Charlie & Mandy

Bury Me When I’m Dead is the first installment in a crime series, set in 2005 in Detroit, and featuring, African-American, private investigator, Charlene Mack.

Charlie, as she’s known, is decisive, prone towards being controlling, cunning—and she has a massive streak of empathy. The one thing that she’s not so clear about is accepting her sexual orientation.

In Bury Me When I’m Dead, Charlie is hired to find a missing person who has embezzled from her company, the search leads her to Birmingham, Alabama where she comes close to death and closer to a decision about her sexuality, with the help of a provocative, green-eyed, beauty, named Mandy Porter.

Mandy’s a decorated cop.  She’s always been an out lesbian which adds further tension to her new relationship with a closeted, Charlie.

Excerpt, Bury Me When I’m Dead

“Sitting in a tight airplane seat for two hours is not going to help your ribs much,” Mandy said across the table.

“I know. Thanks for the ride to the airport.”

“Well, it was a way to get some time with you. We haven’t talked much this week.”

Charlie replenished Mandy’s glass of pinot noir and poured the remainder into her glass. “This was a pretty good bottle wasn’t it?”

“Delicious. And the steak was good. I wasn’t expecting this kind of quality at an airport restaurant.”

The two sat in an awkward silence. Charlie looked at her watch. Her plane didn’t board for another hour. Mandy took a sip of wine and savored the taste. They stared at each other for a while. Neither flinching.

“I really, really like you Charlie.”

“The feeling is very mutual.”

Mandy reached for Charlie’s hand and their fingers intertwined for a few seconds before Charlie pulled away.

“No one cares about two women holding hands, you know,” Mandy said with irritation.

“I’m not like you. I’m self-conscious about public displays of affection.”

“Would you be if I were a man?”

“Maybe not,” Charlie admitted. “I’m going to need some help with that.”

“I’m certainly not your first woman.”

“No. But those were never more than, encounters. This is different.”

Mandy had accepted Charlie’s admission of bisexuality. She’d known other women who described themselves as bi, but she believed it had more to do with being afraid to come out of the closet than ambiguity. She took another sip of wine. “Is it different, Charlie? To tell you the truth, that’s a surprise to me.”

“It can’t be that much of a surprise.”

“You’ve been distant lately. Not returning phone calls. I thought maybe you wanted to break things off.”

Charlie fidgeted in her chair, looked at Mandy, looked away, then held her in an earnest stare.

“I’m afraid of what I’m feeling. But there’s no denying that I’ve fallen in love with you.”