Kingsley Drive
Kingsley Drive never made the front page. It wasn’t that kind of street. Even the Armenians who had moved in to the neighborhood didn’t pay it much mind. Nick found her apartment just off Sunset. It overlooked the drowsy street from the ground floor of a small but...
East of the Hollywood Freeway
East of the Hollywood Freeway on Melrose Avenue, Nick weighed the pros and cons of catching up with the detective from Cyprus. If this could unravel and expose the illegal duplicities of a big oil company, that’s the only way it might possibly prove worthwhile....
Off Bel Air Road
Off Bel Air Road Nick holed up in cramped quarters over his uncle’s garage. He was ready to get back on the trail of the Cypriot private detective. Off Bel Air Road, the scent of the Eucalyptus after the rain was just as good as he remembered.
Outside Tucumcari, New Mexico
Outside Tucumcari, New Mexico, Dorothy had an early dinner at the Mexican restaurant she’d read about. It wasn’t what she had in mind because they were out of hatch chiles. She missed the Santa Monica Mountains and the camaraderie. Outside Tucumcari, New Mexico,...
Breakfast In Burbank
After breakfast in Burbank, Sarah drove to the bank. It was one of those branches with just one teller perched behind smudged panes of bulletproof glass. There were no managers, assistant managers or loan officers, nobody to help customers except an overworked and...
Up The Road From Harvey’s, Lake Tahoe
Up the road from Harvey’s, Lake Tahoe, Caroline hung a sharp left at the cluster of mailboxes. After that, when the narrow road curved, she took the fork down the long hill. It was so familiar she played the game of anticipating every dip, bump and rough spot. Just...
Outside Angel Fire, New Mexico
Outside Angel Fire, New Mexico, the savvy old ranchers heard the damnedest thing, those seven crescendos all firing off at once. To their untrained ears the blasts struck notes of perfect harmony. Cecile and Nick were miles away, sharing a pizza on the patio at the...
Her Copy Of The Land Of Little Rain
Her copy of The Land Of Little Rain sat on the kitchen table and escaped the worst of the wine spill. The party the night before didn’t run late. It just ran steady. When they began to discuss Felton, Caroline unfolded the map of the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park...
The Wreck On Hilgard Avenue
The wreck on Hilgard Avenue was just down from the church. Given her druthers, Cecile would have moved back into her bungalow at the Hotel Bel-Air. But to return to the scene of the crime, a crime she had not committed, wasn’t in the cards. She was no longer on the...
Later On In Ajo, Arizona
Later on in Ajo, Arizona, a handful of the ghosts who carved out the open pit mine gathered for a few beers. At a table in the back of a dusty saloon they passed around an old black and white picture of a bristlecone pine. They decided to head up to the Great Basin...
Back In Mexican Hat, Utah
Back In Mexican Hat, Utah time had finally run out. There was just one disappointment. The CEO of the oil and gas company where Dorothy had worked wasn’t one of the oilmen who had been hauled off by the cartel. He was still out there, pumping those BTEX compounds way...
The Jukebox In Riddle, Idaho
The jukebox in Riddle, Idaho with those ancient warm vacuum tubes glowing away deep inside stirred up some rugged memories. Dorothy didn’t hear a thing. But she remembered her boss had just built a place not far from Santa Maria, back in the Santa Lucia Mountains. ...
The Misunderstanding In Las Vegas
The misunderstanding in Las Vegas probably could have been avoided. They flew in with the church choir and gave them the slip at the baggage claim. Back home, it was agreed greater care should be placed on the selection of chaperones.
Casmalia, California Sold Out
Casmalia, California sold out of sharkskin suits shortly before noon. Everything in the haberdashery was bent out of focus. None of the men picking strawberries that day could resist the way the light refracted and the fabric shimmered.
Book Soup
Book Soup always had what people were looking for, especially when they had no idea what it was they wanted. They told each other this was why a good bookshop was akin to a good cocktail.
Out On The Otay Mesa
Out on the Otay Mesa, the oldest gray wolves turned blue in the moonlight. You could watch them glow but you couldn’t hear them. No matter how hard you listened and no matter how soft the wind, there wasn’t a sound.
They Broke Down In Barstow
They broke down in Barstow, just like the oracle in Las Vegas said. The dust storm made it rough. Right away they were engulfed in brown clouds that spread like nasty rumors.
High Tide In Avila Beach
High Tide in Avila Beach, California hit before sunrise. The most brutal waves came skidding in crossways. They knocked out a few pilings along the pier and sent the sea lions out to deeper water. After high tide, bacon aromas from town rippled through the fog down...
