Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Criminal.
Black Book of Secrets
I really screwed things up this time. My father said my college degree in writing would get me nowhere. Well he was wrong, it got me somewhere, straight to hell! Not only was I a disappointment to my father, but to my beautiful wife and daughter.
By Ann Burkett5 years ago in Criminal
Frenemies
Kneeled down, I close my eyes for a second. Take in some air, then exhale. I'm too familiar with this moment but for some reason it feels like my first meet. Palms of my hands are sweaty, feet trembling -wont stay planted onto the ground, and i keep getting these brief but weird thoughts where i second guess myself. Probably because I am about to race new kid from Jefferson. Miles Dennis is his name. He's pretty good from what I hear. The story is he's an Army brat that's been running with his dad all his life. He just transferred here from Texas, and supposedly brought along with him a bunch of medals and track records.
By Monasia Sumlin5 years ago in Criminal
The Little Black Book Of Murder
In all the years that Lydia Graham had worked for The Philadelphia Police Department, she had never considered that her job as the coroner would take a sinister route… That she’d have to use her skills and her cunning for far darker things than just coming up with a cause of death. Least of all, she’d never thought that she would have to go under her wife’s nose to do it. Could she bear that burden? Could she really pull off such a momentous and heinous act, meanwhile pretending to be the same woman she’d always been? The stakes would be incredibly high and that morning, over a cup of steaming hot coffee, she weighed the pros and cons of ending her father-in-law’s life and considered the reasons he needed to die.
By Bethany Dahl 5 years ago in Criminal
Night of Fire
NIGHT OF FIRE Dave drove down the highway, nearing the end of his three-hour road trip. He had the perfect plan if he was sure to execute it properly. A visit with his family may even persuade him to change his mind. He may even be able to come up with a different solution. Killing a dream that was once his own was going to be hard by itself. Killing the dream of a long-time friend was proving to be the true test of his will. Time with his family at his childhood home may open his eyes to something he had missed.
By Shirley Meadows5 years ago in Criminal
Unlikely Beginnings
Jessica Morgan stood still trying to catch her breath. Her head was spinning out of control, and she felt like she would collapse at any moment. Joe Spencer lay limp at her feet. She did not mean to hurt him, only to protect herself. She knelt with her heart trying to jump out of her chest and placed her fingers on his neck. She could not feel anything. She had never checked anyone for a pulse before and did not know if she was doing it correctly.
By Shirley Meadows5 years ago in Criminal
Found Money
The Waffle Shoppe on the corner of Lancaster and 2nd street had been a fixture in the southern California neighborhood for decades. Its grey cinderblock walls were cloaked in dirt and grime, the roof sagged, and the parking lot was cracked and pitted. The neon sign on top of the building flickered weakly, with only the W, S, and one P working.
By Craig Wessel5 years ago in Criminal
LHR
Diplomats are the most voracious and beguiling smugglers of all. The diplomatic pouch, protected by treaties, mystery, and tamper-proof seals, is the corrupt personal shipping tool of the political gangs that run the world. Our Winston Churchill used it to get his Cuban cigars during the War. I scurry through the back rooms and hallways of the beast that is Heathrow, like the spy ramp rat that I am, poking and prodding with the latest technology to help my gang stay on top of all the other dirty, filthy, tricky gangs that lead the peoples of our planet.
By Colleen Martin5 years ago in Criminal
