Charlie's War

by John M. Floyd

About the Author: John M. Floyd’s short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Strand Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, Best American Mystery Stories, and many other publications. A former Air Force captain and IBM systems engineer, John is also an Edgar nominee, a three-time Derringer Award winner, and the author of eight books.

Excerpt

A light snow was falling as Charlie Reardon left the diner and made his way down Madison Street. He stopped at a sidewalk bench at the corner of Madison and Belmont and sat down, his elbows on his knees and his eyes on the building across the street.

Two minutes later an old blue Ford pulled up to the curb twenty feet away and cut its engine. A tall redhaired man in a watchcap and overcoat climbed out of the car, cupped his hands to light a cigarette, and strolled over to the bench. Charlie glanced at him, then went back to staring at the now-darkened windows across the road. It was almost six o’clock. Streetlights were flickering to life, halos of yellow in the mist.

“Rosie sent me to look for you,” said the tall man. “Where’s your cell phone?”

“Battery died.”

“I figured. Also figured I might find you here.”

Without turning, Charlie said, “You a mind reader now, Morgan?”

“Only if it’s a weak mind. Yours is easy. It’s snowing, by the way.”

Charlie smiled, and pictured his brother-in-law smiling too, around the cigarette. And turned to follow his gaze.

“That’s where it all started,” Morgan said, solemn again. “Ten years ago today. Right?”

“Wrong. That’s where it ended. If you remember, it started five miles north.”

They turned together, to face each other. The snow was coming down harder now.

“I remember,” Morgan said.

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