Description

Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.

I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.

The rules for law and order create the boundaries for civil co-existence and, ideally, the backdrop for individuals, families, and companies to grow and thrive. Breaking these rules puts civil order at risk. And while murder is the Big Daddy of crimes, codified ordinances across municipal divisions, counties, states, and countries show the nearly endless ways there are to create mayhem. This season, we put our detective skills to the test. This is Season 8, Anything but Murder.

This is Episode 6b, attempted infanticide is the featured crime. This is Safe Haven Part 2 by Jason Little.

Deliberation

Barrett Turner needs our help like few others have. The elusive figurehead Sampic and his loyal SampicKnights are determined to kill Baby Davey if Barrett can’t stop the insanity. Here are the people Barrett’s interacted with today:

• Nelson Kessler, current police chief and former best friend
• Betty Lou Turner, Barrett’s mother and social media fanatic
• Irene Van Horten, current FBI agent and crazy ex-girlfriend
• Kaleb Hempstead, mail carrier who rescued Davey after his mother died

Here are the facts as far as Barrett has figured them out:

• Based on the video evidence, an alien landed in Branch River and raped poor Mary, who weeks later gave birth to Davey. She died explosively in childbirth two days prior. Her house burned down this morning.
• Kaleb saved Davey and brought him home. His wife didn’t want the baby, so he purchased a baby blanket and took him swaddled to the firehouse.
• Barrett tried to turn Davey over to the authorities, but each time, one of the SampicKnights who fought the alien intervened, determined to kill Davey.
• Sampic was an international sensation calling for a unified front to make earth into a safe haven. Some of his followers committed suicide. He was now calling for them to kill the baby with the birthmark over his eye.
• Police chief Nelson Kessler physically looks like Sampic, with his dark hair and eyes. Irene suspects he may be involved with everything going on. He is known to be grandiose with a mean streak, according to Barrett, his former friend.
• Betty Lou Turner was uploading Sampic videos at her home and tried to show them to Barrett, but he wouldn’t watch.
• Barrett said Betty Lou is forgetting things, like how she called him with a “cardiac attack” on the day his wife and son died. She denies she called him but noted the accident happened the same day as the meteor.
• FBI agent Irene Van Horten doesn’t trust Nelson Kessler. She has copies of the videos and has traced the IP to a local computer. She is eager to restart a relationship with Barrett.
• Kaleb has a burned arm that he claims was from a grilling accident, but Barrett isn’t so sure.

Who is behind Sampic and the SampicKnights’ rampant attempted infanticide?

ABOUT Jason Little

Jason Little is a Texas-based writer with a knack for spinning tales that keep readers hooked. His contributions to Mysteries to Die For are packed with twists, suspense, and unforgettable characters. When he’s not crafting mysteries, he’s writing fiction on his blog at JasonLittleWriting.com, where you can dive into more of his stories and musings.

A life insurance agent by day, Jason is also a proud dad of two, a loving fiancé, and a dog enthusiast. He’s big on exploring VR worlds, staying active, and finding inspiration in everyday life.

Follow him on X at...