September 5, 2022
Interview one of your characters (not your main character.) How do they feel playing second fiddle to your main character?
Note to those folks who have read the entire Harmony Duprie series: Chronologically, I have placed this interview around the time of the Contessa’s Brooch.
I met with Detective Frederick Thomason of the Oak Grove Police Department at Mama D’s, a local restaurant, for lunch. It was the first time he’d ever agreed to be interviewed that wasn’t connected to a case. He ordered spaghetti, and I opted to try the chicken parmigiana.
I expected him to be bigger-than-life based on the stories I’d heard, but in real-life I wouldn’t have picked him out as anything but average, except for the cop haircut. While we waited for our food, we chatted about the weather and the local high school sports teams to break the ice. Once we had settled into our meals, I transitioned to the interview.
Me: “To catch my readers up, I’ll ask a few basic questions, Detective, if you don’t mind.”
Him: (with a grin} “I’m off duty. Call me Freddie.”
Me: “Thank you, Freddie. How long have you been with the Oak Grove Police?”
Him: “Almost fourteen years. I got accepted to the force right out of college. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time. A couple of older cops were getting ready to retire, and the chief was looking to hire locally to gain points with the City Council. Shoot, I had a job before I had time to get all my stuff moved out of my parents’ home and into my own apartment.”
Me: “My research suggests you rose through the ranks in record time.”
Him: (taking his time to finish chewing a forkful of spaghetti before answering) “Another case of good timing. Having grown up locally, I knew where all the hangouts were, who I could trust, and people knew they could trust me. As a result, I closed more cases and when a detective position was added, the chief picked me over some other patrolman that had been around longer.”
Me: “It caused some resentment, according to the rumor mill.”
Him: “Sometimes, the rumor mill gets things right. Those officers mostly chose to look for other opportunities once it became clear I knew what I was doing.”
Me: “Was Harmony Duprie around at that time? The rumor mill also suggests she has something to do with your success.”
Him: “Harmony’s contribution to the police is a closely guarded secret, per her request. However, she’s five years younger than I am, and we didn’t go to school together or move in the same social circles. In fact, I believe she was still in college when I made detective.”
Me “But you dated?”
Him: (raising an eyebrow) “You’re a bit of a detective yourself, aren’t you? Yes, we dated. Briefly. With disastrous results. I couldn’t turn my inner cop off when she needed a friend. I made the mistake of searching some of her private papers, trying to solve a case in which she was a victim, and lost her trust. But one good thing came out of that disaster—Harmony introduced me to my girlfriend.”
Me: “Yet she continued to assist the police?”
Him: “That’s privileged information.”
Me: “Do you resent that the rumor mill gives her credit for your success?”
Him: (Putting his fork down midway through loading it with pasta) “Excuse me?”
Me: “She takes away from your success in the eyes of the local citizenry. How does that make you feel?”
Him: (Leaning across the table) “Despite our difficulties, Harmony has proven herself to be a good friend and an asset to this community in more ways than one. Ways that I shouldn’t know about and can’t reveal. Anyone who suggests I resent her has no idea what they are talking about. I can’t speak for other officers on the force, but I know the Chief feels the same way as I do. We would do anything to protect her.”
Me: “I apologize. I also heard she has a way of attracting people’s loyalty. I should have realized it would include you.”
Him: (Chuckling) “That’s not all she attracts. She gets into more trouble than any one person ever should. It’s not that she does anything to attract it, but trouble has a way of finding her. The department Has been able to handle things, but she keeps us on our toes. I’ve never told her about the reputed car thieves we’ve caught eyeing her fancy red Jaguar. She calls it a cop magnet, but doesn’t realize it’s also a bad guy magnet.”
The detective’s phone beeped. He glanced at it, pushed his chair back, and stood. “Sorry, but we’ll have to cut this short. Work calls. At least it has nothing to do with Harmony this time. You can email me if you need additional info for your article.”
Me: “Thank you for your time. Stay safe out there.”
September 5, 2022
Interview one of your characters (not your main character.) How do they feel playing second fiddle to your main character?
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