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Missing Persons:
Short story.
A widowed college professor retires, moves to a California coastal town, and buys a home. Digging in his garden one morning, he uncovers old love letters buried in a metal container.
He pries open the box, reads the letters, and is emotionally touched. He becomes intrigued by what appeared to be a clandestine love affair between a married woman and a man she had known before she married.
He makes inquiries about the former residents of his home to learn who wrote he letters. His real estate agent tells him that a WW II war hero bought the house before the war, later married, and his wife moved in with him.
But the war hero's wife disappeared in a storm. Her body was never found. Was she one of the letter writers? Who was her lover?
The professor begins researching -- a special talent of his -- and learns the startling truth.
But what should he do with the information, go public, or let it remain a secret that will never be told?
A widowed college professor retires, moves to a California coastal town, and buys a home. Digging in his garden one morning, he uncovers old love letters buried in a metal container.
He pries open the box, reads the letters, and is emotionally touched. He becomes intrigued by what appeared to be a clandestine love affair between a married woman and a man she had known before she married.
He makes inquiries about the former residents of his home to learn who wrote he letters. His real estate agent tells him that a WW II war hero bought the house before the war, later married, and his wife moved in with him.
But the war hero's wife disappeared in a storm. Her body was never found. Was she one of the letter writers? Who was her lover?
The professor begins researching -- a special talent of his -- and learns the startling truth.
But what should he do with the information, go public, or let it remain a secret that will never be told?
45 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2010
9 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Jack Erickson
29 books43 followersMy interest in fiction, especially mysteries, started when I was about ten years old and read my first Hardy Boys books, "Secret of the Old Clock," I think the title was. I saved up from mowing lawns and running errands to buy every title I could. They were only $1.00 each, but when you're only making 25 cents an hour, it takes time to save those nickels and dimes.
And then I discovered shelves of exciting books at my hometown Andrew Carnegie Memorial library just two blocks away from our middle class home in the Midwest. By that time I was reading "The Saturday Evening Post," "Collier's," "Life," "Look," "Time," "Argosy," "True," "Photoplay," that my parents subscribed to and others I can't remember. Needless to say, I skimmed through them all, and devoured short stories by John O'Hara, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Herman Wouk, and Earl Stanley Gardner.
I believe my early interest in reading was a major factor in liking school. Writing term papers was no big deal, and we all know how important that is at university. I enjoyed the many choices available with a liberal arts education and sampled liberally from science, history, languages, art history, literature, and political science.
Those wide ranging interests are probably a factor in the careers I chose, including Russian specialist in U.S. government, legislative aide and speechwriter in U.S. Senate, free-lance writer, former publisher (Red Brick Press) and author of several craft brewing books in the early days of the industry. My most recent career was in financial services from which I recently retired to travel and write.
I've been writing fiction, mostly mysteries and romantic suspense, and have several projects that will be published in the next few months.
I'm always fascinated how people become readers and writers. I'd love to hear your stories how writing chose you.
And then I discovered shelves of exciting books at my hometown Andrew Carnegie Memorial library just two blocks away from our middle class home in the Midwest. By that time I was reading "The Saturday Evening Post," "Collier's," "Life," "Look," "Time," "Argosy," "True," "Photoplay," that my parents subscribed to and others I can't remember. Needless to say, I skimmed through them all, and devoured short stories by John O'Hara, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Herman Wouk, and Earl Stanley Gardner.
I believe my early interest in reading was a major factor in liking school. Writing term papers was no big deal, and we all know how important that is at university. I enjoyed the many choices available with a liberal arts education and sampled liberally from science, history, languages, art history, literature, and political science.
Those wide ranging interests are probably a factor in the careers I chose, including Russian specialist in U.S. government, legislative aide and speechwriter in U.S. Senate, free-lance writer, former publisher (Red Brick Press) and author of several craft brewing books in the early days of the industry. My most recent career was in financial services from which I recently retired to travel and write.
I've been writing fiction, mostly mysteries and romantic suspense, and have several projects that will be published in the next few months.
I'm always fascinated how people become readers and writers. I'd love to hear your stories how writing chose you.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 17, 2013
Missing Persons, by Jack Erickson, is a short story. It is both a love story and a tale of mystery. The story opens with a retired man, T. Jefferson Winslow, digging a hole on his property in order to plant fruit trees. He uncovers a box that contains letters written fifty years ago to a previous married owner of the property, Harriet Summers. The letters are from her lover, Arthur Parker
Mr.Winslow decides to learn more about both Harriet and Arthur. His research reveals that both went missing within two weeks of each other in 1948. Presumably, Harriet drowned. Arthur simply disappeared. Neither body was ever found. The contents of the letters that Arthur penned to Harriet clearly show his love for her. It became obvious that while Harriet's husband was in the military she spent time with Arthur. Mr. Winslow had his suspicions about what really happened to Harriet and Arthur and this led him to finally uncovering the truth. Now he is faced with a dilemma- what does he do with his newly found knowledge?
This is well crafted story with depth. The suspense is well layered and held my attention to the end of the story. I wasn't sure how the author would end the story and for me, this is the mark of a good mystery. I recommend reading this book.
I received this book at no charge from ReviewTheBook.com and I give this review of my own free will.
Mr.Winslow decides to learn more about both Harriet and Arthur. His research reveals that both went missing within two weeks of each other in 1948. Presumably, Harriet drowned. Arthur simply disappeared. Neither body was ever found. The contents of the letters that Arthur penned to Harriet clearly show his love for her. It became obvious that while Harriet's husband was in the military she spent time with Arthur. Mr. Winslow had his suspicions about what really happened to Harriet and Arthur and this led him to finally uncovering the truth. Now he is faced with a dilemma- what does he do with his newly found knowledge?
This is well crafted story with depth. The suspense is well layered and held my attention to the end of the story. I wasn't sure how the author would end the story and for me, this is the mark of a good mystery. I recommend reading this book.
I received this book at no charge from ReviewTheBook.com and I give this review of my own free will.
December 21, 2012
This is an interesting short story that leaves you wondering what you would do. A retired senior working in his garden uncovers a bunch of love letters buried in the dirt. His curiosity gets the best of him and he learns the truth of what happened to Harriet Summers and Arthur. It is a sad story, hidden for years in his garden. The past of lies, secrets and mystery unravels as the truth is found. Worth the read.
March 27, 2015
DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR SPOUSE
EXCELLENT SHORT STORY... AUTHOR KEPT YOU TURNING PAGE AFTER PAGE...
CHARACTERS VERY REALISTIC AND PLOT IS PULLING YOU IN...AND THEN THE END COMES WITH AN UNFORESEEN TWIST...
A MYSTERY FULL OF TWIST AND TURNS...
A GREAT PAGE TURNER...
EXCELLENT SHORT STORY... AUTHOR KEPT YOU TURNING PAGE AFTER PAGE...
CHARACTERS VERY REALISTIC AND PLOT IS PULLING YOU IN...AND THEN THE END COMES WITH AN UNFORESEEN TWIST...
A MYSTERY FULL OF TWIST AND TURNS...
A GREAT PAGE TURNER...
January 13, 2012
Great short story! Perfect to read on my Kindle while waiting in the doctors office.
November 6, 2014
Short and excellent!
February 14, 2016
Beautifully descriptive story of forbidden love and what jealousy can make you do.
January 17, 2025
Great story! Do you really know your friends and neighbors?!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews