State Of Control

Draft, “State of Control,” Copyright WRBJr Living Trust Second day with Tory missing, Hugh’s surreal new reality. Yesterday he’d had an employee handle the store alone and stayed with Janelle till she had to leave for work. Every call to the Liquor Board got the same response: no news. Janelle…

STATE OF CONTROL. Draft, copyright WRBJr. Living Trust. DAY TWO. PENNSYLVANIA, 2 PM EDT Dillon Rice was not tall enough to see above fourth-floor beige privacy-partitions dividing cubicles of Central PA liquor inspectors. Scarcity of ringing phones or hallway palaver told him most were already in the field. Rationale: licensees…

(Copyright WRBJR Living Trust) Denver, 5:30–6 pm MDT John Curtis had slept almost straight through since arriving in the convalescent center. Nurses woke him from a drugged sleep to check his vitals, gave him fresh ice-water, another pain pill, and opened his curtains. The sun had moved off the windows…

Work in progress, copyright WRBJr. Living Trust CHAPTER NINE DAY TWO, Pennsylvania, 6 am Eastern Daylight Time Hugh Poindexter managed little sleep that night. Given Tory’s work absences, the empty bed was not unusual — but this time she wasn’t working. She was gone. …

State of Control Draft, copyright WRBJr Living Trust DAY TWO Colorado, 130 pm MDT Questions and emotions chased each other through her brain in a demented stampede. She automatically fastened the seat-belt, then twisted under its restraint to watch him drive with total absorption, both hands on the wheel. …

DAY TWO, Kanorado 11am MDT State of Control draft, Copyright WRBJr Living Trust She must have consumed half a dozen cups of coffee. The roadhouse began to fill with an early lunch crowd. The rumble of men’s voices rose, the occasional higher pitch of a woman’s breaking through. Several groups…

State of Control draft, copyright WRBJr Living Trust DAY TWO Pennsylvania, 830AM EDT Dillon Rice enjoyed watching his wife dress for the day. Padding around the kitchen in pantyhose and a slinky white silk blouse, finishing her makeup, putting last touches on her golden hair, almost a striptease in reverse…

State of Control, Chapter 3 — (Copyright WRBJR Living Trust) The gunshot-victim’s room was high on the west wall of the hospital, affording a nice view of the Front Range. Its occupant didn’t seem to appreciate the splendors of Denver’s skyline, staring dourly at a television talk-show with the sound turned off. …

(Copyright WRBJr Living Trust. A novel interrupted by life events, as described with Chapter One.) CHAPTER TWO When she switched off the engine in the rest area an immense quiet settled over the car. As if the vast open sky was pressing down with tangible weight. Air–conditioned coolness faded at…