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Three Word Thursday #18

Welcome to Three Word Thursday #18. This week, joining the quondam word-list, we have opsimath; obarmate; & assiduity. We also have a whole list of perspicacious writers. If you enjoy reading my story, leave a comment then click on the names of the other players and go see how they used the words. You’ll be entertained (and possibly educated) all at once.

The beginning of this story is here: Daze of Wine & Murder

Stephen’s Story

As he reached for his gun, Copper told the boys, “Stay here and be quiet.” Wally made a little gulping noise and froze. Al raised his hands and backed up against the wall. Copper moved to the door of Janice Wheeler’s hospital room as quickly as silence allowed.

“You don’t have to be afraid, “ Copper heard the man speaking, and still holding the gun in his right hand, reached into his shirt pocket with his left hand, retrieved his recording devise, and switched it on. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

The woman, Janice Wheeler, answered, “You tried to kill me!”

“Yeah,” Stephen said, “And you planned to kill me. How about we both just agree to forget it? Nobody has to know.”

“Since you took the poison out of my purse, there’s no evidence against me.” Janice said. “All you’ve got is your word that I tried to kill you.”

Actually, sweetheart,” he answered, “we left the drugged bottles of wine behind and they’re covered in your fingerprints.”

“It wasn’t a drug that would kill anybody,” Janice said. Her eyes widened in horror. “Your wife!” She shrieked, “Oh my God, Stephen! Did she put a sleeping potion in those bottles? Or poison!?”

“Look, that’s why I’m here,” Stephen said. “A couple of days after you left for your training in Italy, I met Sherry – her real name is Melinda Spanner, I think, and she teaches Chemistry at the university.”

“Melinda Spanner is my nurse!” Janice sounded shocked. “And she doesn’t look a thing like your wife!”

“Would you listen to me?” Stephen said. “Mel has this special closet full of wigs, contacts that change her eye color, make-up that changes her skin tone, padding to make her look bigger – there’s like this hidden door off the back of her regular closet and I accidentally saw her come out of it this morning dressed like a nurse –“

“Stephen, this is all very interesting, I’m sure, but –“

“I asked her what was going on,” Stephen raised his voice and kept on talking. “She said she was doing a charity event for the hospital and that was her costume. I asked about the hidden door. She told me I’d imagined it, and then she led me into the kitchen and fixed us each a big cup of coffee. She even mixed in my cream and sugar, which she doesn’t usually do.”

“To bad she didn’t mix in a little of her special poison,” Janice snarled.

“I think she did,” Stephen answered. “I didn’t drink it. I pretended to take a swallow and she gave me a brilliant smile, blew me a kiss, said, “ta-ta, Stevie,” and left the house. I poured the coffee in a clean mason jar and put it in the back of the fridge.”

“Stephen, as far as I’m concerned this entire conversation is a waste of time. I’m not going to help you obarmate! I went to Italy for three months – for you! I suffered through that damn Bacchante training — where I was obviously an opsimath – to make you happy. And I come home to find you married to someone else! Now you expect me to care that she wants you dead? Ha! I want you dead!”

Copper was loving every minute of their conversation. He knew the tape player was picking it up loud and clear, and that he was listening to his own release from the accusing stares of 162 corpses. He mentally celebrated his assiduity, grinning from ear to ear as he imagined how proud the chief was going to be.

He felt a sharp jab to the back of his neck and his legs buckled. Just before his face hit the floor he heard Nurse Spanner’s voice. “You didn’t drink your coffee this morning, did you my love?”

Three Word Thursday #19:

Every Thursday I will give you three new words. You have until the following Thursday to compose a story using all three of the words. Then, on that following Thursday, post your story. After you post, come by here and sign in to Mr. Linky. If you sign in and don’t post a story. I will delete your link.

The Week Nineteen words will be: phlyarologist; pulchritudinious; summotion

Got it? Good! In that case: Your story is due on: June 18th, 2009

27 Comments

  1. How could you let her do that to poor copper? He was almost there. It was almost over. Now evil is winning. I have to wait until next Thursday to see if he dies. This is as hard on me as Richard’s Saturday story where the villain keeps on killing.

    Dr. John’s last blog post..At Last the End

    1. Dr. John — Go give that lecture to the bathroom mirror. I learned everything I know about cliffhangers from you.

    1. Nessa — if this were a movie, it would be the part of the story where the soda and pop corn are insisting on a trip to the bathroom, and you know better than to leave the theater, so just stay in your seat and watch!

    1. What if no one comes to his rescue? What if next Thursday, as I’m getting ready for my wondrous vacation, I decide I am too busy to write, and leave him unconscious for another week?

  6. Very well done Q. You are such the writer I tell you. Okay I’m going to go out on a limb here. I don’t think it’s Cooper that that witch of a Nurse Spanner…who I said a long time ago was the one to watch, as a matter of fact I didn’t call her nurse Spanner I used some other name if you remember…is behind. I think she was in Janices room hiding or something and it’s Stephen she is behind. He was the one that had the coffee this morning from Nurse Spanner, not Copper. But then I’m trying to remember if she went and got him coffee when he was at the hospital…Oh well…That’s my take on the ending this week. Regardless…it looks like it is coming to a close next week… Very well written 🙂

    Thom’s last blog post..Thursday Thunks – Sleeping and swimming and dirty barefoot feet

  7. Hey Quilly, you did well with poison story! Will there be a sequel?

    Your last week’s words fit a part of my life story; I went back to college after being a dropout for eleven years. This last stint was for eleven years of night school. Then I taught in college for another twenty-two years.

    During those thirty-three years I learned to check things out. The word, ‘obarmate,’ gave me troubles. No reputable dictionary touches it. Even the Urban Dictionary (I am on the editorial board there) says obarmate isn’t defined yet. Nor does MS Word contain it in their spell-checking dictionary.

    So??
    ..

    Jim’s last blog post..Midweek Blues — Who is driving the boat?

  8. Jim — click on the words. There are links to where I found the definitions. You won’t find many of them in current dictionaries. We’re playing with retirees most of the time.

    Thanks for asking though, because when I went back, I realized I’d used the word incorrectly. I am going to have to stop writing these episodes at midnight.

    And no, the story isn’t over yet. If you are interested in the entirety, click the link — also in the post — that will take you to a page where the episodes are compiled.

    Thanks for visiting. I’ve been out sick or would have reciprocated much more quickly.

  10. Thanks, Quilly. Oh yes, I did click ont the definitions. For several of your Three Word Thursdays. I did note they weren’t in general usage. I like them and I like your postings and the others so it sure isn’t a problem with me. Even though I sounded like it was.

    Thanks for looking in on my blue canal boat. These are called barge boats although people live in these so we would call them house boats. Another name for them is ‘canal boats.’ They are narrow to fit easily in the canals even when passing another boat in progress or in passing.
    ..

    Jim’s last blog post..Midweek Blues — Who is driving the boat?

    1. Jim, there’a a tab at the top of my bar that will share with you every word we’ve ever used! And feel free to join in any time. If you’ve checked out some of the others, you know you don’t HAVE to write a story. Any type of post that uses the words will do.

    1. Poor Jientje, I know what you mean. One week is already a long time to wait. Great plot, Quilly! I’m really curious about the outcome of this story. I joined your meme this week. Please, bare with me 🙂 . Have a wonderful day.

      Rosidah Abidin’s last blog post..When The Ducks Come Marching By

    1. I read that at your place. Thom has broken my heart and now I am infinitely sad. I thought he was my friend. Since he’s not, I’d say you could eat him, but I am sure he would give you a tummy upset.

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