Flash Fiction by Nick Di Carlo Between 1972 and ’74 when he was arrested, Brimley Stone abducted at least thirteen women, painted their faces, dressed them like Raggedy Ann dolls, and strangled them. He was 19. Serving hard time for life—no possibility of parole, Stone obsessed with time, agonizing over how he’d fill a lifetimeContinue reading “Brimstone”
Category Archives: Noir
Any Day Now
Flash Fiction by Tamara Shaffer They stroll arm in arm on the darkened, tree-lined street, speaking in hushed tones, laughing sporadically. They’re too absorbed in each other to notice me as I keep pace behind them, slipping silently in and out behind the trunks of the giant elms and remaining just close enough to observe.Continue reading “Any Day Now”
Bottom Of The Glass
Crime Fiction by Thomas G. Madsen Ashe Wycliff climbed the stone passages, keeping to the shade. He had to escape the stifling grind of his dead-end job. But he had been saying that for years. Right now, he just needed distance. And a drink. He’d spent nine years in Tangier with little to show forContinue reading “Bottom Of The Glass”
The Cheater
Crime Fiction by Michael Downing Night is the hardest part. The stretch that burns you out inside, drawing out the minutes until they snap like a whip against your skin. Cooper sucks on his Marlboro, feeling the burn, squinting his eyes shut, letting the smoke roll around his head until it stings. The darkness neverContinue reading “The Cheater”
Friends with Benefits
Crime Fiction By Seamus O’ Leary Doctor Derek Goldberg sat at the bar in Louie’s Sports Pub, watching the game on one of the big screen TV’s He was excited. It was Friday night, and his new friends were coming for another night of partying. He could not wait. He took a drink of hisContinue reading “Friends with Benefits”
Havana Nocturne
Crime Fiction by Russell Thayer Gunselle adjusted her stylish new sunglasses, unshouldered the straps of her new bikini top, and melted into the poolside lounger to let the blazing Cuban sun caramelize her flesh. A green parrot with a smart red bib admired her from the limb of a potted Bougainvillea. Gunselle gave it aContinue reading “Havana Nocturne”
Chuco Has A Bad Day
Crime Fiction by J. Marquez Jr. The world is an anthology full of short stories and small clips. Everybody has a story to tell and everyone has something to say. But not everybody tells their story. The majority cruise through life creating interesting stories that they eventually take to their graves. Alike the world, IContinue reading “Chuco Has A Bad Day”
Parfum
Crime Fiction by Kim Castle The night her brother Jason flung himself off the 500-foot-high bluff, the full moon glowed a chalk white, hovering above the Pacific Ocean’s shimmering surface. Just before he leaped to his death, he probably heard the harbor lighthouse’s foghorn blasting out a low and steady moan. Jodene Moore imagined hisContinue reading “Parfum”
Simon Barber, Plumber
Crime Fiction by John Ahlfors Avid armchair sports fan, beer enthusiast, bookworm and retired plumber, Simon Barber was turning eighty-one, his square birthday. “You know, nine times nine,” he explained to his wife, Faye, who rolled her eyes. Heaving deep breaths, Simon battled to blow out the roar of candles. Never had he thought he’dContinue reading “Simon Barber, Plumber”
Friends 5-Eva
Crime Fiction by Shivani Sivagurunathan We get out of Donna’s glossy midnight-blue BMW. The air is filled with spikes. It’s not supposed to be cold in the tropics but tonight is special. We’ve finally done what we’ve been threatening to do since we were teenagers. Poor Anwar. He’s just the in-between person in this, ifContinue reading “Friends 5-Eva”