Page 24 of If She Stayed
Fletcher's expression became slightly defensive.This was obviously not something he had expected to come up.But he went along anyway, fairly smooth."Yes, that's correct.I worked for Consolidated Insurance for eight years as a claims adjuster.The company downsized in July, and I was part of the reduction in force."
"How are you handling the transition?"Kate asked, noting that Fletcher seemed much more articulate and confident in his own environment than he had appeared at Eleanor's house.
"Actually, quite well.The severance package was generous, which has given me time to pursue something I've wanted to do for years."Fletcher gestured toward his writing corner."I'm working on becoming a mystery novelist."
Though Kate already knew this, it was surprising to hear him confirm it.Fletcher's admission aligned perfectly with what their research had revealed, but hearing it directly from him felt significant.It might be easier to get answers from him than she'd hoped.
"Tell us about your writing," DeMarco said."What kind of mysteries are you working on?"
Fletcher's demeanor brightened considerably, and Kate could see genuine enthusiasm replacing his initial wariness."I've been interested in classic detective fiction for most of my adult life.I love the puzzle aspect, the careful plotting, the way authors like Agatha Christie could plant clues that were hiding in plain sight."He frowned and said, “Not many modern authors can pull it off the way she does.”
"Have you published anything yet?"Kate asked.
"I've been self-publishing, actually.Nothing that's gained much attention, but it's been a good learning experience."Fletcher walked over to his desk and picked up one of the printed manuscripts."I'm working on something more ambitious now, though.A novel that I'm hoping to shop around to agents and publishers."
Kate noted the pride in Fletcher's voice when he discussed his writing aspirations."How does the book club fit into your writing goals?"
"Oh, it's been incredibly valuable for my education as a mystery writer," Fletcher explained, returning to his chair."Being part of a group that analyzes classic detective fiction on a regular basis has helped me understand story structure, character development, and plotting techniques.It's like getting a graduate-level education in the genre."
"Have any of the book club members read your work?"DeMarco asked.
Fletcher nodded."I asked Jennifer and Sandra if they'd be willing to beta-read my current manuscript.I wanted feedback from people who really understand mystery fiction.But I also asked them to keep it quiet.I don't want a lot of people, you know, you know?"
Kate felt her pulse quicken."And what kind of feedback did you receive?"
Fletcher's expression darkened slightly."Well, Sandra was very encouraging.She had some helpful suggestions about pacing and dialogue."He paused, choosing his words carefully."Jennifer's feedback was more...comprehensive."
"Comprehensive how?"Kate pressed.
"Jennifer was quite blunt about what she saw as problems with the manuscript," Fletcher said, his voice carrying a note of lingering frustration."She felt the plotting was amateur, that the characters were wooden, that the mystery elements were too obvious.She essentially told me the book wasn't ready for professional submission."
DeMarco leaned forward slightly."How did you handle that criticism?"
"Initially?I was angry," Fletcher admitted."I'd spent months working on that manuscript, and Jennifer's feedback felt more destructive than constructive.She didn't just point out problems, she seemed to suggest that the entire thing was fundamentally flawed."
Kate watched Fletcher's body language carefully.His hands had begun to move more animatedly as he discussed Jennifer's criticism, and she could see traces of the nervous energy that had been so apparent during the book club meeting.
"What about Margaret?"Kate asked."Did she read your work as well?"
Fletcher let out a bitter laugh."I wouldn't have dared ask Margaret to read my manuscript.Even if I was the next Raymond Chandler, she would have torn it apart!Margaret had very strong opinions about literary quality, and she wasn't shy about expressing them."
"So you were aware that Margaret could be critical of other people's work?"
"Margaret was critical ofeverything," Fletcher said."She corrected people during book club discussions, she dismissed popular authors as inferior, and she had very rigid ideas about what constituted serious literature.If she'd read my manuscript, she would have found a dozen reasons why it didn't meet her standards.I mean, I’m used to rejection, but not quite at that level."
Kate noted the way Fletcher talked about Margaret in the past tense, using language that suggested frustration rather than recent grief."Mr.Fletcher, you seem to understand where our questions are leading.Do you want to address that directly?"
Fletcher stared at them for a moment, then shook his head with what appeared to be genuine disbelief."You want to know if I killed Margaret because I was afraid she might not like my writing?"
Kate noted that he had not mentioned Jennifer as a victim or in past tense.It was interesting, but she wasn’t yet sure if it meant anything.
"We're simply exploring all possibilities," DeMarco said diplomatically."Can you account for your whereabouts on Tuesday evening when Margaret was killed?"
Fletcher stood up and walked back to his desk, picking up his laptop."Actually, I can do better than account for my whereabouts.”He said this with a bit of venom in his voice, the tone of a man who was about to prove them wrong.Orthoughthe was.“I can show you exactly what I was doing."
He opened the laptop and navigated to what appeared to be a social media platform that Kate wasn’t familiar with."I've been doing live writing sessions on TikTok under my pen name.It's a way to build an audience and create accountability for my writing goals.Two or three times a week, I do these writing sprints where people can watch me work in real time.Some people ask questions about my process, the story, things like that."
Fletcher turned the laptop screen toward Kate and DeMarco."Tuesday night, I did a three-hour writing session from seven to ten o'clock.And then Wednesday, I did another session from eight-thirty to nearly midnight."
