20 writers absent themselves …
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“I’m going to go,” she says finally, backing out of my office door. “I just … you had to know. It’s important to me that you know.” from Make Way for Ducklings by Michael Webb
First off, we noticed he was hardly out of his room. He came down to the restaurant once or twice. from Shadows in the Grass by Martin Phillips
“Maestro,” he began, his voice cracked with emotion. “I won’t be able to make it tonight. I’m so very sorry.” from Unspoken Crescendo by Jamie Bucuy
He’d never felt more prepared for a concert, so why the attack of nerves? from Passenger by Pamela Baker
His cosplay mates wanted him to play for them on the Jo Co Cruise, a week-long event at sea with music, panels and comedy. from Just Cruising by Sylvia Petter
After half an hour or so, a Dodge Hornet slowed and stopped on the shoulder of the road. The driver, a young woman with striking green eyes and a bob of red hair that contrasted with the 8-Ball Black colour of the Dodge, wound down the passenger window. from Hellman by Allan J. Wills
To him the row of pictures looked like a slatternly woman, then a Starbucks cup and then a large letter F. Followed by an old man and a tombstone. from Location, Location, Location by Scott MacLeod
“We thought she’d been kidnapped at first, but her clothes are gone, too. And she took her gamelan instruments with her.” from Variations on a Theme with Bassoon by Cheryl Snell
They had met buying croissants at Loretta Lane’s Bakeshop. Helen had dropped her parcel and Solomon had immediately picked it up. from Solomon’s Decision by Jane H. Fitzgerald
As he picked up his old case, the woman stared at it. ‘Is there a musical instrument in that?’ She asked as if it were no idle question. from A Tug at the Heart Strings by Sarah Das Gupta
In the past, it used to be the violas who were mocked and teased. ‘How on earth do you manage to shove that oversized fiddle under your chin?’ from Nature Calls by GP Hyde
The youth glanced out the rear window, his gaze coming to rest on the back seat. “What’s in the fancy leather case?” from In Concert Black by Darrell Petska
‘Jesus,’ he cried and leaped back, … and then, ‘Jesus,’ again! His bassoon was in the cab! from Solomon’s Choice by Carol Adams
Solomon rolled his eyes. Why did women love these guessing games? What happened to good old directness? from Pregnant Pause by rani Jayakumar
Nearly a year has passed since then, and Solomon now realized that hiring Miss Belle was one of the best decisions of his life. from Echoes of Betrayal by S. Roy
For once, my dear, you won’t be needed today. You can stay there. I know you cost me twenty thousand bucks, but you are a Schreiber S71, a prince amongst bassoons. from King Solomon’s Mind by Ronald T. Hardwick
The first notes came to his mind. He spread and extended his lips, grimaced, yawned again, and closed his mouth with a clink of teeth. from Their Second Coming by Marta Morawiecka
The injury had a slight upward trajectory meaning the wound was inflicted by a smaller assailant. The deceased was a tall man. from Solomon is Alive by Melissa E. Wong
Sandy extends a paw, which I shake. “I know you’ll listen quietly,” I say. “You’ll finally hear the full piece you’ve heard me practicing for months now.” from The MahJong Meringues by Susmita Ramani
“I, um … yes,” I say. And I don’t know where the words come from, as I hear them just as everyone else hears them, tremulous and pale. “I guess we have … a problem.” from An Empty Chair by Matt Potter
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