S5E3 Speed Kills

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. Some episodes are original stories, others will be classics that helped shape the mystery genre we know today. All are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. These are arrangements, which means instead of word-for-word readings, you get a performance meant to be heard. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.This is Season 5, Move It or Lose It. This season contains original stories paying homage to the vehicles that propel mysteries forward. A train was the setting for Agatha Christie’s famed Murder on the Orient Express. A river boat then took center stage on Death on the Nile. Cars have been prominently featured in American crime stories with the glory of the get-a-way vehicle. Then there are the heists from carriages to trains to armored trucks. For Episode 3, a once futuristic but now very much a reality high tech sports car is the featured vehicle. This is Speed Kills by Chuck BrownmanSupport our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, and giving us a five-star review. And mystery readers, check out our print and e-books.A Word Before Dying E-Book (all outlets); Trade Paperback (Amazon Only)Move It or Lose It: e-book and Trade paperback available 3/21/2023ABOUT Chuck BrownmanChuck Brownman has spent the last twenty-five-plus years working on becoming an “overnight writing sensation.” Concentrating on writing mystery / suspense short fiction, his work has been published in several anthologies, including the 2019 Eyes of Texas anthology (Down & Out Press), Volumes 4 and 5 of the annual Death Edge Tales anthology, and a Book-of-the-Month club anthology. He won the 2017 Arizona Mystery Writers Short Story Contest, and he was a finalist in the 2015 Criminal Element.com short fiction contest. His stories also appeared on the mysterynet.com site.In his “real life,” Chuck is a Houston-based corporate and energy attorney, advising and working for some of the country’s most entrepreneurial companies. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law, and has spoken at legal seminars for many yearsMORE from Chuck BrownmanChuck's story, "Independence Day," is up on the Shotgun Honey website, and he expects to have other stories appearing in some anthologies later this year ... more about those later!DELIBERATIONToday’s author, Chuck Brownman, is certainly racking up the body count. First Alastair Stubbins and Quentin Ballinger are gassed, then Sergei Ivanov gets singed. Here is a list of everything with a heartbeat in the house…Alastair Stubbins, a victim, but also an inventor who controlled the world from his little corner. He liked making people dance to his tune. He had a great vision for QN-7 but needed a financial partner to make it reality.Quentin Ballinger, a victim, the chosen financial partner but a man who had money issues. Living in Monaco didn’t stop his company from being on the brink of bankruptcy. He had a reputation for building cheaply.Sergei Ivanov, an almost victim, but a man who wouldn’t accept coming in second. He had a reputation for top quality.Mrs. Ashley Stubbins, a trophy wife with a pre-nup who loved her hubby. Really, she did.Regan Stubbins, the mechanical engineering daughter and heir apparent who didn’t like the deal her father was rigging.Paul Stubbins, the artist in residence who didn’t like anything about his father except his moneyNow that we have the heartbeats straight…here’s a summary of what we know.Quentin Ballinger and Sergei Ivanov were staying at the Stubbins’ estate, one of them would close on a deal with Alastair Stubbins to complete the design and produce the QN-7.The QN-7 was outfitted with next generation artificial intelligence that would let it learn to the point of making its own decisions. It was a top-secret operation. Only two key fobs existed. One Stubbins had and the other he gave to his wife.Security information showed the door to the garage opened at eleven fifty at night. This is assumed to be Stubbins and Ballinger.Stubbins and Ballinger died of carbon dioxide poisoning that came from the QN-7. There are signs of some sort of struggle, but there was no damage to either body and both were found next to the QN-7. The times of death was pinned between eleven pm and 2 am.Security information showed the door to the garage opened again at twelve forty-seven. This is assumed to be the killer.All the doors were closed – man doors and garage doors. There is no explanation for why the two able-bodied men didn’t open a door and walk out.Sergei Ivanov reports being in his bedroom all night. This was neither confirmed nor denied.Ashley Stebbins was in her bedroom all night. This was neither confirmed nor denied.Paul Stebbins was alone in his room in the carriage house all night. This was confirmed only by Regan.Regan Stebbins was alone in her room in the carriage house all night. Only Paul confirmed this.WRAP UPThat wraps this episode of Mysteries to Die For. Please do support our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, and giving us a five-star review. Become a member of our Body Bag Brigade by financially supporting this season with a one-time donation. Check out our website TGWolff.com/Podcast for links to this season’s authors.Mysteries to Die For is hosted by TG Wolff and Jack Wolff. Speed Kills was written by Chuck Brownman. Music and production are by Jack Wolff. Episode art is by TG Wolff.