Witnesses said Lena jumped. Her husband cried fake. He paid. I investigated. Frozen river–no boats or breaks in the ice. Tailing Lena’s sister paid off. Once found, Lena begged. Showed me bruises. Offered fifty grand to unsee her. I drove her to Greyhound instead. Hubby’s payment bought her ticket.

Doug Lane’s work has appeared online and in print at Abyss & Apex, Pulp Modern, The Saturday Evening Post, and others. He writes, works, and lives in Salem, OR with his wife and their feline overlord, Buster. He maintains a small but sincere pumpkin patch on Facebook (DougLaneWrites) and a vacation destination at douglasjlane.com.