Mad Mystery The cool porcelain toilet seat was doing nothing to warm my ass when Deputy Stan Spiesz showed up. I sat there, with the lid down, to remain as close as possible to the evidence. In case my attacker returned to lay claim to it. “You all right, Mr. Pierce?”…

Into Dark Every inch I put between me and Lorna Peale’s tantalizing snare rattled me more. It was that kind of forbidden opportunity, rooted in adolescent fantasy, and fueled by tenacious images from the girlie magazines of puberty, that fired my belly with irrational…

Steamy Towel Goddess Lorna met me at the door with steam rolling off her hair. The towel she’d wrapped herself in must have been her daughter’s. She arched like a goddess, misty fog of her own creation surrounding her, the makeshift garment revealing the soft curves…

Ollie Wise I spent a few minutes cooling my jets in the Tacoma, watching shadows float to and fro behind the living room window. Lorna’s demeanor bothered me. The way she’d dismissed Kayla’s trauma, hawking over her like a jail guard. What did she fear? The custody…

Damn the Client Kayla played in the yard alone. She glanced up as I entered the gate.  With bloodshot eyes scuttled in sleep-deprived eye sockets, I must have appeared demonic. Yesterday’s rumpled clothes surely didn’t improve my image. The previous night’s discovery…

Double Back I made sure we were out of the line of sight before making a U-turn. “There has to be something in that house that will implicate someone besides my sister.” Tony shook his head. “They’ll sure as shootin’ go through the place as part of their investigation…

Murder Scene I wasn’t out of the building before a firm grasp on my arm spun me around. Sheriff de Lude’s eyes, now the color of burnt brisket, drilled into me. “Pierce, you’re coming along,” he said. “Back to the crime scene.” “I need to talk to my sister.” The fiery…

Sheriff Jumps In A single step outside the exam room ran me right into Sheriff de Lude’s bulk and ended all self-soothing meditation. His ursine scowl eclipsed the yellow lighting of the hallway.  “My deputy is on his way to a murder scene, Pierce.” The wooly mustache…

Myrtle Gets Mad Dr. Myrtle Gibbons held the door with a gentle hand as I delivered the young girl’s doll-sized body. The child felt like a feather made of crystal in my arms and every step threatened to shatter her into millions of tiny shards.  Walls the color of a…