Interview with Kate Harvey - BURIED SECRETS by A. Y. Stratton

BURIED SECRETS by A. Y. Stratton
Witnesses to murder, bound to secrecy, denying their desire

Interview with Kate Harvey

Q What do you do for a living?

A I recruit volunteers and board members for several non-profit performing arts groups and help them raise money in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Q What is your background for that job?

A I love live theater and I feel fortunate to have seen a lot of plays and musicals with my grandmother when I was growing up. In many ways my job gives me a chance to show my appreciation.

Q You look very young to have such a big job. If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you,?

A I just turned 29.

Q I heard you’re engaged. Who’s the lucky guy?

A Uh-oh, that’s a bad topic. I broke up with my fiancé about two months ago.

Q Do you mind telling me why?

A Not at all. The guy was a total and complete jerk. He looks good on paper, good job, attractive, well-

educated, parents are friends of my parents. But…”

Q But, what?

A I hate to put it into words, but he continued to call me cold and sexless, because-- well, because I didn’t seem to like, um, how should I say this? I never got used to his wham, bam, thank-you mam style of love-making.

Q Oh, that’s too bad. And have you met someone else?

A Yes. That’s the crux of this story, the way Nathan and I met. It happened the night decided I had to sneak into the criminal lawyer’s house.

Q Wait, you sneaked in? Like a burglar?

A You could say that, but I didn’t steal anything, only the papers that belonged to my grandmother. My grandfather hid his secret papers in the hidden drawer of an old bureau?

Q And the papers were that important that you actually figured out a way to break in and…?

A Yes, I mean no. I didn’t break in. I just figured out how to get in.

Q Oh, okay, I think. So how did you meet Nathan?

A In that lawyer’s house.

Q Nathan lived in the house?

A No. He sneaked in that same night, right before I did. He scared the life out of me, waving his revolver around.

Q What was he doing there?

A He was searching for anything that would incriminate the criminal lawyer. He had a really good reason to do that, but I didn’t find out what it was for a long time. Nathan asks questions, but doesn’t answer any.

Q So you and Nathan hit it off right away?

A Are you kidding? He was bossy and blaming. He said if I hadn’t been in that house, he would have gotten out of there before the murder, and avoided all that craziness of feeling hunted and in danger, afraid the police or the murderer would find out about us.

Q Wait a minute. What murder?

A Oh, didn’t I tell you? While we were each searching the house, once Nathan finally put away his revolver and let me get to work, we heard a woman talking on her phone, bounding up the stairs. I bolted into the wife’s closet, and buried myself behind her dresses. Did she have a lot of clothes! And that’s where Nathan darted too. We stood there, roasting in our winter coats, sweating from fear—at least I was scared. Nathan didn’t seem afraid at all. Just ticked off at me for my bad timing. Completely unfair judgment. Anyhow, we heard a woman talking on the phone and then hangs up. Then she barges into the closet. We figure we are cooked, but no, she changes her clothes and leaves. We can hear her on the phone again, talking from the bedroom. When the man arrives, he talks sexy, tells her how lovely she looks, how beautiful. And then he tells her to close her eyes. I’m thinking, oh, brother, they are going make love and we’ll be stuck, boiling hot, in the closet all night. But no, a gun goes off.

Q What did you do?

A We waited, of course. We’d get killed if the murderer found us. When we heard a car leave, we crept out of the closet. And there she was, this poor woman, blood all over her, all over the sheets, the bedspread. Sickening.

Nathan tried to get me to leave, but I had to find Nell’s papers. It was my only chance.

Q So the police came?

A No. But we both were sure the neighbors would call them. So we had to go. But first I had to find the papers. Nathan yelled at me to go, but stuck to the task, right there in the same room with body. Found the drawer and some papers, and ran down the stairs and out the door, bolting down the street.

Q Where were you going?

A To my best friend’s holiday party. Did I mention it was snowing out? Nate was afraid we’d leave tracks for the police.

Q Where did Nate go?

A He followed me right into the party, where he wasn’t even invited.

Q And what happened at the party?

A Nothing good. My ex showed up. And Nathan, oh, I can’t believe he had the guts to do what he did, but, you’re just going to have to read the book, Buried Heart, by my favorite author, A. Y. Stratton.  

Okay, I saw that question coming. No, I am not married, and I don’t have a significant other.  

Coming soon from Wild Rose Press
BURIED SECRETS by A. Y. Stratton
Witnesses to murder, bound to secrecy,

denying their desire.
www.aystratton.com

BURIED HEART by A.Y. Stratton
A perilous quest. An ancient Mayan codex.
Jealousy and desire.
www.aystratton.com
WisRWA 2010 WRITE TOUCH AWARD
www.thewildrosepress.com
www.amazon.com