Urban Occult
Page 25
“There was plenty of DNA evidence on the knife to confirm it killed Ms. Vilenkin. No surprise. The twist was that it only had blood from a second source and fingerprints. Back in in the ‘30s, folks didn’t really know much about forensic science.”
“And you found the murderer?”
“Thomas Hobart. Must have been about seventeen or so at the time,” The Swede explained. “And like you said, DNA proved that the unborn fetus was his.”
It wasn’t the father, but the son! No wonder she had loved him. “He must be almost a hundred by now.”
“And hence the massive ache in my ass caused by you.” The Swede reached over and started drinking Heller’s beer. “Old man Hobart has been in a home for almost five years. Alzheimer’s. Freaky old man doesn’t even know when he’s shat his pants. Doesn’t know what’s going on from minute to minute.”
“Like a goldfish.”
“I guess that’s something.” The Swede finished Heller’s beer and ordered another. The rest of the group muttered an agreement and then drank in silence. “Fucking DA won’t touch the case. Wouldn’t matter anyway since he’ll be dead in a month. How’s that for justice?”
Heller fished out a small roll of twenties and dropped it on the table. He was flush only for the moment, but felt horrible keeping Weston’s blood money. “Drinks are on me tonight, boys.”
“Look at the rich private detective, helping out the poor civil servants!”
He reached for the wad of cash. “If I offended you guys, I could take it…”
The Swede wrapped his arm around the cash and protected it with his shoulder. “I wouldn’t that far. You should stay and join us.”
“I’m a working stiff, now. Gotta go back to peeping in windows and rescuing kidnapped pugs!”
“What kind of case are you working on now?” The Swede asked.
The truth was that Heller had no open cases, but what he did have was an idea on how to help a lost soul. Spirits bound to the material world usually can’t leave until they resolve their issues or in this case, revenge.
Marya couldn’t exactly use a map to find her murderer. She had to find him with her will and intimate knowledge of him. After so long, she might not remember him enough to simply find him via mystical dowsing. With a hair clipping or a bit of blood from Hobart, it would be easy enough to give her a taste of the right scent. Old man Hobart would suffer horrid, and when he did, it would be his entire universe-just like a goldfish.
Heller stood to leave and did his best not to grin maniacally. It wasn’t exactly murder, but he figured it best not to have to explain to a tableful of cops about his plans. “Just a simple job to keep on living.”
The End
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About The Authors
Gary McMahon
www.garymcmahon.com
Gary is an award-winning author of several novels and numerous short stories. He is represented by the literary agent Sharon Ring.
Jennifer Williams
www.sennydreadful.com
A fantasy writer drawn to horror like an adventurer to a cursed temple, Jennifer spends much of her time frowning at notebooks in cafes and fiddling with maps of imaginary places. She loves characters that grow with you as the pages turn, and is partial to mead, if you’re buying. Jennifer is represented by Juliet Mushens of The Agency Group.
Gary Fry
www.gary-fry.com
Gary Fry lives in Dracula's Whitby, literally around the corner from where Bram Stoker was staying when he was thinking about that character. Gary has a PhD in psychology, though his first love is literature. He is the author of five short story collections, three novellas and two novels.
Julie Travis
www.julietravis.wordpress.com
Julie Travis has been writing dark fantasy/horror fiction since the early 1990’s. She has been published widely in slipstream magazines and anthologies, the queer press, and ebooks and emagazines in Britain and North America. Born in London in 1967, she now lives in West Cornwall, a very Pagan place.
Adam Millard
www.adammillard.co.uk
Adam Millard is the author of twelve novels and more than a hundred short stories. His work can be found in collections from Evil Jester Press, Angelic Knight Press, Sirens Call and many more. Adam lives in Wolverhampton with his wife, Zoe, and their son, Phoenix.
Ren Warom
renwaromsumwelt.wordpress.com
Ren’s a writer of the strange, dark and bizarre, not known for an ability to fit into boxes of any description. She’s a certified Pirate-nun, mum to three spawn, slave to several cats, writing and editing obsessive and general all round weirdo. The word askance was invented for the way people tend to look at her. Represented by the fabulous Jennifer Udden of Donald Maass Literary Agency. Twitter: @RenWarom.
James Brogden
jamesbrogden.blogspot.co.uk
James Brogden is a Midlands-based horror writer whose first novel, ‘The Narrows’, was published in 2012 by Snowbooks. His short stories have appeared in ‘Dark Horizons’, ‘The Big Issue’, ‘Gears and Levers Vol. 1’, and ‘The Alchemy Press Book of Ancient Wonders’. He can be followed on twitter as @skippybe.
KT Davies
www.kdavies.net
When not scribbling like a demented goblin, Karen is a theatrical prop maker. She has an understanding other half, a couple of junior goblins, a cat, and some dogs. She has had a number of jobs from A (actor) to W (writer). She looks forward to the day she reaches the letter ‘Z’ as she has always fancied being a zoologist. Author of fantasy novel ‘The Red Knight,’ also from Anachron Press.
Mark West
www.markwest.org.uk
Mark West lives in the town where the Witch House is, with his wife Alison and their young son Matthew. Involved with the small press since 1999, West has published almost seventy short stories, two novels and a collection, a novelette and a chapbook from Spectral Press.
Nerine Dorman
www.nerinedorman.weebly.com
Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Nerine Dorman wears many hats: newspaper sub-editor and writer, multi-published author and editor. She is the co-ordinator and editor for the annual South Africa HorrorFest Bloody Parchment short story competition and anthology, and often assists in independent film-making through the award-winning BlackMilk Productions.
Chris Barnham
chrisbarnhamwriter.wordpress.com
By day, Chris lives a blameless existence as a civil servant in Whitehall. By night he publishes stories that make you wonder what goes in south London, where he lives. For relief, The Other Woman takes place outside London, on the Kent coast. The relief, however, is not light. Chris’ first novel, Among the Living, is available now as an ebook for a bargain price on Amazon.
Sarah Anne Langton
http://secretarcticbase.com
Loves words and pixels. Draws books. Writes books. Scribbles a lot about comics for Forbidden Planet. Qualified Astronaut. Part time archaeologist. Full time geek. Mainly lives in the Marvel Universe and will work for shoes.
Alan Baxter
www.alanbaxteronline.com
Alan Baxter is a Ditmar Award-nominated British-Australian author. He writes dark fantasy, sci-fi and horror, rides a motorcycle and loves his dog. He also teaches Kung Fu. He is the author of the dark fantasy thrillers, RealmShift and MageSign, and over 40 short stories in a variety of journals and anthologies, including the Year’s Best Australian Fantasy & Horror. Twitter: @AlanBaxter.
A.A Garrison
synchroshock.blogspot.com
A.A. Garrison is a twenty-nine-year-old man living in the mountains of North Carolina, USA. His short fiction has appeared in d
ozens of zines, anthologies, and journals, as well as the Pseudopod horror webcast. His horror novel, The End of Jack Cruz, is available from Montag Press.
Jason Andrew
www.jasonbandrew.com
Jason Andrew lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife Lisa. By day, he works as a mild-mannered technical writer. In 2011, his story “Moonlight in Scarlet” received an honorable mention in Ellen Datlow’s List for Best Horror of the Year.
Colin F. Barnes (Editor)
www.colinfbarnes.com
When not editing and running Anachron Press, Colin writes technothrillers and horror novels, novellas and short stories for a range of traditional presses and self-published projects.
Twitter: @ColinFBarnes.
Russell Smith(Copy Editor/ Proofreader)
projectshadowlondon.wordpress.com
Aside from editing, Russell is a writer of urban fantasy and his debut novel ‘Oblivion Storm’ is out now from Xchyler Publishing.
Other Anachron Press Titles
City of Hell Chronicles: Volume 1
Horror Anthology
Trifecta
Horror Anthology
Artificial Evil
Techno Thriller Novel by Colin F. Barnes
Crime Net
Techno Thriller Anthology
The Red Knight
Fantasy Novel by KT Davies
Day of Demons: Dark Fantasy Collection
Anthology
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