Welcome to the last week of January, 2026, another month gone by in the blink of an eye! This week, the authors of the scenes for Tuesday Tales are working with the word prompt SUNNY. I am continuing with my cozy mystery, The Case of the Missing Prince.
“I’m awaiting a kidney, Ms. Chambers, but I won’t have to wait much longer. Jacob is giving me one of his. He is a distant cousin and an excellent match.”
“Jacob Horvath?”
“Yes. That is the real reason Jacob plans to retire at the end of the year. He will need to recover.”
“When is the surgery scheduled?”
If anything happened to him, to whom would I report?
“The surgery is scheduled for late November. By then, we will know what has happened to the prince, will we not?”
I nodded. “You’ll know something well before that. Hopefully, it will be the answer you want.”
He just smiled. The door opened, and Nadia stepped into the office.
“Minister, your next appointment is here. I can show Ms. Chambers out.”
I stood. “Good luck with … everything. Will you have Nadia send me those phone numbers?” I reached down for the contract we’d signed and slipped it back inside my purse. “I’ll have my assistant send you a copy of this.”
He nodded. “Yes, of course, and Nadia will e-transfer you the price upon which we agreed. It was a pleasure doing business with you.”
It seemed that not even the trusty personal assistant knew the truth.
I shook hands with the minister and followed Nadia back to the front door. The Lurch-like butler was waiting and escorted me the rest of the way to the entrance.
When I stepped outside, I saw that the day was now sunny if still unseasonably cool. I strolled leisurely to my car, the hairs on my nape telling me that somewhere behind those lead-glass window panes, someone was watching my every move. Friend or foe? Only time would tell. If the prince’s disappearance was linked to a political coup to get the government to concede to foreign interference in their affairs, then this could be far more dangerous than I had anticipated. Thank God Al would be with me.
I got into my vehicle, put on my seatbelt, and started the car. Turning right, I drove through the subdivision until I reached Sussex Drive. As soon as I could, I pulled into one of the viewing areas. Across the Ottawa River, the trees decorating the Gatineau Hills were resplendent in their red, orange, and yellow coat of leaves, dotted here and there by evergreens. I shut off the engine, reached for the envelope Emile had given me, and opened it, pulling out six sheets of paper—the truth and nothing but the truth.
Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.
Living the Dream 
Nail chewing stuff – and now, add transplant tension. Only a distant cousin, is he really confident about that match ? Just asking.
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You’ll have to wait and see.
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A cliffhanger!! Now I’ll have to wait to find out what truth is hidden in those papers! Well done.
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Everybody likes surprises. LOL
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Leaving me to find out later about those papers? Eek! I want to know what’s in them. You added an interesting bit about the transplant- wow. That gives another layer. Love the Lurch-like butler. What a great visual! Your story is keeping us glued to the page as the information unfolds.
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Thanks, Flossie. I’ve been doing a lot of research on missing people, those who’ve been gone almost a year in this country and it’s giving me lots of ideas.
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