All registrants for SleuthFest 2009 are invited to submit a short story. The winning story will be published in the SleuthFest program book and, in addition, the winner will be given free registration for SleuthFest 2010.

The 2008 Contest Winner was Buck Buchanan. His winning story was entitled "A Dark and Stormy Night" so that title is taken. Otherwise you have 2500 words and the following:

Setup:
You have arrived at the Deerfield Beach Hilton on Thursday afternoon, February 26, 2009, for SleuthFest. You are looking forward to four days of concentrated learning about the art, science, and business of mystery writing. The nice people at the front desk welcome you, ask (as they always do) if they may take an imprint of your credit card, and hand you a small folder containing the magnetic coded room keys with your room number hastily written on the outside.

As you turn to go to the elevator you hear, "Excuse me. You have a message too." The clerk gives you a sealed hotel stationery envelope. You happily tear it open. You're having dinner with old friends. They were going to leave you a message telling you when, where, and how to drive there from the hotel.

The note says, "I dumped the package in the Everglades. Made some alligators a good lunch. I'll be up to see you at five. Have the money or you'll be making the 'gators a good dinner."

You check the outside of the envelope. It is addressed to Room 743. The folder the desk-clerk gave you is for Room 748.

What happens next in 2500 words or less?

GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Six copies of each story should be sent to the SleuthFest 2009 Short Story Contest Chair, Bob Williamson, at 1235 NE 96th Street, Miami Shores, FL 33138.
• Manuscripts must be submitted on paper. E-mail submissions will not be accepted. An electronic version of the selected story may be needed later, but do not send one unless asked to do so.
• Use a legible standard font such as Courier or Times New Roman at 12 pt size; no fancy fonts or formatting, please. Double space. Underline words that are to be italicized. Indent the first line of new paragraphs by five spaces.
• Print on one side of the paper only. Make sure the required story title and page number is at the top of each page and use at least 1" margins on all sides. Paper clips are okay, but do not bind, staple, fold, or put your story in a folder.
• On the cover sheet only, put your real name, and on new lines each: your pen name if you use one, your address, phone number, e-mail address, and word count (2500 or less) for the story.
• At the middle of the first page of the story, type the full story title in CAPS, go down two lines and begin the story on the next line:
  
  (Example)
  
  
  A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT
  
  
  It was a dark and stormy night….
  
  At the end of your story, type END or ###.
• Assume that the "Set-Up" is printed at the top of your story so you don't have to repeat or paraphrase it. Also don't worry if you decide to write in first person and the Set-Up is not first person.
• Mail the six copies of the manuscript in an envelope marked "SleuthFest 2009."