I tried not to vomit as I peeled the fetid sock away from my foot. It came off in tattered patches, stuck to the putrid flesh underneath. The pain was excruciating. I had to look. It wasn't my foot any longer. I didn't recognise it. It was just a lump of red-purple meat. There were … Continue reading SURVIVAL
I swore fidelity to the crown and to my husband. I knew as I uttered the words to both, solemnly and with reverence, that I would keep neither. The marriage was arranged and brokered between the families. A marriage of business and politics. It was polite and kind and never hurtful, but it was passionless … Continue reading I SWEAR
'There are only two pertinent questions: who stands to gain the most, and who stands to lose the most?' My old partner's advice circling around my head. At the start of every case, as I approach every crime scene, as I question every suspect - who gains and who loses? Up until now those questions … Continue reading PERTINENT
Tap, tap, tap. The soft knocking on the door. Laurie pulled herself up from the sofa and glanced in the mirror. What a mess. She had let herself go during lockdown, not that she had made much effort beforehand. She took another swig from the vodka bottle and tried to flatten her hair. She adjusted … Continue reading DOUBLE JEOPARDY
I lit out for the coast searching for serenity. I had no idea if it would be there or not, but it sure as hell wasn't where I was coming from so I had nothing to lose. Hitch-hiking across the country wasn't for me. I'm not a people person and the thought of making small … Continue reading A SEARCH FOR THE SERENE
