Thriller Fiction
#81 – Insights
Allen swallowed a mouthful of coffee and rubbed his temple. It was going to be a long, night.
He ran a finger down the list of phone numbers, looking for something – anything – to give him an edge in court.
Danny Banner loved his kids. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Allen repeated the thought. He believed every word. The phone was ringing.
“Hi Danny. Ready for the morning?”
“Nervous.”
“Don’t be. It’ll be fi,…….” Allen stopped.
The number beneath his finger made his blood run cold.
“You said you never called her.”
“What?”
“Danny!!”
The silence betrayed them both.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Dariusz Sankowski via Unsplash.
Today’s title was suggested by actor and Manchester-based Equity stalwart Barry Evans. You can find him on twitter @THEbazzaevans. Thanks, Barry.
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#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”.
#55 – Unknown
It was hard to breathe in the gas mask. It was hard to see the monitor, let alone the Petri Dish.
The white lights glared from the sterile steel of the bench. In the quiet of the lab Susan’s heart thundered. Her hands trembled.
She pressed a sample to the dish, the monitor swarming with a mass of writhing black lines, striking out at the human cells.
A tear rolled down her cheek as Susan looked from the screen to the gallery.
“Doctor?”
“,….. Two weeks. And then,…”
She hadn’t the heart to say it.
“Call the President.”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo image by Jesse Orrico via Unsplash
I’m writing a brand new story every single day for a whole year! Click Introducing One Word One Story to learn more! If you have a word you’d like me to write a story on, pop it in the comments below or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory
Tomorrow’s story is “Trapdoor!”
See you then.
#46 – Conundrum
Ella ran her finger over the red twine, watching it as it tugged against the pin in the wall. It all led to this: the answer was here if only she could make the right connection. She threw himself back into the chair.
Again and again the killer had struck. There seemed no reason or pattern, and there were never any witnesses.
She lifted the jar, two severed fingers floating within.
“You think you’re untouchable but you’re not. You’ll make mistakes.”
Ella’s phone chimed. Her blood ran cold as she read the message.
“Do you like my present?”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash
Today’s story title was donated by Eddie Robson, Science Fiction writer of, among other things, Doctor Who, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the radio comedy “Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully, starring Peter Davison. You can reach him on twitter @EddieRobson.
If you’d like to donate a word, please do. Just pop your word and your name in the comments section below or tweet them to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
Share, like and get involved!
See you tomorrow for “Calculus”.
Tim x
One Word, One Story 