HENRY KERKENBAUGH MADE A SHARP TURN INTO THE ALLEY and, pressing himself against one of the buildings, drew a deep breath. Holding it, he closed his eyes and listened. Hearing a soft rustle, he opened his eyes in time to see a page from a newspaper flutter past the entrance to the alley. He waited [...]

THE OLD LADY WALKED GINGERLY OVER THE SHARDS of glass and took the broom from Grady. Sniffling, she herded the glass into a small mound on the sidewalk, smearing over the outline drawn in chalk upon the concrete the thickening splatter which hadn’t yet quite dried. Grady stooped down to scoop up the debris in [...]

George Pierson had just settled into his bed, with a novel propped up on his belly and two fingers of scotch in a glass on the nightstand, when he heard the first thump. George looked up from his book and listened. Silence. Outside his window, large snowflakes drifted to the ground in a drapery of [...]

THE SHINY BLACK SEDAN GLIDED UP THE LONG GRAVEL LANE and pulled up just short of the driveway that circled in front of the grand old mansion. Then the vehicle backed up two or three yards until it came to a shallow break in the cypresses that lined the lane. The driver drove into the [...]

THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS A MINOR ONE — so minor, in fact, that Virgil hadn’t even given it any thought. Until later. That first time, Virgil had just awakened from an impromptu nap on the sofa in front of the fire. He stretched, yawned, and rolled over toward the fireplace. For a moment, in the vague, [...]

BERNIE ADJUSTED THE SLANT OF THE YOUNG MAN’S FEDORA ALMOST IMPERCEPTIBLY and then stepped back to compare the effect against the yellowed newspaper clipping which he held in his hand. “Perfect!” he proclaimed with almost childish glee.

BERNIE ADJUSTED THE SLANT OF THE YOUNG MAN’S FEDORA ALMOST IMPERCEPTIBLY and then stepped back to compare the effect against the yellowed newspaper clipping which he held in his hand. “Perfect!” he proclaimed with almost childish glee.

I THINK I HEARD A SLIGHT CRACK BEHIND THE DULL THUD, and a jolt traveled up my arm. Menlow gasped, then rolled forward off his chair, twisting as he fell, so that he ended up supine on the runner that covered the area of my carpet between his chair and mine. His eyes stared dumbly, [...]

AN ORB OF LIGHT DANCED ALONG THE NITER-ENCRUSTED WALLS OF THE CRYPT as Dr. Wilhelm den Hoeven and his young companion, Mordecai Kessler, cautiously descended the slippery, uneven stone stairs. Mordecai was in the lead, holding the flashlight, while Dr. den Hoeven followed behind, clutching an old, worn leather satchel to his chest. Their faces [...]

NICKI HAD A LOT GOING FOR HER — She was smart, having graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a master’s in psychology; she was pretty, with an hourglass figure whose time was far from running out; and she was rich, thanks to globetrotting parents who, while not particularly interested in nurturing any emotional attachment [...]

NICKI HAD A LOT GOING FOR HER — She was smart, having graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a master’s in psychology; she was pretty, with an hourglass figure whose time was far from running out; and she was rich, thanks to globetrotting parents who, while not particularly interested in nurturing any emotional attachment [...]

“LOOK,” DENNY WAS SAYING AS HE BRUSHED A FLY AWAY FROM HIS EYES, “I know you’re new at this, but you’ll get the hang of it. I mean, it took me a while, but look at me now — I’m the best there is. Besides, we’re both getting hungry. There ain’t any decent food around here [...]

THE DINNER WAS EXCELLENT, as had been its conversation. Despite Edward Harvey’s reputation as something of an eccentric recluse, Raymond Pennington found that his host was an excellent raconteur. Now, both Pennington and Harvey were sitting in the latter’s study, sipping French cognac, smoking Cuban cigars, and listening to selections from Harvey’s vast collection of [...]