About The Naughty List

by Kiernan Kelly
19 pages / 7600 words
Available file types - html, lit, pdf, prc

Detective Kristian Kindl works as a NY police detective 364 days of the year. On the last day, he goes to his other job, handing out gifts to all the little children. Kris has a bad case, a best friend who wants to be more, and more to deal with this year. Can he work it all out in time for Christmas?

Sample

YOU'D BETTER BE GOOD, YOU'D BETTER NOT CRY; BETTER NOT POUT, I'M TELLING YOU WHY!
C. SMITH – NAUGHTY

For the fourth time that morning, Detective Kristian Kindl reread the words written in dripping crimson letters on the wall above where the body had been discovered. Obviously, the killer had a serious God complex with his own personal list of people he considered to be nice or naughty, and the body that lay akimbo on the floor beneath the words was an example of what happened to anyone who ended up on the latter list.

Instead of coal in their stockings, this sick bastard left them a big, fat nugget of death. The message also implied that there was more than one name on the killer's list, and that sent a bolt of fear zinging directly into Kris' heart.

Ho, ho, ho. Merry fucking Christmas.

His pocket vibrated, the tinny sound of Jingle Bells floating out of it.  Distracted, eyes still focused on the ominous message left behind by the murderer, Kris dug into his pocket and retrieved his cell phone, flipping it open. "Yeah?"

"Kris? Where the hell are you?"

Oh, Christ - just what I need. "I'm working, Pieter. What do you want?"

"What do you think I want? I'm balls-deep in chaos up here. When are you coming back?"

"Not for a while. I've got a case."

"Kris! How can you say that you're not coming? You have to come back!"

"You can handle anything that comes up, Pieter. I have perfect confidence in you. Now, I have to go--"

"Kris! Kris, don't you dare hang up on me! Kris! Do you hear me--"

Kris hung up. He had more important things to do than to worry about whatever trivial emergency Pieter had to deal with at the moment. Things like solving a murder, and finding the killer before he struck again, for instance. It had been ten years -- to the day, in fact -- since Kris had made Detective. Pieter should have been used to his frequent, prolonged absences by now.