Folk Lure

By Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Drew, a private investigator, protects Karen. Lonely, sad, vulnerable Karen.

So, when Karen decides to respond to a suspicious-sounding personal ad about a music audition, Drew tags along. What he observes puts his instincts on high alert.

Drew fears the Folklorist plans to use Karen and toss her away.

But the truth will prove far more unsettling than Drew can ever imagine.

"Rusch is a great storyteller."

—RT Book Reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: WMG Publishing
• Release date: Aug 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386499671

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes in almost every genre. Generally, she uses her real name (Rusch) for most of her writing. Under that name, she publishes bestselling science fiction and fantasy, award-winning mysteries, acclaimed mainstream fiction, controversial nonfiction, and the occasional romance. Her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in eighteen best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov’s Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award. Publications from The Chicago Tribune to Booklist have included her Kris Nelscott mystery novels in their top-ten-best mystery novels of the year. The Nelscott books have received nominations for almost every award in the mystery field, including the best novel Edgar Award, and the Shamus Award. She writes goofy romance novels as award-winner Kristine Grayson, romantic suspense as Kristine Dexter, and futuristic sf as Kris DeLake.  She also edits. Beginning with work at the innovative publishing company, Pulphouse, followed by her award-winning tenure at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, she took fifteen years off before returning to editing with the original anthology series Fiction River, published by WMG Publishing. She acts as series editor with her husband, writer Dean Wesley Smith, and edits at least two anthologies in the series per year on her own. To keep up with everything she does, go to kriswrites.com and sign up for her newsletter. To track her many pen names and series, see their individual websites (krisnelscott.com, kristinegrayson.com, krisdelake.com, retrievalartist.com, divingintothewreck.com). She lives and occasionally sleeps in Oregon.

Book preview

Folk Lure

Folk Lure

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

WMG Publishing, Inc.

Contents

Folk Lure

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Also by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

About the Author

Folk Lure

M folklorist seeks F vocalist with large repertoire and great knowledge of history/culture. Send demo tape and photograph to #4778.

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Idon’t know, I said. Doesn’t sound like an audition to me."

Sometimes they list auditions in the personals, Karen said. You have to know how to read the ads.

We were sitting on my sofa, newspapers spread between us. My computer hummed on the desk pushed up against the couch. The front door was open, revealing the concrete walkway that lead to the other apartments, but the windows were closed. Sunlight was trying to sneak in, but I wouldn’t let it.

I know how to read the ads, I said gently. No sense trying to tell her that I often read them for my job. Did DWM, 37, Professional, financial secure, spontaneous really mean what it said or was it a cover for one of my clients’ husbands? Was Seeking Punk-Girl Type for athletic independent GWF confirmation that another client’s wife was getting some female companionship on the side?

The personals were a giant boon to my business. I scanned them every week and used them for more cases than I liked to think about. In fact, the Eager, willing & able SGWM ad, the one that sought active willing partners and claimed to be ultra discreet, Bi & Married welcome was mine. Not that I was Single—I was Divorced; not that I was Gay—I wasn’t; and not that I was White—I only looked that way. My heritage was Creole, Commanche, Black and German. For some strange reason, my skin showed only the German. That ad was a fishing expedition and with it, I caught more philandering husbands than I did with my zoom lens.

See? Karen said, pointing at another ad beneath the Common Interests category. This one says, ‘Seeking Female Vocalist for postrock group. Inf. incl. Pale Saints, My Bloody Valentine—’

I get the picture, I said. Why don’t they advertise in the regular classifieds?

Because they’re just starting out and can’t pay.

There is a Volunteers Wanted section.

She shrugged. Not the same. Bands want personal relationships with each other.

And folklorists? I asked. Is that what they want too?

Come on, Drew. You’re being too harsh.

I studied the ad again. It’s one of those cute ads, like ‘Gilligan seeks life raft. Divorced white male 41 feels alone on island. All rescue attempts have failed…’

I read that one, she said. It’s stupid. He’s trying to win the Personal Ad of the Week, not get a date.

And this folklorist isn’t?

It’s not a funny ad.

True. I