a historical romance circa 1990
Andre Optic meets Sara Berlin

"coy, mysterious, sexy,
a collusion of photographs & story" 
Booklist

"delightful, very well written...
a sparkling gem" 
Nob Hill Gazette

INTRO

Memo on Trans-Atlantic Flight 6006, Destination Paris

Clues are few enough in any plane crash. In this case the flight recorder is also missing. But seven miles from the left wing we found a suede traveling purse. Inside, most of the photos, love letters and telephone tapes survived undamaged. Our investigating team at first dismissed these, as too personal to relate to the twisted facts of destruction. But, after transcribing and translating, we realized differently. The purse is our black box! It tells a disturbing story, however appealing. If death is a great denier, so is love. We're still looking for a bomb, but evidence is equivocal. It's not certain that the writers of the letters were among the passengers. Their names aren't on the manifest, but two victims aren't identified yet. Was one on the ground? Was he the target? Was she carrying explosives? Answers are uncertain. Nevertheless, as close as this couple came to be, they hardly knew each other. Her innocence is sly, his humor revealing. Obsession and opportunity inspired their romance. Are they playing with us from the grave? Are we their death grin? Or was their love after all impossible? Did they disappear themselves deliberately? Are we being short-sighted? Is the joke on us? We've yet to locate anyone, who will help us to a conclusion. Perhaps the phone tapes and the long-distance letters speak clearly enough. We need your opinion. Please report immediately.

Nancy Dawson Stiles and E Le Blot
Investigating agents May 23, 1992

© 1998  X. Y.  ZEBRA

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