

For years Connor Whiteley has written plenty of compelling, suspenseful, best-selling mystery short stories spanning multiple subgenres and selling to top magazines like Pulphouse Fiction Magazine.

For the first time ever, Connor Whiteley collects 100 mystery short stories in five brilliant themed collections.

This volume explores cross-genre fiction in all its forms from imaginative and vivid private investigator stories with fantasy elements to charming and shocking mysteries with sci-fi elements to even the far future with powerful and moving private eye stories. Mystery readers will love this riveting volume of Criminally Good Stories.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: CGD Publishing
• Release date: Apr 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798201988647

Connor Whiteley

Hello, I'm Connor Whiteley, I am an 18-year-old who loves to write creatively, and I wrote my Brownsea trilogy when I was 14 years old after I went to Brownsea Island on a scout camp. At the camp, I started to think about how all the broken tiles and pottery got there and somehow a trilogy got created.Moreover, I love writing fantasy and sci-fi novels because you’re only limited by your imagination.In addition, I'm was an Explorer Scout and I love camping, sailing and other outdoor activities as well as cooking.Furthermore, I do quite a bit of charity work as well. For example: in early 2018 I was a part of a youth panel which was involved in creating a report with research to try and get government funding for organised youth groups and through this panel. I was invited to Prince Charles’ 70th birthday party and how some of us got in the royal photograph.Finally, I am going to university and I hope to get my doctorate in clinical psychology in a few years.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Now we really are heading into a special area of mine, because if you’ve followed me for a while or you’re familiar with my other work, then you know that I love science fiction and fantasy stories. As well as it’s rather interesting that certain science fiction and fantasy elements work perfectly in a mystery story. Hence why I created this particular collection of stories.

In this next collection, you can expect them to be very different from the other collections in the series, because all these stories have certain science fiction and fantasy elements included. There’s five stories that even throw the mystery genre to the far future to change things up even more.

Yet most of the stories are set in the here and now with ghosts, superheroes and other wonderful fantasy and sci-fi elements to help show you that mysteries aren’t always a hardboiled or police or amateur sleuth detective or a private investigator in a contemporary setting.

One of the reasons why I love mystery so much is simply because it is a genre filled with infinite possibilities, and when you add fantasy and sci-fi elements to these stories. All those possibilities only grow even more and that means the fun also grows a lot more too.

So let’s turn over the page and get started with this fascinating collection filled with cross-genre mysteries.

ASSAULT OF THE HEART

And so she stabbed me,

As a Private Investigator Amelia Pinkie had heard a lot of amazing tales and her own fair share of heart-breaking stories, but this was probably the worse one ever.

Amelia sat in a small little café in the heart of London in a corner booth tucked away from everyone so she and her ghost friend Harvey could pretend to be normal friends and have coffee with each other.

He sat there in his normal business suit, tennis shoes and a massive hat that Amelia was sure would cover his entire body if he willed it. But Harvey’s most impressive feature was everything he wore had a light blue ghostly appearance, that Amelia loved because it made him a great nightlight.

Amelia flat out loved the amazing lattes here that were just the right delicious amount of sweetness and thickness and creaminess. These lattes were to die for.

And thankfully today with it being a weekday, Amelia was rather pleased there weren’t so few people in the café that the waitress might pay attention to the lonely woman sitting by herself, but there weren’t so many people that Amelia and Harvey couldn’t hear each other.

It was probably the only downside for Amelia being the only person who could see Harvey unless he allowed others to, when the two of them were out together, Amelia often forget that others saw her as a lonely middle aged woman who they randomly wanted to speak to.

At least Amelia’s boyfriend could see Harvey recently and the three of them could play games, have dinner and do things that normal friends do. And Amelia loved that a lot.

But as she listened to the other people in the café talking, laughing and joking with each other, Amelia couldn’t deny she was concerned about Harvey. He had never told her how he died and how he even became a ghost, but all she knew was he was murdered.

Amelia didn’t like that Harvey was telling her now out of the blue after years of refusing to talk about it.

And afterwards she kicked me into the river and here I am. A ghost, Harvey said with a small smile.

Amelia just nodded. It turned out that Harvey’s actual death story was both a lot more exciting and not compared to what Amelia had imagined.

Harvey had been with his wife for over thirty years when she killed him. He had no idea why she did it, but he had booked a romantic dinner, river cruise and a boat ride for them down to London from their home in the North of England.

But the night before they were meant to leave, Harvey had taken her out for a romantic walk along the River Thames then she stabbed him, kicked him in the river and simply told everyone she had left him.

What Harvey had found the hardest part was all her friends and family agreed with her, saying that she made the right decision.

Amelia could only smile and nod slowly at him. She had imagined something just a grand but with someone else killing him, she hated the idea of his wife ending him. Especially as he always told Amelia of all the good memories they had together.

As a Private Investigator Amelia had always prided herself on being professional, able to cope with any case and helping everyone. But she felt so powerless now that her best friend was telling her about all these problems and she could do nothing.

Unless that was why he was telling her.

She’s back isn’t she? Amelia asked crossing her arms.

Harvey nodded. Took you long enough to guess. I saw my wife three days ago here in London and she’s... with a husband and children in their late thirties,

Amelia gestured she wanted to rub her hand gently, but they both knew how weird that would look in public. He still smiled.

Sorry, Amelia said. You never told me when you died. Year?

Harvey pretended to look so offended. Amelia knew people should never ask the age of others, but she didn’t care.

I died in the 60s and I picked up the lingo of the changing times along the way, Harvey said.

Amelia could only smile and nod. That made perfect sense considering he normally spoke so common that it would be unthinkable for men of good moral character to speak like that back in the day.

Who’s your wife? Age? Appearance? Amelia asked.

Harvey smiled. Look to your right,

Amelia just shook her head as she couldn’t believe Harvey only wanted to visit her here so they could both spy on his wife. That was bad.

To Amelia’s left at the far end of the café were two elderly people. One woman, one man.

Amelia wasn’t sure about the man, he was very young considering the woman looked to be in her late eighties. But Amelia had to admit he looked very fine in his tight jeans, shirt and black shoes.

But as Harvey’s wife, she looked awful. She clearly hadn’t taken care of herself over the decades, her teeth were black, her face looked like a prune and even her dress looked as if it was from the 40s.

Don’t mean to be rude, Amelia said, but I think you dodged a bullet there,

But I didn’t dodge a knife, Harvey said, and playfully kicked her in the leg.

Amelia focused on the wife. There was something off about her and as she stared at the younger man sitting with her. They were clearly together, but as he was reading something on his phone, the wife kept looking at him like... he was prey somehow.

What’s your wife’s name?

Holly, Harvey said.

That was a pretty name Amelia supposed, but she just felt as if the younger man was in trouble or danger somehow.

Amelia looked at Harvey. Do you think your wife is a widower?

Harvey looked as if he wanted to say no but he just nodded. Amelia couldn’t blame him for wanting to deny it. She would hate to think that of her boyfriend, but the few pieces of evidence they had were right in front of their eyes.

Then Amelia’s eyes widened as the younger man took out two plane tickets and the look on his face was so great, wonderful and lovely. He really loved the eighty-something old woman.

Amelia wanted to be sick, but something was very, very wrong here.

She looked at Harvey and they both knew exactly what was happening.

History was repeating itself.

And what scared Amelia even more was how many times had history repeated itself since the 60s.

Far too many times Amelia feared.

***

After travelling quickly back to her spacious white office and two hours of research, Amelia folded her arms as she sat at her modern desk and just stared at her laptop. She was hardly impressed with Holly, she was a horrible, awful lady.

Amelia hated how she had had husbands disappearing for decades, it turned out that Harvey was the first in 1962 then every three years like clockwork there had been another death since.

It was awful to think about and Amelia hated this woman with all her heart. It was disgusting how this woman killed them, but the real problem was simply that the police couldn’t prove that all the husbands had been murdered.

The vast majority simply turned up dead with the medical examiners ruling the vast majority of them as natural causes. Amelia had little doubt Holly was that skilful that she could make anyone die and make it look exactly like natural causes.

She was even slightly impressed that Holly had killed a husband and led one of the UK’s top medical examiners in the 70s to conclude natural causes. Amelia had no idea how she managed that.

With the sound of Harvey sighing growing louder and louder and louder, Amelia closed her laptop and just looked at her best friend who was sitting on one of the two chairs in front of her desk. Judging by his frowning his ghost network hadn’t yielded anything hopeful.

Ghosts no help? Amelia asked.

Harvey’s frown deepened. My ma, da and sis all spoke to the dead husbands. No help whatsoever. Everything that happened to me, happened to them,

Amelia cocked her head. Where you rich back in the day?

Harvey busted out laughing. No!

Amelia hissed as she felt her stomach tighten into a painful knot. That meant this entire case was a lot worse, it just meant that Holly was crazy and killed for the fun of it.

Ever dealt with one of these before? Harvey asked clearly making the same connection.

Amelia shrugged. I’ve dealt with a lot of strange people on the job. But never a crazy serial killer,

Should you get the police involved?

And tell them what? Amelia asked. This is all just a theory at the moment. The police don’t know your story and they don’t have access to the ghost network,

I could reveal ma self to ‘em, Harvey said.

Amelia tilted her head back slightly. Wouldn’t help. I don’t think you have can admit the testimony of a ghost into evidence for a court case,

Harvey shook his head as if he was annoyed. Amelia couldn’t blame him, they had to find a way to stop Holly and get her arrested, or if it came to the worse, Amelia might have to think about ending her more permanently.

But that was the last thing Amelia was going to tell Harvey.

What did the most recent husband say? Amelia asked.

Harvey waved his hand and a ghostly paper folder popped up and he started reading it.

He said it was a simple slit of the throat and she pushed him into a river. They weren’t on a trip, romantic dinner or anything. They were simply walking along a river and she turned him around and killed him,

Amelia went to get herself a drink from the kitchen outside but she didn’t think she could keep anything down at the moment. This was just disturbing.

So, Amelia said, we just need to keep Holly away from rivers?

Harvey rolled his eyes. Nope. Husband 5, 7 and 8 after me were all killed not at rivers. One was killed in the kitchen, another in the garden and another in the woods,

Amelia wanted to make a light comment about they don’t need to worry about woods in London, but then she realised there were more than enough massive Parks for Holly to get excited.

Then what do we do? Amelia asked.

Harvey floated up into the air and spun around for a second or two, and smiled.

We go for the goal. We go for a confession and I have a plan, Harvey said.

Amelia just smiled.

Whatever he was planning. Amelia just knew it was going to be good.

And that really excited her.

***

But as Amelia stood along the metal railings along the River Thames all that excitement quickly died out as Amelia kept thinking of her murder here.

She might have known about ghosts and that you don’t actually die, die after physically dying, but it still terrified her. She didn’t want to die.

With the sound of cargo ships thrusting themselves through the river and the honking and shouting of ships and boats and their crews, Amelia realised that if anything did go wrong. No help would come for her.

Harvey had arranged everything so she was completely alone with no hope of anyone coming to help her if things went wrong.

At least she was wearing a wire under her overcoat, but Amelia still hated everything about this plan. She knew Harvey would never put her in danger, she trusted him completely but she was still scared.

Private Investigator? an elderly woman said.

Amelia turned around and wanted to spit on Holly’s disgusting face with her black teeth, 1940s dress and truly awful thin hair. But her boy toy or probably husband was standing next to her.

Now Amelia was so close to him, she was surprised at how muscular and really attractive he was, with his smooth skin, strong cheekbones and pointy chin. He looked perfect, Amelia didn’t even care he was probably ten years older than her.

Private Investigator Amelia Pinkie, she said offering out her hand.

The husband shook it and smiled. Holly did not.

I see you got my friend’s message, Amelia said.

Holly frowned. What this about gov?

Amelia smiled. I am a friend of Harvey, your first husband,

They both laughed.

I am, Amelia said turning to the boy toy, and I am here to tell you this woman will kill you,

Holly smiled, kissed and hugged her man tightly. Don’t be daft woman, I love my bunny boy,

It took Amelia everything she had not to be sick.

Did your wife tell you about all the others? There’s at least ten, Amelia said.

The man frowned and looked a little confused.

Come on Bunny Boy, she’s lying. You trust me right?

Yeah course babe, the man said kissing Holly.

As they were kissing Holly raised her middle finger up at Amelia. Amelia had to stop this and save that man.

The air popped, crackled and banged as Harvey appeared.

Just say the word, Harvey said.

Amelia had no idea what he meant, but she just trusted him.

Let me guess, Amelia said to Bunny Boy, you just bought your wife a wonderful romantic dinner, holiday and you fantasied about taking a nice romantic walk along the river,

The man nodded.

Holly stepped in front of her man. I will not have you telling my husband lies! I love him and I will die before anything goes wrong,

Amelia watched the man smile at that, and now everything was making sense. Both of them were as bad as each other. Holly must have gotten extremely rich after killing all the husbands, and this Boy Toy clearly wanted her wealth.

Amelia wondered for a moment if she should let Holly kill him so he wouldn’t get the money. But murder was