Circumstantial
Evidence?
You know, it’s
occurred to me that we writers put ourselves in danger sometimes. What with
modern technology and the plethora of information available online at our
fingertips, we can visit anywhere –
usually via revolving screen shots that tour everything from Vegas to the
Vatican. We can find information
about anything. From archaic alchemy formulas purporting
to change metal into gold to precise instructions for saying the Rosary.
And therein lies
the problem. Over the past years,
how many trials have featured the defendant’s computer as one of the star
witnesses? Because face it, unless
you’re a computer whiz yourself, you don’t know how to wipe your computer’s
memory, now do you? I don’t mean
clear out the recent browsing history, occasionally I can actually do
that. I mean the “innards” of your
computer. Where, the experts tell
us, our entire online life is
recorded. Forever. Unless you’ve
got one of those wiping devices from the CIA, of course, and I don’t know about
you, but I just don’t have a lot of those high tech luxuries on my shelf.
So. How easy a target would a writer be to
set up for all manner of criminal shenanigans? Me, for example.
Well, let’s see. Over the
past few years I’ve learned how to obtain a marriage license 24/7 in Vegas and
where to go to use it. I know
where prostitution’s legal in Nevada and where it isn’t. (And actually, it isn’t legal in Las
Vegas). I’ve got a passing acquaintance with Voo-Doo and its hierarchy of
spirits. I’ve checked out the quality and measurement of various controlled
substances, the styles and types of different handguns and the damages each can
inflict. I know the Temple of Isis at Pompeii was excavated in 1764. I know
golems are creatures from Jewish mythology made of sand who do their makers
bidding.
The problem is,
somewhere in the inner workings of my laptop, it’s recorded for anyone who
knows how to access it that I’ve researched all these things. So theoretically, it wouldn’t be all
that hard to build a circumstantial case against me that I’m planning to off my
husband by means of a golem armed with a .357 Magnum, run away to Vegas, open a
brothel, and practice black magic, now would it?
If you’d like to
see the results of all this web-crawling, hop on over to my web-blog, http://gailroughton.blogspot.com where you can view the final results of all
this incriminating research.
Because none of my books would have been possible without it. And keep an eye out for The Coven, coming soon from Books We
Love, Ltd.
The Coven
Chad and Ariel Garrett are off to Bikers’ Week in Daytona! Chad’s buddy Spike, bounty-hunter
turned pediatrician, is coming out from Vegas to go with them. And Ariel’s little sister Stacy’s
riding, too.
But you really didn’t think the Warlock and Witch private investigative
team could get away with having a few days off, did you? Of course not. Chad got a call about an undercover
agent riding with an OMG. An Outlaw
Motorcycle Gang. The guys with the
1% patch on their jacket. The agent’s
MIA. As in “Missing in
Action”. Any law enforcement
agency looking around for somebody who can talk the talk and walk the walk –
well, of course the first person
they’re going to call is Chad Garrett.
The broomstick rides again.
Disguised as a Honda. (Bet you thought I was going to say Harley, didn’t
you? Sorry. Chad’s a Honda man.)
Note from Ginger: You can't miss Gail's War-N-Wit series. It's awesome. I can't wait for the Coven. *smile*
Note from Ginger: You can't miss Gail's War-N-Wit series. It's awesome. I can't wait for the Coven. *smile*
It's a good thing when I was researching poisons, there wasn't any internet, so I had to buy a book. (still sits on my shelf). I've had the pleasure of reading this series and am fortunate to read the WIP. As usual, Gail has a winner on her hands.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't know what I'd do without Ro Dowell to use as my number one sounding board! She's invaluable.
DeleteClever post and scary post. lol. Nice going, Gail. Very original and true. I wonder if they have a prison only for writers. I've talked to dead people in my stories, had fun with a vampire, and had a thief of a monkey. Hmm. Maybe it wouldn't be prison for me, but the loony bin.
ReplyDeleteLol.
You'd have company. They'd have to put all writers in one!
DeleteGreat post! Scary but so true. I suppose researching one of the CIA hard drive cleaners would alert them too.
ReplyDeleteDid libraries keep track of the people who borrowed books on 'interesting' subjects, back in the good old days? I wonder? As a librarian before computers became so popular, I didn't.
I think about it everytime I look up a poison! Thanks for stopping in!
DeleteActually, the record of books we checked out would be on file and basically do the same thing, when you think about it. Just not quite as explicitly.
DeleteRumbled. I've been researching food that is traditional for Christmastide in different countries; ways of making murder appearing as suicide; different mental health conditions; what Saint Augustine of Hippo and St Thomas Aquinas say about lying. So... that probably intimates I am going to bump someone off, and then make it known that they'd been acting strangely lately;I will be able to thwart lie detectors, because, whaddaya you know, I would have an alibi that I'd been cooking up a storm for my international clientèle in my restaurant...
ReplyDeleteIt's AMAZING what interesting lives we could be thought to be living, hun?
DeleteGreat post, and so much truth to it! I still do much of my research with library books, but lately I've been looking into FBI surveillance and mobsters online, boy with the amount of FBI stuff I've been researching, I wouldn't be surprised if I end up on some watch list somewhere:)
ReplyDeleteSara