wesleysgirl

Torquere Press has put out an anthology of four long stories called To Serve and Protect. One of the stories, Trace Evidence, is mine, and features a guest appearance by one of the characters from the "Laying a Ghost" books. The other three stories are by Chris Owen, CB Potts, and Tory Temple.

Trace Evidence is about Mitch, a policeman with a life that should be smooth sailing. Unfortunately, his boyfriend is getting on his nerves, he has a murder to solve, and he has a mysterious stranger telling him all the details no one but the killer could know. Can Mitch make sense of the chaos before the killer chooses another victim?

"I'm home," Mitch called, tossing his keys onto the table and shrugging out of his jacket.

"Oh, good, it's you," Clay called back, probably from the kitchen. "I thought you were a stranger breaking in to ravage me."

Mitch toed off his shoes and went into the kitchen, which was warm and smelled good. "You shouldn't joke around about stuff like that," he said.

Turning his head to look at Mitch, Clay rolled his eyes. "If you can't joke around about stuff like that, it'll make you crazy. Bad day?"

"Yeah," Mitch said, then reconsidered. "No. Bad morning. We found the body of a teenaged girl in Meeker Park."

"Oh, no." Clay sounded genuinely dismayed, and stopped stirring whatever was on the stovetop long enough to hug Mitch. "That sucks."

"Yeah, it really does." Mitch sighed and pulled away. "Do I have time to grab a shower before dinner?"

"Sure. The risotto's got another ten minutes." Clay hesitated, then said, "Mitch? Are we okay?"

"What?" God, some careful analysis of their relationship was the last thing Mitch needed right then. "Yeah, of course we are. Why wouldn't we be?"

"I don't know," Clay said. "Never mind. Go take your shower."

Under the hot water, Mitch leaned his forehead against the tile wall and let his shoulders slowly slump down into their lowest position. Tonight wasn't the first time Clay had asked if everything was okay, and the truth of it was, the answer was no. Everything wasn't okay. But damned if Mitch could figure out what was wrong, and until he did there didn't seem to be much point in freaking Clay out. He'd want to know how to fix it.

Mitch was starting to wonder if there was anything to fix.

Order To Serve and Protect here. It's available in both e-book and print format. (My first print book! Even if it's not entirely mine. *Grin*)