{"id":2026,"date":"2021-10-29T12:46:06","date_gmt":"2021-10-29T16:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/?p=2026"},"modified":"2023-08-15T18:44:27","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T18:44:27","slug":"2026-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/2021\/10\/29\/2026-2\/","title":{"rendered":"PODCAST SCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH THE CHARACTERS OF HANGING SOFTLY IN THE NIGHT"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

I created this Podcast Script as a Character Interview for an audiobook tour that recently took place. I am posting it here because it was so much fun to write! It also gives the reader an idea of how the characters interact with each other, which says so much about who they are.<\/span><\/p>\n

Enjoy!<\/span><\/p>\n

Thrills & Kills Podcast, Ep. 1<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

<podcast episode theme music by Charles Kahlenberg><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome, all ye listeners of my Thrills & Kills Podcast, where romance and mystery reign…with a twist, of course!<\/span><\/p>\n

Hope everyone is having an awesome day and is ready for a great show. And, look at that. I see my regulars are already tuning in to today\u2019s podcast, as many other mystery fans are, as well. A big thanks to all, and for all your questions before the show, too. I\u2019ll try to get to all of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also…remember to hit that thumbs up and share, share, share. Keep a sharp lookout, too, for all the goodies in my next newsletter. It will be a fun ride.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before we start, I would like to issue a small spoiler alert. Today, as I announced last week, I have a special treat for everyone. It is my tremendous pleasure to introduce a crime-solving team every New Yorker can be proud of. I\u2019m talking about none other than Detective Nick Larson, his partner Detective Victor Sacco, and his FID partners Tish Ramos and Josh Carpenter. (FID means Forensic Investigation Department, for those not on the know). We\u2019ll be asking them questions about the famous Howard murder case that took place close to a year ago. And that is where the spoiler alert comes in. For those not familiar with the case, I suggest you go to Amazon and to read up on the Nick Larson Prequel Short Story that is on Kindle Unlimited. It is a short read, concise, with details on the police procedures done to gift final exoneration to the woman mistaken for a killer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of you want me to ask about any current cases the detectives may be working on. Unfortunately, my hands and my mouth are tied on that issue, since NYPDs finest won\u2019t divulge any information in order not to derail an ongoing investigation. But…you know me. I\u2019ll try…and probably get slapped down for it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, let\u2019s start with introductions. Welcome to our Zoom chat, Detectives. Can each of you do the honors and tell our audience a bit about yourselves? Detective Larson, why don\u2019t you start?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

First, on behalf of myself and our team, we\u2019d like to thank you for this invitation.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019re welcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a police officer with the NYPD for more than fifteen years, and ten with the 16th. Started as a street cop and worked myself up to my current position in the force…<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Which is?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

That of lieutenant. I\u2019ve been partnered with Detective Sacco here for close to six years, and with Ramos and Carpenter for three. I live in the city, born and bred here. My parents died and are no longer with us.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh, I\u2019m so sorry, detective. Was it recent?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No. Mom died of cancer when I was nineteen. Dad from emphysema ten years later.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Any relatives here?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No. My uncle retired from NYFD, that\u2019s the fire department, and they\u2019ve been living in Palm Springs ever since.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Any siblings, wife, or family members still living here?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, from the expression on your face, I\u2019m not getting an answer to that, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As cops, we don\u2019t like to publicly release any family details, or personal information. It\u2019s a matter of safety, especially for our loved one. We deal with enough danger as it is. Heck, we don\u2019t even put our names on our mailboxes.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I understand. Miss Ramos?<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I am a trace evidence specialist with Forensics Investigations. My forte are fingerprint and chemical analysis. I received my degree from CUNY John Jay in forensic science about five years ago and have been working in the department since graduation. And, like Nick said, I have been working with the team for three. Also, born and bred here, but live in Brooklyn. Heck of a commute to the precinct, but then, what New Yorker doesn\u2019t shlep for hours to get to work?<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Detective Sacco, you\u2019re next.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Like Larson, I did my first stint as a street cop nine years ago, and the last six partnered with him in the investigations division. Unlike Larson, here, I come from a law enforcement family, also New York, born and bred. Have a sister who cooks the best Italian food ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Her garlic bread is to die-for.<\/span><\/p>\n

CARPENTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And her homemade lasagna is awesome.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

How about you, Mr. Carpenter?<\/span><\/p>\n

CARPENTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a digital forensics specialist.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

He\u2019s our computer, camera, and video whiz kid.<\/span><\/p>\n

CARPENTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Been working with these guys since I graduated, too. Got hired three years ago, and I\u2019ve been with this team ever since. Have a girlfriend.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

By the way, so that the listeners know, this isn\u2019t all your team?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No. We\u2019re missing the Captain and our Medical Examiner. They\u2019re extremely busy, so they couldn\u2019t make it tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n

CARPENTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In this city, Totes is always busy.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

OMG, No, no, Josh. It\u2019s Millsap. Millsap.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Heck, kid.<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

<laughing><\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s going to have your and our ass for airing his nickname on the radio.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Keep it clean, please. It\u2019s a podcast, gentlemen.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And lady.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Relationships?<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Only me and Tish.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In your dreams, Sacco.<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hey. I\u2019ll get there.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Is it always like this with you guys?<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Pretty much.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We all have our private lives, but we don\u2019t talk about it much.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes. I got the message. One of the \u2018don\u2019t ask\u2019 buttons. How is your working relationship, though?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s very good. We are like a body, everything in it works together to keep it functioning.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

But Nick is the heartbeat.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No, Ramos. Without everyone\u2019s input, thoughts, and observations, we wouldn\u2019t solve the crimes. We each work in our different departments, using our expertise, and bring to the table a piece of the whole puzzle. That is the way we get justice for the victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And your gut leads the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Not that again.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELEN<\/strong><\/span>A<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What do you mean?<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh, Nick\u2019s gut is famous. If it hadn\u2019t been for his insistence that something was wrong in the slam-dunk Howard case, we\u2019d have convicted an innocent woman.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

You found the print.<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

But you figured it out. If you hadn\u2019t pointed out…<\/span><\/p>\n

CARPENTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And pointed out…<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

…why the killer had insisted on shifting the security camera. If that hadn\u2019t been pointed out, Ramos wouldn\u2019t have concentrated on the image and print on it.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Carpenter helped, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

CARPENTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Had to fiddle with some filters, but got a really good still of the thumb from the security camera video.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

That leads me to several questions from my podcast members about the Howard case. First one is: What made you suspect Laura Howard had NOT murdered her husband?<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was the eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Laura Howard\u2019s eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Am I missing something here?<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Our lips are sealed.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What these idiots are not saying is that, while interrogating her, we didn\u2019t…<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No. Not we. You didn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Okay. So, I didn\u2019t believe she\u2019d done it.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Told you. His gut.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry. I\u2019m at a loss. Can you explain to our audience what you mean?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The expression \u2018the eyes are the window to the soul\u2019 is not too far off. We\u2019re trained to catch nuances in criminals\u2019 expressions. Ms. Howard\u2019s manner was always one of horror, disbelief, and pain. That made me suspect there was something not right with the case.<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Not that sociopaths can\u2019t fool you.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

But Laura\u2019s demeanor in interrogation was not of a person who\u2019d just brutally butchered her husband…<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And don\u2019t forget her shirt, too, \u00e0 la Jack the ripper. The clothing and pattern of destruction on it also gave us a clue.<\/span><\/p>\n

CARPENTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Especially when everything, including the crime, had been caught on the apartment\u2019s security video.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

There was disbelief and confusion there, too, when we presented her with that evidence.<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And as we went over the crime scene once more, getting it to talk to him, as my partner likes to say, we found one or two discrepancies with the evidence.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What was constantly throwing us off was that the video showed Laura, in digital perfection, knifing the blouse, having brutal sex with her husband, then butchering him immediately after.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ouch<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh, it was something to see.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Can I ask you something before we go on? It was another question posed by a podcast member. Many times you act flippantly, especially with each other, always joking around, often in a crude way. Why is that?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s how we stay sane. I know many people object to our gallows humor and dark euphemisms, but it\u2019s our way of coping with the brutality we deal with day in and day out. If you see what we see every day, you would institutionalize yourself in less than a week.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Or worse.<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah.<\/span><\/p>\n

CARPENTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What else gave you a clue that Ms. Howard was not guilty?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

She fidgeted with the camera after the fact. A normal person…<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Heck Nick. She\u2019s not normal.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Total psycho.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Laura Howard?<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No. The real killer. Sandra Ward.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

You see, a normal person, wanting to hide his or her crime, would, at best, disable the security system first or, at worst, block, even move the camera out of the way so it wouldn\u2019t record the killing. But that wasn\u2019t the case here. Sandra Ward moved the camera AFTER the butchering had been recorded.<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was an in-your-face kind of thing. As if daring us to prove she HADN\u2019T done the killing…<\/span><\/p>\n

CARPENTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And who can dispute a video in court? The images clearly pointed the finger at the guilty party: Laura Howard.<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If it hadn\u2019t been for Nick\u2019s persistence and insistence, I would never have checked the fingerprints on that camera.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Weren\u2019t you going to check those anyway?<\/span><\/p>\n

RAMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No, not really. Not with video proving she had done the murder.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019d have sent an innocent woman to jail, and let another one, the real killer, free to go about her life.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What was your reaction when you found it was her unbeknown twin who had committed murder?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Satisfying. Very satisfying.<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And creepy AF.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA<\/strong> ELENA<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Must have been something to face Sandra Ward.<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Remember my comment about the eyes? It was uncanny…<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Not to mention disturbing…<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

…interrogating someone who had the same hair color, eye color, nose, and lip shape. Who had a mole exactly at the upper right hand corner of her upper lip. Height, weight. Everything exact, except for fingerprints and the expression in the eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Cynical?<\/span><\/p>\n

LARSON<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

More than that. Sandra Ward\u2019s eyes spoke of lifelong hustling, of street experience. They were uncaring eyes. Calculating most of the time. Jealous and focused inward. Opportunistic. Reminded me of my late ex-wife\u2019s eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Whoa! Stop the press! You had a wife?<\/span><\/p>\n

SACCO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Look at the time, buddy. We have to split. Say \u2018bye, everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

MARIA ELENA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wait! Wait! Darn! They cut off the Zoom link. Well, folks. There you have it. New York\u2019s finest exiting the Zoom link all at the same time. It is true what they say: police officers are tight lipped about their personal details. Anyway, our time is up. Hope you all enjoyed our program today. And for those who want to learn more about the Howard case we were discussing, all the details are in \u201cMirror, Mirror: A Prequel Detective Nick Larson Short Story,\u201d available in Kindle Unlimited. The links to the case are pinned below: https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B08H5TS9DT<\/a>\/.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take care, be safe, and see you next time on my Thrills & Kills Podcast, where we will be speaking with Artist Gabriela Martinez and yummy Richard Harrison about their grueling time in the French Riviera.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Bye!<\/span><\/p>\n

<podcast episode theme music by Charles Kahlenberg><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Slightly-Open-Door_Kahlenberg_RM001.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I created this Podcast Script as a Character Interview for an audiobook tour that recently took place. I am posting it here because it was so much fun to write! It also gives the reader an idea of how the characters interact with each other, which says so much about who they are. Enjoy! Thrills … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2028,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2026"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2790,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026\/revisions\/2790"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.webcraftersdesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}