A Wicked Thing!
And Other Short Stories of Mystery and Suspense
by
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The shop exuded an unsettling ambiance – old objects from the past, most without traceable histories, but each with a distinct personality.
Archibald finally led James to a darkened cavern housing rows of clocks sitting on shelves or hanging on walls.
None were ticking and James asked, “Do they all run?”
Archibald smiled, revealing yellow teeth.
“Yes…yes, all working and waiting to be used.”
James walked slowly down the aisle studying the numerous old timepieces.
“I should leave you, “Archibald offered. “One must have privacy when making a decision like this.”
James turned and stared blankly at him.
“After all,” he continued, “our lives are governed by time. Born by time, die by time. Decisions made by time. And excuse the pun—one might say sometimes, we even pay for time!”
“Strange old bugger,” James said to himself as Archibald scurried away.
THE HIDE-AND-SEEK CORPSE
“Where’s the body?” I asked an officer writing out a report.
“We can’t find it Sarge,” he answered.
“What the hell are we here for then? Dispatch said there was a dead man with a knife stuck in his chest…”
“Yeah…well…the body disappeared when the couple over there ran back to make the call.”
I glanced over at Dan Colby, a short thin man with dark hair in his early thirties, and his companion, Sally Lehman.
“How do you know there was a body then?”
“BI found what they think is a blood stain, clothes fibers, and a couple of blond hairs on the sidewalk where the witnesses found him.”
SCARECROW
When they reached the scarecrow and took their usual precautions to make sure there wouldn’t be any problems, Tommy said, “Looks safe…and the winds pushed the hat over his face so you won’t have to look at it. That ought to make you feel better.”
They fired a few rounds at the scarecrow, but then Tommy stopped. “Wait a minute. Something’s wrong.”
Kevin lowered his rifle and smirked at his brother. “How come you’re always making’ fun of me bein’ scared and now you’re scared, huh? Come on…let’s keep practicin’ before old man Beckman comes sneakin’ around.”
“No,” Tommy insisted. “I’ve got to take a look.”
“Well hurry up,” Kevin answered, “I’ll watch for Beckman…”
Tommy walked toward the scarecrow but then stopped abruptly.
“What’s wrong?” Kevin shouted.
Tommy ran back and grabbed his brother’s arm. “Come on…we’re going’
Home…got to find dad and bring him back here. There’s red stuff coming out of that thing!”
All these stories involve ordinary people driven by anger, jealousy, curiosity, greed and, in some cases, revenge. The protagonists are varied and complex. They are either meticulous planners or eager opportunists who commit ill-conceived convoluted crimes that go awry with catastrophic and, in some cases, humorous results.
A few of these stories have deliberately been left unsolved
to tease and encourage the reader to draw whatever imaginative conclusion seems
logical.
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About the Book
In “TICK-TOCK, BUY A CLOCK” young James Palfrey III discovers his grandfather’s old clock in an antique store and wants to buy it in spite of not having enough money to cover the purchase price. Archibald Lived, the mysterious little owner of the shop sends James away, confused and uneasy, with the clock, partially paid for, tucked under his arm.
Norman Rumboldt, the jealous husband in “HEAD-OVER-HEELS” schemes (quite cleverly, in his own misguided opinion) to physically incapacitate or even murder his wife, if need be, when he finds love letters from and unknown lover in her desk drawer.
The title story “A WICKED THING!” features a downtrodden meek little housewife spiraling toward the brink of insanity because of her invalid husband’s never-ending mental abuse. She escapes from her dismal life into a fantasy world where the final outcome is something she never dreamed could happen.
All these stories involve ordinary people driven by anger, jealousy, greed, revenge and, in some cases, curiosity. The protagonists are varied and complex. They are either meticulous planners or eager opportunists who commit ill-conceived, convoluted crimes that go awry with catastrophic and, in some cases, humorous results.
About the Author
In the past forty-five years he has performed, written and directed for Theater, Feature Films, Television, Commercials and Documentary films. He has done voice-over work as well.
Until 1999, he also taught Voice and Diction and Acting for Film and Television at Moorpark Community College in Southern California as a part-time instructor. He presently resides with his wife, Renee, between Vancouver, Washington and Santa Maria, California.