IAIN KELLY

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

James stood against the railing, feeling refreshed in his tuxedo.

It had been an arduous fortnight.

Tomorrow, disembark at Alexandria, then a plane ride back home to London.

A woman approached, dressed in an elegant ballgown.

‘Join me?’ she asked, offering a flute of champagne.

A boy ran between them and vomited over the side of the boat.

‘Too much buffet, Dad.’

James looked at his son. Some of the sick had landed on James’ trousers.

‘Sorry,’ James shrugged at the woman.

On the deck above, Phillips stood in a tuxedo, checked a roll of film was safe in his pocket, and sipped champagne.


fridays-moon-ted-strutz
Copyright Ted Strutz

Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

You can read more short stories about the spy Phillips here: THE PHILLIPS SPY STORIES.

95 responses to “MISTAKEN IDENTITY”

  1. neilmacdon Avatar

    Revenge is sweet

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  2. rochellewisoff Avatar

    Dear Iain,

    Nothing like a little barf on the trousers to destroy the facade. Nice little spy drama.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Rochelle

      Like

  3. J Hardy Carroll Avatar

    A bit confused about the woman’s role in this.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      An innocent looking for romance, a friendly spy checking everything’s okay or an enemy agent looking to intercept the film roll. You can decide, either way, she has the wrong man.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar

        I got that!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar

        Glad you did 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  4. granonine Avatar

    Eew. Glad I’m not a spy 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      At least the travel is good 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. granonine Avatar

        Maybe–if it’s vomit-free 🙂

        Liked by 3 people

  5. magarisa Avatar

    Intriguing story. I suppose the woman lost interest in Mr. Spy after the vomiting incident.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks, Was he a spy or just a father on holiday with a troublesome son?!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. magarisa Avatar

        Hmm … not sure. You keep your readers guessing.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar

        That’s part of the fun 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Meha Sharma Avatar

    Intriguing! He was spying on him? One can interpret many possibilities and that is the beauty of it. Great one 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Meha for entering into the spirit of the spy story, where it is part of the mystery that you are unsure who anyone really is, or what their motives are! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  7. James Avatar

    Poor James Bond. Marriage and parenthood has ruined his mystique.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I figured calling him James would help set the genre in which the tale is set.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. James Avatar

        True, poor fellow. For the rest of us, it would be just another day in the life, but for Bond it must be sheer torture.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Edith M. Field Avatar

    I love it! So full of intrigue, brought down to earth by the intervention of regurgitated food! Great stuff, Iain!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Everyday life usually gets in the way – it’s not like in the movies! Thanks Edith.

      Liked by 2 people

  9. Liz H Avatar

    So much rich, and unanswered back-story…begging for a “What happened next?”, post-haste!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      One day I will take one of these short stories and write a novel from it… one day!

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Natasha Avatar
        Natasha

        There is no such thing as someday! You got to do it now. Your talent needs to be showcased for the world to read.
        Go for it Iain!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Liz H Avatar

        NanoWriMo is just around the bend…

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Iain Kelly Avatar

        Thanks for the reminder 😕

        Like

      4. Liz H Avatar

        I tell people I’m exploring my “Pantser-self” & will be avoiding schedules and discipline…

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Liz Young Avatar

    One deck out – how will they explain that to their bosses?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Will they be given a chance to explain?

      Like

  11. Varad Avatar

    She must be one crappy Spy. Good fun, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Harsh, but her bosses might think the same! Thanks Varad.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Varad Avatar

        I’m fairly sure performance evaluations are very tough in the spy business.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Natasha Avatar
    Natasha

    Ah! Nice. With a booming twist.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Natasha

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Lynn Love Avatar

    That’s the problem with cruises – too many men drinking champers and wearing monket suits! Nicely done Iain. I wonder if she will ever find her man?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I think he has slipped her by. Thanks Lynn.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lynn Love Avatar

        He’ll be in trouble when he returns to HQ … 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  14. pennygadd51 Avatar

    A nicely written spy story, from the days when espionage was glamorous!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Penny, much easier to write spy stories before the internet, mobile phones and the like came along! 🙂

      Like

  15. Keith's Ramblings Avatar

    A spy story with a bit of puke chucked in to make it more exciting! Nice one Iain.
    Click to read my FriFic!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Keith

      Like

  16. Dale Avatar
    Dale

    That was fun indeed, Iain. So many directions this story could go. Nothing like a little puke to put a damper on what could have been…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      There’s never a good time for a vomiting child to arrive on the scene.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Dale Avatar
        Dale

        My son Iain was known as the “Duke of Puke” – so yeah… never a good sign…

        Liked by 2 people

  17. Björn Rudberg (brudberg) Avatar

    Nothing is better than when glamour collides with grit… but being barfed upon is perhaps on page 14 in the double O manuals.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Always have a spare tuxedo standing by.

      Like

  18. plaridel Avatar

    at least nobody died. saved for another day. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      True, an upside 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Moon Avatar
    Moon

    Versatility at its best !
    Great story.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Akshata Ram Avatar

    I had to read this twice- so I would interpret it as the spy clicks his photo with her and uses it to blackmail him?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      That’s an interesting theory, and a good one. Thanks Akshata 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Lavanya Avatar
    Lavanya

    Poor James. Worst nightmare – someone barfing when you are trying to chat up a significant other. Nicely written

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      The story of James’ holiday I fear. Thanks for reading.

      Like

  22. justjoyfulness Avatar

    Kids can be little saviours sometimes, can’t they? Nicely played out drama 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Even if they don’t mean to be! Thank you.

      Like

  23. Kalpana Solsi Avatar

    James, the lady and Philips are playing the game of cat and mouse with each other. The little boy seems to be out of place on the cruise.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      James would certainly prefer him not to be there at that moment for sure 🙂

      Like

  24. Sheena Avatar

    Was he spying on him… on her… or maybe just the moon 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It’s a mystery to me too, I should probably try and figure it out… 🙂

      Like

  25. Vivian Zems Avatar

    I’m up to speed now. What is Phillips up to ?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I’m not even sure. He’s a tricky guy to pin down, but a survivor for sure 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  26. rgayer55 Avatar

    Lot’s of intrigue here, Iain, with a splash of humor thrown in. Good one.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  27. draliman Avatar

    At least Phillips was too far away to get vomit on the film. That would have been embarrassing.

    Like

  28. Madison Ward Avatar

    You can always trust a child to ruin the moment! Nice story Iain

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Too true! Thanks Madison.

      Liked by 1 person

  29. Alice Audrey Avatar

    I think I’m missing too much of the story. I don’t see how the film comes in.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I leave that up to you to decide what could be on the film, why he might be stealing it, why she might be after it – or maybe it’s none of those things at all.

      Like

  30. Joy Pixley Avatar

    Poor James, thinking he had a shot for a moment there. But if she’s in the same business as Phillips, his son’s vomit might have just saved his life…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Exactly that. Thanks Joy.

      Liked by 1 person

  31. spicedmullings Avatar

    Good one. Whether your appetite for more!💐

    Liked by 1 person

    1. spicedmullings Avatar

      Sorry, auto correction messed it up!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. spicedmullings Avatar

        Whets your appetite for more

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar

        Thanks, glad you liked it 🙂

        Like

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  32. Chasing the Kill Avatar

    Very clever. I liked it!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 🙂

      Like

  33. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar

    What a wonderfully balanced story about spies and parenthood. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Alicia, much appreciated compliment.

      Like

  34. prior.. Avatar

    was confused about Phillips at the end – but read comment to J hardy and got it all…
    but love the on the deck scene – felt right there

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Sascha Darlington Avatar

    So much for feeling refeshed in the tuxedo. Very compact writing. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Sascha

      Like

  36. Dahlia Avatar

    An intriguing write, so many questions so many possibilities.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Dahlia, certainly a lot of different theories from the comments that I’m enjoying reading.

      Liked by 1 person

  37. Sarah Ann Avatar
    Sarah Ann

    Lovely intrigue and a classy build up, before the son came along and brought us back to back to reality.

    Like

  38. mandibelle16 Avatar
    mandibelle16

    Ah so he had two very different roles. Poor kid, needs one of this patches to put behind his ear so he won’t be sick!

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.