Riley gagged when she looked into the room. “Mind if I stay by the door?” she questioned, clutching her stomach. “If you’re that sensitive, I’ll be quick.” I slipped into the suite and returned with the photo of the smiling woman and what appeared to be a large, uncut black opal that fit in the ...

The entrance to Beverly’s chamber stood partially open near the corridor’s end, emitting a faint metallic scent. I pushed the door ajar and stepped in. Aiden followed.  “Wait here.” I said putting my hands on his chest. “We don’t need our DNA throughout the crime scene. Yell if the captain shows up.” Shadows clung in ...

September 1964: The mid-morning sun shone on the uniform lawns on Juniper Street. The area, in an affluent Sacramento suburb, was lined with brick houses and bordered by two large bushes, marking its separation from the outside world.  To Martha Baxter, this was the place those with materialistic desires loved to call home. At eleven ...

The letter arrived addressed to me on Thursday afternoon, tucked inside an elaborate gold envelope, my name written in swirling, impeccable handwriting. I held it briefly, turned it over in my hands, and decided it had to be junk mail. Another of those flashy solicitations, the sort that attempted to lure you in with a ...

  They’re out there Searched for but invisible Recognized by a single glance Then lost forever after Disappearing in a swift cover of darkness The eggs holding light And lives hidden within Shells of fragile substance And painted bodies as Stained-glass windows To make even the most Pious cathedral envious The Easter eggs thrive Alone ...

I stared at myself in the golden mirror. The light reflected off of my golden wedding dress. Mother didn’t think white was appropriate. I had a deep V-neck and a large skirt, which detracted from my slight baby bump. I was about two months pregnant and mother thought the gold would hide the glow that ...