Noir
#100 – Saint
The old man watched each face as his motorcade weaved through the cheering crowd. Some hadn’t eaten for days, their hollow eyes begging his blessing.
Through the car’s speakers, a voice was listing the itinerary of the day.
“At 8 you have the talk in the main square. We’ve already prepared it – the usual concern for the poor, a wish to heal old wounds and reach across divides.”
The old man smiled to the crowd.
“Later, we need to discuss the portfolio. $30bn is still tied up in Switzerland.”
“Leave it there,” the old man growled. “All of it.”
(c) Tim Austin, 2016. Image by Nacho Arteaga via Unsplash.
“Saint” was suggested by bestselling author Sue London, whose various (superb!) works can be found on Amazon, here, alongside other outlets. If following people on Twitter is your bag, you can find Sue @cmdrsue.
Hit that “Follow” button, below and to the right, and don’t forget to visit the OWOS Facebook Page for more content!
See you tomorrow for “Endangered”!
#72 – Suspicion
Detective Danson ripped into his sandwich, spitting chunks of bread over the sidewalk as he waved Constable Keegan away.
“There’s nothing more to it. Family says she fell. “Spinster dies in accident”: Case closed.”
“Really?” asked the Constable.
The Detective shot Keegan a glare as the Constable turned and trotted across to the Precinct Morgue.
Later that evening Keegan stepped back into his apartment, flinging his magnifying glass onto the table and sitting thoughtfully.
Her ring finger was worn. There was fear in her eyes.
“Was I right?” came a voice from across the room.
“You always are,” Keegan sighed.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo image by Gratisography.
Today’s one word title was donated by the breathtakingly talented Izabella Grace – author of sublime Flash Fiction at http://flashfictiononline.com/main/authors/izabella-grace/. You can follow her on Twitter @iza8ella.
This is the OWOS debut of two established characters – Keegan and Lestrade from my Holmesean short thriller “The Santa Beneath the Ice” – available on Amazon. You can read Chapter One of that story Free here (opens a PDF).
If you want to suggest your own one word story title, please do! I’m always looking for new words 🙂 Just pop your word in the comments box below or tweet it to me @timaustin2k
See you tomorrow for “Nightmare”!
#70 – Blood
Ella raised the police tape and stepped into the the dead woman’s apartment.
As an open crime scene, no clean up crew had visited and the detective was soon swamped with a sweet, putrid smell of decay. She lifted a menthol-laced handkerchief to her mouth.
As fruit-fattened bluebottles zipped around her, Ella thought about her next move. She’d been careful to come alone: the killer wanted her to himself. He wanted her and he would be watching.
She sat at the head of the blood-drenched dining table and waited.
“Come and get me, you bastard,….”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo image by Mathilda Khoo via Unsplash.
Another in the cat-and-mouse chain story between Sid and Ella. Read both previous posts by clicking here.
Suggest your own story titles and I’ll write a 100 word story just for you. Just write your word in the comments or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
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See tomorrow for “Officer”.
#62 – Worth
The woman flicked the notes carefully through her fingers, tapping the stack of cash against her desk and peering up over her horn-rimmed glasses.
“Not police?”
The man shook his head. There was a note of threat to the question and he turned away, fixing his gaze through the doorway, his heart racing.
Silken bronze skin swept beneath long curls of onyx hair. Asian eyes were lidded and docile. The woman he desired tugged her skirt over a blackened bruise.
“You like?” the Madame slipped the money into a draw, her finger stroking a pistol.
“Yes. Very much,…”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo image by Tom Sodoge via Unsplash.
If you have a word that reminds you of something, pop it in the comments and I’ll write you a story. You can also tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
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#11 – Knife
Grinding the blade against the table reminded Sid of school: scratching words into the underside of his desk as his history teacher droned on about the French revolution. The messages he left for her got him expelled. This message would be much worse.
Sid chuckled, sneering as he plunged a ragged full stop into the wood. The breath he used to scatter the splinters was almost tender; a love letter to the detective chasing him.
He laid two severed fingers on the desk and sheathed the knife, three words cut in stark, bloody capitals: “See you Soon.”
(c) Tim Austin 2016
Today’s word, “Knife”, was kindly donated by the wonderful Mike Wells, thriller writer extraordinaire and author of the best-selling Lust, Money and Murder books. Thanks for the inspiration, Mike! You can find him on Twitter @MikeWellsAuthor and at mikewellsbooks.com.
Keep those words coming in – tweet them to #onewordonestory and I’ll join you tomorrow for “Sehnsucht”. Follow the blog for a new story every day!
#5 – Paid
The Dark Haired Man’s eyes gleamed as silver coins tumbled against his palm. He knew the amount and he knew not to check it: The Egyptian always paid in full. Cigar smoke twisted against the ceiling, a dust-laden fan cutting each wisp into the close, rancid air. He watched it spin to nothing, looking through the fug at a future full of golden sands and endless moonlit nights. Sparks flared against glass as the Dark Haired Man stubbed the cigar out and gazed down at The Egyptian’s lifeless body. “Always nice doing business with you.”
(c) Tim Austin 2016
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