Story magic can happen unexpectedly when a plot twist or new character invades your writer’s mind. In this instance, it’s good to seize the moment and scribble down notes before you forget your spark of inspiration. Such an event happened to me the other evening as I was contemplating Hanukkah Hairloom Mystery, my next Bad Hair Day story and current WIP.

I was tossing and turning trying to go to sleep and half-dozing when a woman’s face popped into my brain. She was pretty with wavy brown hair not quite shoulder-length and sparkling eyes to match. Her style suited a sixties TV show, where she could have played a high school cheerleader who made out with boys in the backseat of cars and sabotaged her test scores so she wouldn’t appear too brainy.

She seemed friendly enough, at least until her gaze suddenly turned cold and calculating. Then I realized she didn’t mean well.

“What are you looking at?” I said. “Who are you?”

“My name is Madge.”

“Do I know you?”

“We’ve met. Don’t you remember? I’m here so you don’t forget my story.”

“Oh, right,” I said as recognition dawned. “You came into my salon the other day…”

The Flashback

“Marla, there’s someone here to see you,” called Robyn, our receptionist.

A woman with bouncing brown hair walked up to me. “Hi, I’m Madge. You have to stop pestering my girlfriend.”

I gaped at her, having no clue whom she meant. “What are you talking about?”

“Sierra. You keep calling her and sending text messages. Leave her alone already.”

Now it was my turn to stare. “Sierra Thornton? What’s your relationship to her?” The social media influencer hid her private life well. Sure, she flaunted herself in front of the camera but didn’t discuss personal issues unless they pertained to beauty tips, which was her schtick.

Madge propped a hand on her hip. “You don’t need to know the details. You’re making her nervous asking questions around town.”

Jayne, my client, interrupted. We were in the midst of a haircut, and she watched us through the mirror. “Hasn’t Sierra been losing investors lately? I’ve heard she’s hard-pressed to come up with new material, and her sponsors aren’t pleased by her latest ratings.”

“It’s all your fault,” Madge said, wagging a finger at me.

“I thought her channels were doing well,” I protested.

“Not recently. She should have listened to me.”

“Oh? Why is that?” I’d been wondering how to get Sierra to open up to me, and offering her an innovative beauty hack might be the key. But one thing puzzled me. Madge had said Sierra was her girlfriend. In what sense? At the museum gala, I’d seen Sierra on the arm of the flamboyant antiquities collector, Norman Falconi, and assumed they were dating.

“I’m an esthetician, honey buns, and unlike Sierra’s temporary solutions to your cosmetic issues, I can fix things permanently. You have wrinkles? I’ll smooth them. You have age spots? I’ll help you lighten them. I have a product or procedure for any beauty problems that come your way.”

“You work for a skin care company?” I asked, still unclear as to her position.

She sneered at me. “I’m the CEO of my own firm, doll face. Why do you keep underestimating me? You think I can’t hang onto Sierra? I know she’s been dating that nutcase with the fancy cars just to make me jealous.”

“I don’t understand why you came to see me,” I said. “I really need to talk to Sierra about the theft at the museum. She seems to know something about it, but I get the impression she’s scared to talk.”

“Well, that’s the thing. I’m here because Sierra has gone missing.”

“What?” I gawked at her.

“She didn’t come home last night, and I can’t reach her. Normally, she always texts me right back. She’s said you’re good at finding things or people.”

I’m good at solving murders, but I have been asked to find the stolen heirloom hairbrush taken from the museum and everyone in town knows it.

“Did Sierra have a date last night or leave a note as to where she was going?”

“No, I came home from work and she wasn’t there.” Madge’s face fell. “You can find her, can’t you?”

“She may show up later. Why don’t you give me your contact info, and we’ll see what happens? Meanwhile, I can reach out to my contacts to see what I can learn but be sure to notify me immediately if Sierra shows up or you hear from her.”

Back to the Present

Reality intruded, and I realized I was dreaming. “You need to leave so I can go back to sleep,” I told Madge in a drowsy voice.

Madge frowned at me. “All right, but make sure you remember our conversation in the morning. I don’t want to be left out of this book. I’m deserving of a part, even a small one.”

“Sure,” I said, closing my eyes and drifting off.

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I still have to write Madge into the story a bit later on from where I am now. This may change things as planned but I can see how it works out. If it doesn’t, I’ll go back to my original plot and Madge will find a place elsewhere.

What do you think? Does she belong in Hanukkah Hairloom Mystery, or should I save her for another tale when she can play a bigger role?

Image by Framania from Pixabay