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. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.
In the world’s most dangerous working environments it can seem like everything is out to kill you. The equipment you use. The materials you work with. The very air you breathe. Stored energy is a coiled viper waiting for the right moment to lash out. Owners, manufacturers, contractors, and beyond have developed safety protocols to combat STCKY, that is, Stuff That Can Kill You. Gravity, Motion, Mechanical, Electrical, Pressure, Sound, Radiation, Biological, Chemical, Temperature. This season is all about the means of murder as authors put our STCKY detective skills to the test. This is Season 9, Stuff That Can Kill You.
This is Episode 13, where chemical is our STCKY means of death. This is Speed Kills by Chuck Brownman, a re-broadcast of the Season 5 episode first dropped on February 3, 2023
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Today’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 money
Now 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.
ABOUT Chuck Brownman
A mostly-retired (and hopefully recovering) attorney, Chuck Brownman now enjoys writing noir fiction, concentrating on short fiction. His work has been published in several anthologies and on multiple websites, including those listed at the top of this episode. He has also served various times as a judge for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards. When not writing fiction, Chuck continues to advise some of the country’s most entrepreneurial energy and natural resource companies. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law, and has spoken at legal seminars for many years. He lives with his wife in Colorado, the peaceful vistas offering a counterbalance to his suspenseful and often bloody crime fiction. A full list of his published fiction can be found at his website, www.chuckbrownman.com
WRAP UP
That wraps this episode of Mysteries to Die For. Support our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, or joining our membership. Check out our website m2d4podcast.com 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. Join us next week for a Toe Tag, which is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, or thriller genre. Then come back in for our next original story, also by Chuck Brownman where chemical, mechanical, heat, pretty much everything is our STCKY means of murder in Rendering the Truth.
