Death, She Wrote.
Oswald hated cases like this. Common break-ins, unstable shoot-em ups in the living room; panic killings. Nothing interesting about them. The killer would…
Noir: Just Breathing
After the lovesick dick and the rare eating customer disappeared, I picked up their things. The brown-coated guy forgot his change. I rang up his ticket like…
Jack White
In the corner of the room sat a man hidden by a thick cloud of wispy smoke, he wore a fedora of some kind, and a long, brown overcoat upon his shoulders. His…
Pieces
He picked the photo up off of his desk again and leaned back in his leather chair. The photo showed two girls, about twenty, embracing and smiling at the…
The Envelope Part 8
“Someone doesn’t crack you in the back of the head then shoots you with the assumption you’re going to live through it. Whoever tried to kill me thinks he…
These Long Nights: Maintaining the Lower Hand
“Do you know what kind of trouble?” Max asked. Men on the run tended to turn into drifters and drifters were almost always trouble. “I’ve said too much…
These Long Nights: Unpleasant History
For a moment, Max considered the idea that the doctor could actually read his mind and then dismissed the thought. Doctor Francis appeared to be a lot of…
These Long Nights: Psychology and Deceit
In the sitting room, a tense silence grew between the two men. Evidently, the Doctor had finished speaking. Max shifted uncomfortably. He was about to break…
These Long Nights: A Keen Mind
Max’s heart beat faster. The doctor had read him like a book. How could his guesses be that accurate? Who could have told him? “What makes you believe that?”…
These Long Nights: Questioning the Doctor
The doctor gestured to the closest couch. “Please have a seat.” Max perched on the edge of a cushion as Dr. Francis deposited himself into a chair and then…
These Long Nights: Caged Men
As he pressed the teacup against the edge of his lips, Max paused. A strange sound slid down the hallway. The noise repeated in a steady tap, tap, drag…
These Long Nights: Acceptable Hospitality
On the whole, Max found the sitting room rather depressing. It didn’t look like it hadn’t been used for a while either. Moira returned a few minutes later…
These Long Nights: Preparing the Parlor
Moira gave a long suffering sigh but let Max step inside. “I should be turning ye away until the morn.” “You’ll be glad that you didn’t. I assure you that my…
These Long Nights: Disturbing the Disturbed
A scant three stairs separated the front door from the ground. Next to the white double doors an iron plaque read *Westchester Asylum, Saltaire* followed by an…
These Long Nights: The Edge of Civilization
As tempting as it was to take a pull from his flask, Max wanted to face the asylum with his wits about him. The coach rolled on into the night, moving over the…
These Long Nights: Maddening Times
Max left Frederick’s pyramid shaped form standing on the foggy dockside streets after getting him to agree to meet the next night. Surprisingly, Frederick had…
These Long Nights: Spurious References
Under the piggish eyes of the massive Frederick Duke, Max continued his investigation. The detective frowned as he peeled off the corpse’s long sleeved shirt…
These Long Nights: Digging In
Judging from the sturdy clothes, the victim had been a dockworker too, but none of the men with Max recognized him. Although, in Max’s opinion, they didn’t…
Shadows of Life
I sat in the shadows of my living room, beer cans littering the table top. I sipped another, eyes half closed. I finished it, crushed it in my fist and chucked…
It Never Ends
Kilrain brushes crumbs away from his chin and sets his monstrous corned beef sandwhich back on his plate. The probie stands awkwardly in the aisle across from…