Other Stories in this issue

Only The Desperate Come Here

by Michael Mallory

About the Author: Michael Mallory is the author of some 140 short stories, and the "Amelia Watson" and "Dave Beauchamp" mystery series. His most recent novel is "Death Walks Skid Row."

Excerpt

His phone rang six times before Scott Turley located it. He still used a flip-top “geezer” phone even though he was not yet fifty. Aside from the cost factor of having a so-called “smart” phone, he had no interest in games, or selfies, or any of the other nonsense people these days did. All he needed was something to get and make calls.

He just wished he could locate the damned thing before the caller gave up.

Whoever it was had to be a stranger. Anyone who knew Turley knew better than to call after six in the evening, when he already had a load on.

What’s more, whoever it was had to be desperate. Only the desperate came to him.

“Finally,” he slurred upon spotting the phone in the covers of his bed. “A’turley Scott ’torney,” he answered.

“Is this Scott Turley?” a voice asked.

“I just said it was.” He drained the last of the Old Crow from the fifth.

“I need a lawyer,” the voice said. “I killed a man.”

Turley stayed silent for a second, and then said, “Repeat that.”

“I said I killed a man. I need a lawyer.”

“Are you calling from a p’lice station?”

“No. I haven’t been arrested, but I’m afraid I will be.”

“Okay, look, why don’t you come to my office tomorrow. You know where it is?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“’Leven o’clock.”

“I’ll be early.”

Story Comments