Mysterious Photograph

The Story That Won the March/April 2026 contest:

The March/April Mysterious Photograph contest was won by Jill Quinn of Carbondale, Illinois. Honorable Mentions go to Bob Jacobs of Crown Point, Indianapolis; Lex Wilson of Durham, North Carolina; L. C. Parfomak of Arlington, Virginia; Jeff Dycus of Benton, Kentucky; Allen Bell of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Michael J. Ciaraldi of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; and Rebecca Campobasso of Yucca Valley, California.

 

Photo credit: Leoniek van der Vliet / Shutterstock.com

 

Marisa surveyed the mess in the boardroom. Papers scattered. Bottles overturned. Oozy splotches everywhere. And a body sprawled on the conference table. She sucked in a breath. Waited. A snore reverberated.

Todd wasn’t dead. Just passed out after another late night “meeting.” Everyone had gone, leaving her to clean. Again.

She dabbed at a red spot. Barbeque sauce. 

“Surprise me,” Todd had said when she asked him what to order for tonight. Barbeque might not be that surprising, but there was time for more surprises.

She began to pick up, simmering with rage. Why had she put up with this? For a job? Junior executive? Hah! More like a nanny and maid for Todd, King of the Neanderthals.

Todd who used her to cover up his indiscretions (tell the wife I’m in a meeting). Who blamed her when he messed up (Marisa missed that deadline) and mocked her living alone with a pet (Fluffy? Probably a cat with more fur than brains).

She tolerated it. Until today. Missing money in the quarterly statements. Assets funneled into an offshore account. On her computer with her login. Todd was smarter than she’d thought. Even if the crime were caught, he wouldn’t take the blame.

Something black skittered out of the corner of her eye. A water glass. Then some paper. She eased the spider off the table.

“Were you scared, sweetheart? You weren’t supposed to hide.” She dropped Fluffy on Todd’s neck. “Be a good girl. We’ll go home soon.”