Savage Noir

Chapter 7 Now I knew why Colin gave me the gift . I should have guessed there was a hidden motive.          I grabbed my note pad and searched for a pen. I scribbled down some stuff I would need from Michael Rollins before our interview. This way I could ascertain his willingness to help me in my investigation, if it came to that. So far I had gleaned that he had become a nagging pain in the ass for Colin. Why would it be any different with me? Rollins came up the path by himself.   His deeply tanned face was that of a zealous tennis player or golfer. He was frowning, probably put off by the shabby appearance of my humble abode. No doubt he had seen caddy shacks that looked better. I let him in and we introduced ourselves. “You used to box,” he said, out of the blue. I nodded. “Golden Gloves. Long ago.” He went over to my dirty window and peered out at the garden, shaking his head in wonder. “You could sell this place for ...

After a week in the Arizona desert, I'm back with Chapter 6, wherein we meet Francis X Kelly. Francis has done his time in Folsom. Now he's back, catching bad guys, with the help of his brother, Colin. Colin is a Detective First Grade in the SF Homicide Squad. You'll meet him, as well. One year later . Chapter 6 From my office window I watched my client cautiously descend the sagging wooden steps, then negotiate the irregular brick pathway.   Miss Wilson was a tall mulatto with bright red hair and perfect teeth. We were in the process of digging up dirt on her brutish husband.          She followed the curved walkway and disappeared, swallowed up by dense greenery.          I need to wash this window, I thought. It’s blurring pleasant sights of all kinds. I’d been listening to bird songs but not seeing the birds. Now this. Miss Wilson looked great from any angle.    ...

Chapter 5 At SFPD Homicide Division , Chief Howell still needed the name of the murdered girl.   Two weeks had passed. Then he received new information from the Intelligence unit.   One of the photos of twelve missing girls showed facial features that closely resembled the dead girl’s.   The missing girl was Katherine Ann Rollins. After a few days they were able to procure her dental charts. Howell assigned Detective Eric Chavez to ask the medical examiner to send him X-rays of the dead girl’s teeth. He would then compare those to the dental charts of the Rollins girl.   On a dark Wednesday morning the X-rays came.          Chavez put the two together.          They were a perfect match.          “Bingo!” Chavez exclaimed.          “What took you so long?” asked Spears.     ...