[Author's Introduction. "A Quiet Man" first appeared in AFTER HOURS #7 in the Summer of 1990.]

Gloria talked about the murders with her newlywed daughter. Gloria worried about her; who wouldn't be worried? This summer, the murder rate had risen. A killer, dubbed the Mad Knife by the media, would sneak into bedrooms and kill whomever was there. Gloria saw that her talk of murders was making her daughter nervous. She quickly changed the subject. "How's married life, Angie?" "It's not what I thought it would be," said Angie. "Why's that?" "Mike's always been quiet, but he's got quieter. Too quiet. He comes home from work late every night and acts like something is wrong, but he won't tell me what it is." "Mike's been working late, eh? Must be hard on you." "It would be easy if he would tell me what's bothering him. And why he's been working late." "He won't tell you? He just wants you to be happy. But hes shouldn't be leaving you home alone with all the murders. Does he talk to you about them?" "No, and if I mention them he gets angry and I...I found a hunting knife in the glove compartment of his truck." "Surely he has an explanation. You don't think he's the Mad Knife, do you?"

"Mama, I'm scared." "I should have known he was too quiet. You have to watch out for quiet men." *** Gloria didn't like her daughter being scared. She had called Angie earlier that day. She had to be sure that Mike would be home and Angie gone. Gloria sneaked through the back door of her daughter's house. It was locked,of course, but she had a key. She pulled the .45 from her purse. Roger, her husband, had bought it for her. For protection, he had said. Gloria hadn't had to use it until now. She had to stop her daughter from being scared. She had to stop the Mad Knife. Gloria found Mike asleep on the sofa in front of the TV. She fired three bullets into his forehead. *** While a quiet man died, Angie claimed another victim.

SFWA	HWA	Yard Dog Press

markfewell@earthlink.net