‘How terrible for you.’ She unlocked her car as he tried to finish his cigarette as quickly as possible.
‘Keeping you on wasn’t unanimous, you know. We argued them down to a written warning. Your news announcement caused a lot of embarrassment to some very important people. They’ll be keeping an eye on you. An eye on us.’
‘I doubt I’ll be in a situation like that again anytime soon. Surely it’s plain sailing from here on in, right?’
‘Only gets tougher I’m afraid.’ He flicked his cigarette butt on the floor. ‘So, after everything you’ve been through – the public embarrassment, smuggling dead bodies into strangers sheds, being kept away from your family for days at a time, being kicked in the head, spending half your time resisting punching most people you meet square in the gut, rolling around on lounge floors whilst spraying yourself in the face and having your entire investigation directed by a Yorkshire terrier’s nose – you still think you want to do this for a living?’
‘One hundred percent.’
‘Then get in the car, Detective.’
The End.
About the author
Darryl Donaghue is an ex-Detective from London, England. His short stories have been published in The Pygmy Giant, Spinetinglers and Dreamcatcher. In 2014, he moved to Seoul to teach and write novels.
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Dedication
For Imogen
Acknowledgements
Writing a book is a lonely pursuit; there’s no avoiding hour after solitary hour sat at a keyboard typing away. Despite this, independent publishing is anything but independent. So many people have been involved in the process – both directly and indirectly – and I’d like to thank a few of them here.
My literary running buddy, Joe Parker, who kept me focused throughout the year with weekly pep talks over cheap booze and kimchi fries. Elisha Odegard kept me sane through an often-maddening year through the powerful combination of friendship and fried chicken. Becca Wilson provided most of the character names when my mind was drawing blanks, as well as numerous sticker wars over social media (which, as I’m sure she’ll tell you, I consistently won). A special mention goes to the wonderful self-publishing community for providing advice and support at every stage of the process.
I was lucky to work with some dedicated professionals on the production of the book. I would like to thank Kit Foster, for designing an excellent cover; editor Jane Adams of the Literary Consultancy, for providing insightful feedback to help me greatly improve the novel and copy-editor Shannon Cook, for making the prose shine.
I couldn’t have done this without you. You’re a part of every page.
A Journal of Sin Page 23