Imitating Art

It was a true story that he heard when traveling in the Caribbean. A story of a crime, of a murderer who had escaped prison. Now, repeating it casually in a bar in SE Asia it triggers a strange and unexpected response.

He's a writer backpacking in Asia and finds himself a quiet place to work. Settling into a guest house in the off-season, he wants to work on a crime story. The setting is congenial, and he finds a bar girl who wants to be his muse.

Once he tells the story, spinning it out jus...