I confronted Mr Creepings on the stairs. “Have you seen my dog?” His thin lips twisted into a smile. “Did you lose your Pomeranian?” “She’s vanished,” I said. “I think she was killed…” Mr Creepings scratched dirt from under his… Continue Reading
I’d like to begin by saying Johnson’s a liar. Johnson’s a goddamn liar if I’ve ever known one, but I’ll be shot and hanged ’n banged if he ain’t real entertaining about it. He’s a funny guy, Johnson. Real funny.… Continue Reading
Face down on the street, hands locked behind my head, I lay still while Plainville’s Finest held a gun on me and Second-Best rifled through my pockets. Where had I gone wrong? My client had announced he chose me based… Continue Reading
The chain rattled against the door as it swung open, revealing the matted green carpet and mustard bedsheets. Lights above the two queen beds filled the room with a steady hum, casting a dim glow against the faded and stained… Continue Reading
See those crowds by the clock tower? Waiting for the mechanical figures to come out and dance? The clock to chime? Dumb clucks. They all look up. But hey! Don’t look at them. Look for the faces that don’t look… Continue Reading
Momma homeschooled. I’d kneel in the back seat of our Buick on a carpet of fast food wrappers counting the contents of the trunk. This was Momma’s version of education, having me remind her what we had in our stolen… Continue Reading
Sensei Kove filled the west wall of his dojo with photographs of the families of the people he had killed. When he taught, he stood in front of this gallery. This forced us would-be-assassins to practice under their accusing eyes.… Continue Reading
This morning I scrubbed the apartment more thoroughly than was necessary considering I’d declined all visitors, both the well- and ill-wishing kind. I ignored the phone. The battery will be dead in a few hours and I’m considering letting it… Continue Reading
My phone rings as I walk into my company’s lobby from the staff parking garage. Probably Dan Simmons. I’m late for our meeting because a disheveled man accosted me as I got out of my car, shouting gibberish and blocking… Continue Reading
He was disconnected, cut adrift, left alone, lost, all of this happening so quickly he was not even frightened at first. He heard the motors spooling up, rising to a shriek, and arcs of electricity erupted from the machine behind… Continue Reading