Finn has decided to move from his Seattle home to Washington, D.C. where he will take over the family business. And while his girlfriend, Rowan, understands, she is decidedly upset at the thought of him moving across the country. When, at the last minute, he changes his mind and decides to stay, Ro is overjoyed.

But there’s something a bit strange about Finn, little things that just don’t make sense. And then the strange phone calls from Private Caller begin . . . and Private Caller sounds like Finn.

As Ro investigates, she discovers things are much more complicated than she’d imagined . . . and she’s in danger of losing Finn forever.

Readers will have no problem figuring out exactly what’s going on in this intriguing, albeit slightly creepy, short story. But, be forewarned: the author leaves some important questions unanswered. How did those phone calls work? How was other-Finn able to reach Rowan? Why is there no information about other-Rowan?

And then there’s the elephant in the room: Who was on the phone at the end of the story? [Setting up for a sequel, perhaps?]

But none of those questions can dampen the cleverness of this alternate universe tale. Cue the “Twilight Zone” music and settle back to enjoy this interesting story.

Recommended. ( )