Absence of Evidence

Mystery Weekly Magazine has published my novelette “Absence of Evidence.”

Treka Dunn, the senior investigator for the county Medical Examiner’s office, is positive the deceased in her latest case, Davis Washburn, died of natural causes. However, Davis’s autistic son Ron believes his father was poisoned. When a toxicology exam reveals no evidence of foul play, Treka tries to explain the findings to Ron.

But when Ron tells her about his last conversation with his father, Treka realizes she’s made a serious mistake.

This is my second appearance in Mystery Weekly Magazine. My first story with them, “The Calculus of Karma,” was a sci-fi/mystery mash-up. “Absence of Evidence” is a procedural crime story, with a gold mine of technical detail. For me, the background research for a story is a huge part of the joy of writing, and “Absence” was a challenge that occupied me nearly two months. The plot also owes a great deal to my years as a workflow analyst.

Which proves that with enough effort and just the right amount of devilish imagination, you can write a story about anything.

I want to give special thanks to two technical advisers who provided invaluable information about the inner workings of hospitals. One is my daughter, Lt. Jessica Fields, an experienced RN who’s now an Air Force nurse. The other is Betty Vuncannon Crowley, an RN who went on to hospital administration. I am eternally grateful to both.

Mystery Weekly Magazine is a Mystery Writers of America approved publisher, and is available in digital and print formats on Amazon.

13 thoughts on “Absence of Evidence”

Congrats on your publication! It’s great that you enjoy research for stories, as that will give a foundation of authenticity to them. And I’ve found that research can lead to ideas for stories.

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Mike says:

April 1, 2021 at 9:44 am

Dave Williams,

You’re right. I’ve stumbled upon several story ideas while researching others.

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Reply

Congratulations to being published again in Mystery Weekly
Magazine, that must feel good.
Absence of Evidence sounds very interesting indeed. One I would like to read.

Miriam

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