“I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to you yesterday. I was away for an extended weekend—professional conference. Can I offer you something to drink?” “No, thanks.” It was another hot day. I took off my blazer and laid it over the back of the couch. The sky was already dimming ...
He rubbed his chin and felt his whiskers prickle the pads of his fingers. Premature five-o’clock shadow would raise questions. “What’s with the chin whiskers, Lido? You moonlighting as a porn star?” On and on it would go, one snide comment followed by another and another. His eyes burned from a n...
Twilight hunting was more dangerous than hunting in daylight hours, but he was accomplished at the sport and liked to go out when the nocturnal creatures were beginning to stir. He killed raccoons and opossums mostly—just for fun after a day glued to the books. “Come on, b...
It had blown by South Florida in a scant few hours and was now moving up the coast toward the Carolinas.Donovan saw bloodstained moss near a tuft of marsh grass as they approached the small jetty and wondered what the gators had just eaten. He was no stranger to the Everglades. He knew that the g...
It was the seedy side of Macy’s, 35th Street between Broadway and 7th, an entire city block of loading docks and filth so thick you couldn’t see through it to the gutter. It was the side of Macy’s not caught by cameras during the Thanksgiving Day Parade.She was young and physically rich, slender ...
Honestly, the prospect of eating at a restaurant known for its veggie and vegan specialties didn’t exactly turn me on. I had a craving for eggplant parm and garlic knots—tofu and kale was just not going to cut it. Fortunately, I discovered that they served lots of other great stuff. I had a warm,...
one of the worshipers said. There was just a handful of men gathered before the altar, reading from prayer books. “I think he went to meet with a contractor to get the kitchen back into shape.”“Do you know when he’ll be back?” Lido asked.“I’m not his secretary. He comes. He goes. It’s a free coun...
As I mentioned, the tunnel was narrow with a low roof and didn’t permit more than a few people at a time. Sal had measured the vent and was in the process of having lumber cut topside to support the vent’s enclosure before he cut through the metal. I watched as the precut ...
My back ached and my hands were numb from the wrist restraints. It took every last ounce of self-control to keep from wetting the bed. I was now completely lucid and had spent the afternoon thinking about the events that had transpired the evening before. I reviewed the assault in my home, the at...
