RED HANDED • by Tina Wayland
“Am I in trouble?” The boy raises a thumb to his mouth. Chews. There’s a layer of blood under the nail and he licks at it. Wipes it clean. The detective puts the boy’s file on the table. Flips to… Continue Reading
police
A SPARK OF LIFE • by Dave D’Alessio
It was a night for a warm fire and a good drink of whiskey. Instead there was a rapping at my door. By the sound of it, someone was banging away with a proper walking stick. I pumped up a… Continue Reading
THE TEDDY BEAR WHO WAS HITLER • by Carl Steiger
The teddy bear was Hitler. Josh knew that for a fact. Why else would Josh be holding the gun at the bear’s head? Josh didn’t know how Hitler had got into his run-down house. He couldn’t have snuck over with… Continue Reading
THE COTTAGE IN THE WOODS • by Sarah Hilary
At the police station, the first thing we did was call in a cluster of experts. That’s by-the-book. The psychologist said, “Test case. Extraordinary. Unheard of.” “Appalling,” was the dentist’s verdict. “The most horrendous neglect.” The doctor sided with the… Continue Reading
NO ENEMY BUT TIME • by Jenny Schwartz
“If he’d stayed like that, I wouldn’t have killed him.” Wouldn’t-‘ve-killed-‘im, wouldn’t-‘ve-killed-‘im, whispered the tyres of the London bus as it travelled through the wet, wintry streets. On board, Dora Chadwick wrapped her navy blue coat closer about her, rubbed… Continue Reading
REVENGE OF THE RIVER GODS • by Sarah Hilary
Tamas, dark river Bringing the Isis to the London Eye Sailing the skulls of babies out to sea. *** Under the empty stare of the London Eye, in the shadow of Westminster Bridge, two men in Savile Row suits were… Continue Reading
MUG’S GAME • by Sarah Hilary
“What’s this, the rumble in the ruddy jungle?” Jackson wasn’t amused. “Can’t you two keep your fists out of each other’s gobs for ten minutes?” Ray tried to dislodge my heel. The punch I’d thrown had laid him out like… Continue Reading
THE LESSON • by Avis Hickman-Gibb
I was six years old when I was branded a thief. You understand that I don’t mean literally branded — I escaped that! I mean I was caught red-handed with stolen goods. There was no doubt but I was guilty.… Continue Reading