Challenge 611

The Arctic Moves South

In Kochava Greene’s “Incident at St. Laurita’s,” how might the story change if the Wajas were human, e.g. a band of male or female bandits?
In Catherine J. Skye’s “The Butterfly Inquiries,” does Detective Rosati solve a mystery or discover one?
In Dawnell Harrison’s “The Monsoon,” what form might a “monsoon” take in a desert? What are “hooks and cold blanks”?
In Sudha Srivatsan’s “The Soot In-Between,” what might “soot” refer to?
In Richard Ong’s “Frozen Waves,” why is “the coldest February in recorded history” — i.e. since meteorological records have been kept — evidence of global warming?
In Christopher J. Ferguson’s “A Thin Veil of Innocence”:
1. What is Marcus’ last name? What is Stieger’s first name? What is the principal’s name?
2. Why does Marcus assume that Richie knows he’s being interrogated about the cat?
3. Does Detective Stieger need a warrant to search the tree house?
4. Why did Arnold not tell anyone but Richie that Ashley had tied him to the tree and tortured him with the Taser? Who took the photographs?
5. How might Ashley have better planned her crime?
6. Is Ashley likelier to become a pediatrician or a serial killer?