Antenna Syndrome (34 page)

“Thank you for saving my life.”

“Behave yourself, sweetheart, or
I’ll
be
kidnapping you next.”

After the other introductions – a couple of Jordan’s
financial supporters and some key council members – Jordan opened
bottles of Moet & Chandon and announced his engagement to
Vivien. A round of congratulations swept through the room, after
which we moved to the dining room for a six-course meal and fine
wine.

Later in the evening, after coffee, cigars and
cognac, Jordan drew me aside. “Come with me.”

He took me to a room at the rear where Gretel lay on
a cot. She raised her head and gave a low growl, then flopped her
head back down and sighed. Between her sprawled legs, three pups
jostled for position at her teats. I picked up the biggest of
them.

“This one doesn’t look like a Doberman at all.” I
stroked the pup’s nose and he chomped his gums onto my finger. “But
he’s a feisty little thing.” He gnawed away like a beaver at my
finger.

“We don’t know what he is, but he’s definitely not a
pedigree.” Jordan pointed out the pup’s large head and shaggy
mottled coat compared to the sleek brown hair on the other two.
“Now that he’s old enough to wean, the vet will put him up for
adoption, unless you want him...”

~~~

The next day I walked into Major’s office and set
the puppy on his desk. “Here’s some company for you.” I explained
where I’d been last night.

“Well, I’ll be goddamned.” Major cradled the pup in
his arms and hugged him. “It’s Werewolf Junior.”

“Congratulations.” I handed him one of Jordan’s
Habaneros. “You’re a father.”

Major’s face contorted and he sank back into his
chair, the puppy snuggled in his arms. I hate to see a grown man
cry, so I sat and pretended to watch the ballgame on TV.

~ The End ~

ALAN ANNAND

Alan Annand is a writer of
crime fiction, offering an intriguing blend of mystery, suspense,
thriller and New Age
noir
. When he’s not dreaming up
ingenious ways to kill people and thrill readers, he occasionally
finds therapy in writing humor, short stories
and 
faux
 book reviews.

Before becoming a full-time novelist,
he worked as a technical writer for the railway
industry, a corporate writer for private and public sectors, a
human resources manager and an underground surveyor.

Currently, he divides his time between
writing in the AM, astrology in the PM, and meditation on the OM.
For those who care, he’s an Aries with a dash of Scorpio.

You can find him on Facebook, Goodreads and
LinkedIn,

or follow him on Pinterest, Tumblr and
Twitter.

For more information, see his website

www.sextile.com

~~~

Have you read all of Alan Annand’s
novels?

Please write a review on Amazon and/or
Goodreads.

~~~

AL-QUEBECA

Montreal detective Sophie
Gillette, still mourning the death of her brother during covert ops
in Afghanistan, investigates a fatal hit-and-run, uncovering a
terrorist plot to assassinate an American governor, disable New
England’s electrical grid, and kill 10,000 hockey fans.

~~~

SCORPIO RISING (New Age Noir #1)

A criminal profiler investigates the killing
of a New York heiress and discovers her death is linked to two
other murders on the same day: a dot-com millionaire in San
Francisco and the team leader of a CIA counter-terrorist project in
Los Alamos.

~~~

FELONIOUS MONK (New Age Noir #2)

Profiler Axel Crowe
investigates the murder of a reporter at an ashram. His esoteric
detective work reveals a series of Manhattan rape-murders dating
back 12 years, with connections to sex trafficking, drug smuggling
and the theft of an ancient golden Buddha.

~~~

HARM’S WAY

A private investigator searches for the
runaway daughter of an aspiring politician, only to become
embroiled in a plot of corruption, decadence and murder. Although
violence endangers everyone dear to him, his selfless sense of duty
drives him onward to a twisted resolution.

~~~

HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT

A man assumes his twin brother’s identity in
order to alibi his own wife who’s accidentally killed his brother
in an argument. But when he finds himself sharing a bed with his
beautiful sister-in-law, he faces bigger challenges and harder
choices.

~~~

ANTENNA SYNDROME

New York, 2026. In the aftermath of a dirty
A-bomb, private investigator Keith Savage searches for a kidnapped
artist, the paraplegic daughter of a crime-busting politician, but
the trail leads to a place where her fascination with insects
collides with his fears.

~~~