I began writing about Matthew Scudder in the mid-1970s. The first novel, The Sins of the Fathers, appeared in 1975, and A Drop of the Hard Stuff—the 17th and most recent—was published in 2011. Over the years Scudder has also been featured in 11 short works of fiction- Let&apos-s Get Lost, which first appeared in EQMM in 2000, is one of them.Short stories have provided me with the opportunity for a glance back at Scudder&apos-s life before the first of the novels, when he was a working member of the NYPD. Let&apos-s Get Lost is set at a time when he had his detective&apos-s gold shield, and after he&apos-d begun keeping company with Elaine Mardell, while still living in Syosset with his wife, Anita. It concerns a friendly poker game that doesn&apos-t stay friendly, and the artful cover-up of a cover-up. And Chet Baker&apos-s music, referenced in the title, sets the story&apos-s tone.Let&apos-s Get Lost is included in The Night and the Music, my collection of all 11 Matthew Scudder short stories, available as an eBook or in handsome trade paperback form.
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