Morgan walked down 7th Avenue, ignoring all passerby’s. He stared at the ground as he wandered, his mind racing. 

Tamra? My sister-in-law? That’s the one woman in my life I wasn’t trying to have sex with. I mean, she was totally right. There has always been a little spark between us, but I just learned to ignore it. My God. How could I disrespect Debra that way? Never. Never!

He shambled about directionless for about an hour or so, before he found himself in front of a familiar pub he had not frequented since Debra passed. The Hammer Stone had been one of their favorite hang-outs. I’ll step in for just a minute. He hesitantly pulled open the front door and made his way to the bar.  

Minutes turned into an hour. Morgan slung back a shot of whiskey and added the glass to his stack of empties. I’m going to keep drinking until I forget about that incredible kiss. The woman behind the bar had been watching hm intently and slid him another.  

Vicki was just over forty, but she was a looker. Shiny long black hair and smokey blue eyes gave her a dark sexy look. She bore a deep hued skin that obviously came from a tanning salon since it was mid-November and already chilly around these parts.  Come late December, Seattle should have its first snowfall. 

After The Hammer Stone Bar emptied out, Vicki left a nearly full bottle of Jack so he could refill his glass at his leisure. “Gosh, it’s been awhile since you’ve come in, Morgan. How long ya think?”

“Not sure. Maybe a year?” He studied the woman’s face. A look of concern was hidden behind her smile. 

“Nah, it’s been longer than that. How are you holding up?” The concerned look melted into one of sadness.

“I . . . “ he trailed off, tired of hearing his own lies.  

“Look, Morgan, we’ve been friends for a long time. You don’t have to lie to me.” She stopped wiping the counter and stared him in the eye. 

“Honesty is the best policy.” He half-laughed, pretending to examine his shot glass. “I’m doing terrible. I’m in a downward spiral with my life spinning out of control. I always thought I was strong, but Debra dying like that wiped the floor with my ass. How’s that for honesty?”

Vicki patted him on the hand. “You’ve been through hell. You need something good in your life.”

“Ah, enough about me, How are you and Steve doing?” The shot glass examination was over, so Morgan refilled his glass.

“Ahh. He’s still plugging away down at the car dealership.” The bartender got a distant look on her face. “Twenty years of marriage takes its toll. It just feels like nothing ever changes. I know it sounds boring. Because it is.” She finished wiping up the bar top. 

Morgan smiled wryly. “I could use a little boring.”  

When Vicki turned to put the dirty rag in the sink against the back wall, Morgan found himself studying her curvy behind hidden beneath a black and white plaid skirt. Her black tank top matched it perfectly. He noticed earlier that the straining material hadn’t been taking its job of covering her large bosom seriously. She knows how to dress.

He quickly looked away when he noticed she was looking at him over her shoulder and had caught him leering at her behind. 

“Relax. That’s the first time I’ve seen you show any signs of life in a long time.” She laughed.  

“I’m sorry. We’re friends.” Morgan shook his head, his cheeks reddening, feeling silly at having been caught. Vicki and Debra had been friends and he knew her husband, Steve. They had hung out on more than a few occasions.  

“Don’t be. You’re a man.” Vicki came around the bar and sat on the stool beside him, a sadness marking her face. “You’ve been through so much.”

Morgan watched her pour both of them a shot from the half-empty bottle of JD. After clanging glasses they chugged them. She smiled at Morgan. I knew she was attractive, but why have I never realize how sexy she is? Stop it, Morg. She’s a friend and you know her husband. 

“I’ll be okay.” Liar. I’m so not anywhere near okay in any way shape or form. 

Vicki bit her lower lip. “No. I can see on your face that you’re not. Far from it. You’re lost. I want to help you.”

“How?” Her dark blue eyes were mesmerizing. 

“I really shouldn’t.” Another nibble on her lower lip. 

Okay, that’s just damn sexy. “Shouldn’t what?”

Vicki leaned in and kissed him tenderly. “We really shouldn’t.”

“No, we shouldn’t. It’s really wrong,” Morgan responded. Terribly wrong. 

They both stood, their lips locking in a much more passionate kiss, neither offering any more false pretenses. Morgan spun Vicki around and bent her over the bar, knocking one of the stools over. He yanked up her plaid skirt.

If was over quickly the first time. Morgan frowned when he realized that in his lust-filled rush he hadn’t used a condom. Almost as if reading his mind, she whispered, “I’m on the pill.”

She locked up the bar and the second and third rounds took much longer. When he left at 3:00 am, with a smile on his face, their bottle of whiskey was empty.

I should feel guilty. But he didn’t. He felt relieved. It was so much better than sleeping with his sister-in-law, Tamra. That would be unforgivable. Damn. My world’s spinning out of control. 

He found himself on Aurora Avenue where he wandered up and down the street. He recognized some of the streetwalkers, and most of the troublemakers. Within an hour, the street became empty and very quiet. 

Morgan sat against an old brick building smoking one of his cheap Thompson cigars. The Churchill-shaped Honduran was harsh, but he really couldn’t complain much as they cost less than a buck each. 

Once he finished his smoke, he drifted off.

Creak . . . creak . . .creak. The reason he didn’t want to sleep slipped through the cracks of his unsettled mind and came for a visit. Creak. . . creak. . . creak. His wife’s body swung back and for—-.

Bing, bing, bing.  Oh thank God. Bing, bing, bing. The alarm on his cell phone woke him. It was 7:00 am. 

Morgan slowly rose from the brick wall, stretching out his stiff legs. His apartment was just over four blocks away. When he got there, he didn’t bother going in. He jumped into his black police sedan and headed to work.

He called in that he was on duty, then parked in a shady alleyway and turned his vehicle service radio way up. Morgan promptly fell into a deep much needed slumber. 

Character/Suspect List: 

Homicide Detective Morgan Harper - The heavily faulted main character who never recovered from the suicide of his wife.  

Kelly Pierson - a young, new-to-the-game, prostitute who is frequented by Detective Morgan. 

Tamra Burns- a crime scene technician who has some unknown connection to Morgan. 

Homicide Detective Hutch Kelly - Morgan’s partner. 

Doctor Millison Parker - Morgan’s psychiatrist.

Paco Sanchez - A local pimp and street thug.  

Vicki Vance - An old friend of Morgan and Debra’s.

Debra Harper - Morgan’s deceased wife who committed suicide.  

Jennifer Collins - The first victim prostitute. 

Amy Henderson - The second victim prostitute.