Goodreads asked Gavin Atlas:

What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

Gavin Atlas I have (or had) a great aunt Ruby who may have been a black widow. She was my uncle Willie's second wife. I remember she wore loud, tacky jewelry, and she was regularly rude to my mother. Uncle Willie apparently "left the car running in the garage" and asphyxiated. It's unclear why Aunt Ruby never called 911. Later her story became "oh, I fell asleep, too." I don't remember hearing of anyone asking her something akin to "then why are you alive?" Aunt Ruby quickly vanished with antique silverware that had belonged to my uncle's deceased first wife. Uncle Willie's bank accounts had also been cleared. My grandmother remembers hearing she'd remarried about a year later.

While I don't think I'd ever write about that incident, if I found ways to make her more nuanced, Aunt Ruby might make for a compelling villain.

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