I've seen it done--once. When Harriet Vane was about to head outside and potentially confront the suspect in the Poison Pen mystery (Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers), she left a note saying where she was going and why.
Why can't we make this standard practice? Is it because protagonists in detective fiction are so human they never consider the possibility they might die? If so, it's time to stop! Leave a clue behind for the cops and if you come back alive, burn it, and blush. Heroics that don't come off are the very essence of burlesque. -DS
So please, dear authors, the next time you have your highly intelligent and sensible amateur detective drive off in a snowstorm to a hunting cabin out in the hills where the dead girl's sister and mother are hiding because "they know who killed Katy," have him tell someone where he's going. Or at least leave a note. A cell phone isn't good enough--service might be knocked out. And for crying out loud, in your note write down all the other incidental facts you've gathered that the police don't know about yet. Give 'em a break!
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