Back Roads & Water

By Top Writers Block

Back roads can lead places where you might not like to go while water can be a life saver - or taker.
Eight authors from around the world have contributed to this anthology which will take you down a different road each time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Top Writers Block
• Release date: Mar 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310275692

Top Writers Block

Top Writers Block is a diverse and eclectic group of talented writers who decided to write stories together - just for the fun of it! Our collections are usually written with one theme or genre in mind. Each author contributes when they have the time, so some of the collections have as many as twelve authors participating. Every collection has something new, with stories and poems ranging from romance, drama, and adventure to mystery, fantasy, and horror.

Book preview

Collection of Short Stories

by

Top Writers Block

on the theme:

‘Back Roads & Water’

Copyright©March 2014 Top Writers Block

Published by Top Writers Block at Smashwords

ISBN: 9781310275692

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

http://suzystewartdubotbooks.weebly.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

Credits

Book cover photo : Larisa Koshkina – http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=16902&picture=route

Cover design : Suzy Stewart Dubot

Table of Contents

A Party for Mike by Barnaby Wilde

The Can in the Flora by John Muir

Spark of Sense by Elizabeth Rowan Keith

The Way Home by David H. Keith

Back Yonder by Melissa A. Szydlek

Behind the Water by Don Bick

The Bumpy Road by Suzy Stewart Dubot

Death of a Talisman by Bill Rayburn

Runaway by Barnaby Wilde

An English writer of quirky verse, short stories, detective fiction and novels with a sense of the ridiculous, now retired from a career in manufacturing and living in the South West of England.

A Party for Mike

by

Barnaby Wilde

The weather system, which had been stalled across the British Isles, was finally about to move on, with the prospect, at last, of some relief from the ice and snow of the past week. The roads were largely clear, having been well salted and gritted, but there were still patches of ice in the small car park by the shopping parade and Mercedes Drew took extreme care as she swung off the main road on her 1969 Triumph Bonneville T120 motorcycle and pulled up in front of the ATM.

There were a few people about, despite the shops being closed at that time of the evening, but traffic on the main road was light and moving freely. Mercedes sat on her bike with the engine still running and retrieved her mobile phone from the zipped pocket in the front of her one-piece, black leathers, where she'd felt it vibrating urgently against her leg. She pressed the 'receive' key with her thumb, while pulling off her full face helmet with the other hand.

Hi, DT, she answered. Sorry, I was on the bike.

She hung the helmet onto the handlebar of the bike and switched off the engine, while listening to the voice on the phone.

Yeh, she replied. I'm on my way. Just need to pick up some cash from the machine. Be with you in about fifteen minutes. See ya.

Twelve minutes later, she swept into the parking lot in front of the Trucker's Rest café. Already, there were signs of the welcome thaw, with steady drips falling from the branches of the neighbouring trees. In front of the café, she recognised the twin Suzuki bikes of Pete and Angie and, of course, Dogtooth's Harley trike parked untidily, as always, across the entrance, as well as half a dozen bikes of various makes and ages belonging to the other bikers.

A small cheer arose, when she walked in, from the leather clad group sat around the table at the far end of the café, where Dogtooth was wont to hold court.

Mercedes high fived several of the group and gave Angie a hug as she joined her friends.

We thought you'd got lost, said Dogtooth.

Some of us have to work for a living, DT, she replied. What's this about, anyway?

It's Mike's birthday next weekend, said Pete. "We thought we'd arrange a surprise party for him.

Are you sure he'll want that? she asked. You know that Mikey doesn't like a fuss.

Yeh, well we've decided that it's time he got out more, said Chris, one of the mechanics who worked for Mike at 'Mike's Bikes'.

Pete, the other of Mike's mechanics, agreed. We're fed up with him mooning around all day at work. He needs a new woman.

She doesn't have to be 'new', quipped Chris. A 'preloved' one would do.

Even a blow up doll would do, added Pete, who received a sharp kick from Angie for his effort.

Mercedes had to agree, though. Mike did need a spark in his life. He was the epitome of 'all work and no play' and, as the well known saying put it so well, that was a sure-fire recipe to make a dull boy.

So what's the plan? she asked.

We need somewhere to hold the party, said Angie.

Mercedes had a feeling she knew what was coming next and groaned inwardly. Don't tell me, she said. Has this got something to do with me?

Sorry, Drew, said Dogtooth. But none of us have got anywhere suitable. Your house is ideal and there's plenty of parking in the street. Anyway, most of us could walk to your place, so we could leave the bikes at home.

Besides, added Pete. You know he won't come if he knows what's planned, but you know he'd come if you invited him to your place for something a bit more, you know, …

A bit more what? asked Mercedes, to general laughter. It was well known that Mike had been sweet on Mercedes ever since they were at school together.

You bums have got this all worked out, haven't you? she said.

'fraid so, said Dogtooth. We'll help with the clearing up afterwards, of course.

Fat chance of that happening, she thought, but she knew the decision was already made. She was fond of Mikey, anyway, and was happy with the idea of throwing a party for him. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression, though, and risk suggesting that there was more on offer than a few drinks with some friends. She was also going to have to explain to Flowers, why she was apparently inviting Mike for a private dinner party.

Detective Inspector Desmond Flowers was working late, as usual. Somehow it had got to the end of the month and, yet again, he wasn't ready with the monthly crime report for his boss, Detective Chief Inspector Webb, as he'd been reminded earlier in the day. He'd sent his assistant, Detective Constable Chris Taylor, home hours ago. She'd offered to stay and help him with the figures, but he knew her partner, Robyn, would be waiting at home for her and decided he could finish the report on his own. He glanced at his watch. Almost nine o'clock. He'd promised Mercedes that he'd be with her by nine at the latest. He rang her landline number, but got only the message system in reply. She answered her mobile, though, a moment later.

Hi, she said. I'm about to leave. I'll be home in ten.

Me, too, he confirmed, shutting down his computer. Webb'll just have to wait for his report, he thought to himself, as he grabbed his coat and headed for his car.

Mercedes and Flowers were both well asleep, curled up with each other in her double bed, when Flowers' phone rang loudly on the bedside table.

Turn it off, mumbled Mercedes.

Flowers fumbled for the phone, which was vibrating itself ever closer to the edge of the table. Finally he found it and flipped open the case. Flowers, he answered.

What time is it? asked Mercedes, as he crawled out of bed and began to dress.

Go back to sleep, he said. It's only ten past six.

I didn't know there was a ten past six in the morning, said Mercedes, still half asleep. Why are you getting dressed so early?

They've found a body, he replied. Looks like a mugging gone wrong. I need to go in.

She rolled over onto the warm spot that he'd just vacated and smelled his scent on the pillow. Bring me a cup of tea when you come back, she muttered, but he was already half way down the stairs.

At the crime scene, there were two patrol cars and an ambulance, all with blue lights flashing. There were a couple of para-medics, standing, talking to the uniformed patrol men as Flowers drove into the small car park in his old Ford Mondeo, closely followed by Dr Ruth Williams, the local pathologist, in her red Renault Megane cabriolet.

We must stop meeting like this, Flowers, she joked, as they exited their cars. I gather we've got a body?

A male in his twenties, I believe, said Flowers as they hurried across towards the centre of the activity.

Despite the early hour, a small gaggle of onlookers had already begun to assemble. Flowers indicated to the patrol men to move them back. Call in for some more help if you need it, he added.

Ruth began immediately to make a visual examination of the man on the ground. White, male, aged twenty to twenty five, large gash on left temple. Rigor mortis evident. Probable cause of death a blow to the head, she dictated into her recorder.

Flowers cast his eyes around the immediate scene. The body was lying in front of the ATM There was a wallet lying on the ground between the ATM and the corpse. It looked like a robbery gone wrong.

I can't do much more here, said Ruth, standing up a few minutes later. He's been dead for several hours. More than two, less than six. My best guess is four hours.

Flowers glanced at his watch. Not yet six thirty. Probable time of death, then, around two to two thirty. Who discovered the body? he asked.

The patrol man pointed to a woman standing off to one side. "That lady. She's a cleaner at the bank. She found him on her way in