Slade drove to his office and entered the basement of the building looking for the Coroner's office. As he walked, he mentally questioned, why do they place them in the darkest place of the building. It was so tough to bring next of kin or other people down here. He turned a corner and the light was so bright, he squinted until his eyes adjusted. He arrived at the offices and walked in where the intern sat at her desk. Sh...

Words can be a deadly pill, When used in anger they can kill. In anger tossed out as we use, They hurt deeply as we abuse. When we pick the strongest words, They cut deeply as if they are swords. We throw the harsh words out. They hit the listener with clout. We use words in life every day. Use them wrong and we pay. Sometimes words come from above, Especially when we speak of love. Words can be like waves of the ocean, W...

I performed many different odd jobs when I was a teen and into my early twenties. I mowed lawns at five different homes including my own. Several people also asked me to paint and redo their kitchens and bathrooms. The result of all this painting helped me become a home handyman when I got married. The first apartment we moved into needed a lot of refurbishing. Rooms needed stripping of wallpaper. Windows needed re-glazin...

When Leona gasped, Slade stood up, spun towards the door as the lone dark figure ran out. Rather than chase the person, he opted to stay with the women and assist the wounded officer. Leona pushed the emergency button, nurses came running to the room and security arrived shortly behind them. As the door flew open, Slade stood up pointing at the wounded officer. The nurses moved as if they were a swarm of bees and hovered...

I sit at my desk thinking of you, as our minds link and join as one. We sit on the rocky shore of the Pacific Ocean in Northern California watching the sun slowly sink. It is this time, that makes our love so precious and wonderful.

Here is my hand. Take it in yours. Put it to your face Against your cheek. Brush it with your lips. Caress it with your hair. Put it to your chest. Allow it to feel your heart beat. Let it feel your love. Hold it by your side. OR Take my hand. Twist it. Squeeze it. Hurt it. Break it. Throw it down. Smash it. Toss it aside. Only you know. What is in your heart. Now choose what you want. Please make the choice, But choose w...

Leona stood in the warehouse watching Gustaf walk to the car with Sam, his bodyguard driver. They left her behind to fume some more and make her appeals to Slade. She flipped open her phone, dialed Slade and waited for him to pickup. The phone on his desk rang and went to voicemail. She hung up not leaving a message. She tried his other number, which was his cell phone. He answered on the first ring, gave his typical gree...

As I sit here writing, words flutter from the breezes in my fertile mind. So often, I try to put them on paper or utter them aloud. They come out in a jumble, as if I pulled them from the brambles in my mind. I use words to communicate and inform, to confuse and entertain. Words like the fruit of the bramble can be sweet or sour. Even when sweet, they can turn sour in the mind of the reader or listener. Lately, however my...

Slade noticed Leona relax, when she closed her cell phone. The tension drained from her body, her posture went from sitting up straight widely alert to comfortable. He wanted to know what happened, but decided this was not the time and the place to ask questions. Leona took Slade's hand, picked it up and nuzzled it against her cheek showing how relaxed she really was now. She kept his hand not wanting to let go. They fini...

Slade sat at his desk, looked over the squad room and thought of his missing partner. Connie was not there, she was in the hospital in a coma caused by an explosion when she visited The Main Artery's owner Gustaf. It appeared the explosion concentrated on his office and destroyed his sleep chamber. Gustaf was the master vampire of the city and had many friends and just as many enemies. This explosion targeted him, but onl...

Once upon a time, there was a farmer named 'Farmer Green' who ran a huge commercial farm that raised potatoes and carrots. His products were so good they were in great demand. His crops were completely organic and had a wonderful flavor and texture. Buyers from all over the world came to him for his crops and his secret to growing them. His house was in a distant corner of his fields, surrounded by a simple white rail fen...

Connie wondered why Slade left so early. He usually waited until she was ready to leave, walked her to her car and said goodnight. Tonight he left, never said goodnight and was very secretive about it. She went to her locker, grabbed her workout bag and left the squad room quietly. She had a post midnight rendezvous with Gustaf, the master vampire of the city at his club The Main Artery. She headed home now where she show...

Connie sat at her desk staring at the words on her screen while shock and surprise washed across her face. She pushed the print key and printed four copies. The data was there, she read and re-read the screen in disbelief but computers do not lie. Connie took the four copies, filed three where they belonged and carried the fourth over to Slade. She silently handed the fourth copy to Slade, watched as he read it and waited...

In the 1990's, I worked for a small company that had a worldwide reputation for computer software excellence. I became the Manager of Software Support a few months after I started. It was a nice job but fraught with thankless problems if solved happily. Part of my position was hiring interns from local universities to work the summer full-time and if they worked out, part-time while in school. During my interview schedule...

The day was coming to a slow end, as Slade and Connie came back to the squad room. After they filled out their reports earlier, they left until their duty shift began in mid-afternoon. The weather took a downward turn with the sun blocked by dark clouds and the threat of rain. To Slade, it seemed as if every time he went to see Leona or Gustaf, the weather was foggy or rainy. At least now, Slade was back in the squad room...