Rachel's Place

by John M. Floyd

About the Author: John M. Floyd’s work has appeared in more than 300 different publications, including AHMM, EQMM, The Strand Magazine, Mississippi Noir, The Saturday Evening Post, and two editions of The Best American Mystery Stories. A former Air Force captain and IBM systems engineer, John is also an Edgar nominee, a three-time Derringer Award winner, and a recipient of the Short Mystery Fiction Society's lifetime achievement award. His seventh book, The Barrens, was released in late 2018.

Excerpt

Rachel White was cooking supper when she heard a soft knock on the door of her apartment. Moving slowly—Rachel usually moved slowly, even in her own home—she left the kitchen, crossed the small living-room, and put her ear to the door. “Who is it?”

“Joe.” The voice was little more than a whisper. “We need to talk.”

She unlatched and opened the door. Joe Elliott stood there in the hallway, looking at her. She faced him, but it couldn’t be said that she was looking at him.

Rachel White had been blind for ten years.

She moved aside so he could enter. When he’d stepped past her, Joe said, “Lock it again,” and waited while she put the chain in its slot.

“What is it?” she asked. “And why are you whispering? You’re scaring me.”

He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I just heard about the bank robbery.” He took a seat on the sofa. “Saw it, actually. On the news.”

Rachel sat across from him, in a rocker that had belonged to her grandmother. “I meant to call you. It was quite a day.” 

“Have you seen—heard, I mean—the news? Channel Five showed you talking to one of their reporters.” 

“Lord no, I don’t want to hear that. I didn’t have anything to tell them anyway.”

“That doesn’t matter. The thing is, they showed you on TV. You were at the scene.”

Rachel stayed quiet a moment. “What’s going on here, Joe? What are you saying?”

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