"Reach out and Touch Someone"

Word count: 21860
Percent complete: 43.72

Can't write NaNo without old NaNo shirt.

Giving up on GlassWriter because I couldn't add a prologue. Stupid program. I guess I'll miss the notepads and the daily word count, but other than that, it's just too sketchy. At one point, it killed 2000+ words (which I was able to recover thanks to frequent backups. Thank you.)

Prologue: Reach out and Touch Someone

My cell phone rings. I put down the camera and pull my phone from the inside pocket of my sport coat. The caller ID display shows that it is my wife, Livvy. I haven’t been around much lately what with one case or another always taking up my time and it seems that the only way we communicate now is through clipped, awkward phone calls. I flip open the phone.
“Bonnet,” I say – it’s a habit.
“Mr. Bonnet, this is Mrs. Bonnet,” she says. She sounds happy, her voice lighter than it’s been in a while.
“Hello there, Mrs. Bonnet,” I say. “It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve heard from you.”
“It certainly has been a dog’s age and a half. How are you?”
“I’m quite well, thanks very much for asking. How are you?”
“I’m feeling wonderful. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming and the air is clear.”
“That’s quite an impressive list. I wish it were all the same out here,” I say.
“Oh, Charlie, I’m sorry to hear that. Is work bringing you down?”
“Don’t worry about me, my dear. I’ll pull through.”
“You always do, Charlie. That’s one of the things I love about you. Say, when are you coming home?” she asks.
“I don’t know, sweetheart. Soon, I hope,” I say.
“I hope so too. I’d really love to see you tonight.”
“I’ll do everything I can to make that happen, Livvy. I promise.”
“I will too, Charlie. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
We hang up. I drop my phone back inside my pocket and pick up the camera. As I look through the viewfinder, I hear footsteps behind me. I don’t get a chance to turn around before I feel a stinging blow on the back of my head and everything goes black.