Barbara Perlmann scrubbed the toilet clean with a fresh chamois cloth, muttering all the while. Once she’d polished the lavatory to her satisfaction, she threw the cloth into the gleaming metal bin that lived in the corner of her washroom, then placed her hands on her hips, and stretched. ‘Asshole joints. Can’t you give me… Continue reading

Manny tracked Harry’s progress down the hall, marvelling at the way the old man navigated around the throng of inmates as if they weren’t there. Harry’s white cane, as striking as his powder-white hair, tapped back and forth in front of him, squeezing a path down the chamber. From his vantage point on the platform… Continue reading

The moment Taylor entered Bar Bueno her pulse quickened. It was another bustling Friday evening. A sizable crowd of revellers lined up against the long bar, and the stage where she would sing was rigged and ready to go, with a spotlight bathing her microphone stand in a warm yellow glow. ‘You’d better do good… Continue reading

Taylor sat with Arthur at a table for two in Baritimo’s, their heads buried in a set of menus, exchanging only the occasional word. It wasn’t that Arthur hadn’t attempted conversation, but the chat had faltered because Taylor’s responses were terse and non-receptive. Worse, each time she failed to engage with him he’d flinch. She… Continue reading

Arthur was startled by the rattle on his window. He jumped in panic, his heart fluttering, his memory somewhere outside Thelma’s door wondering what to do next. ‘We’re done here, Arthur.’ It was Tina. ‘It’s time to get smartened up. We can’t have a scruff driving us around. There’s a fabulous gents’ outfitters on the… Continue reading

‘Here’s a picture of Jonas Windberg. It says here he’s filming his latest movie in New York.’ The three women started to chatter as soon as Arthur pulled into traffic again. ‘Oh, that’s fortunate, don’t you think?’ Tina asked. Lara tutted and ignored the remark. ‘That must be his girlfriend beside him. I suppose he’s… Continue reading

It was over half an hour’s drive across the Williamsburg Bridge, through Little Italy and Chelsea and on to Upper West Side. At mid-afternoon the streets were crowded with vehicles and the journey was hard work. As they crossed the East River, Arthur attempted to strike a conversation with his passengers but was slapped down… Continue reading

‘I got it, baby, I got the stuff.’ Charis beamed as she pushed the hotel room door closed with her ass. ‘You, my love, are a star,’ Jonas Windberg told her as he threw his arms around her thin waist. ‘A total star. Was it a hard thing to find?’ She kissed him full on… Continue reading

Arthur reversed between a cab and the office wall. The parking lot was barely large enough to hold the firm’s ten taxis, and was rutted with potholes, to the drivers’ disgust. He got out and scrunched his way across gravel to a door marked Kaufmann Cabs – Private. The office was a flat-roofed building with… Continue reading

Arthur turned the volume down on the radio, the strains of the Scottish reel sinking to a whisper. ‘Hey, buddy,’ he said as the stranger climbed into the back of his cab. ‘It’s a fine day, ain’t it?’ When there was no answer, Arthur glanced backwards. ‘Was it a long trip?’ It would be a… Continue reading