Deadly Anniversaries Read online

  Mystery Writers of America is proud to present Deadly Anniversaries, a collection of crime and mystery stories from some of the best contemporary authors, all of whom have been invited to put their own unique spin on what it means to recognize a certain day or event every year. An anniversary can take many forms, and by the time this group of bestsellers and award winners is through, none of us will ever look at anniversaries the same way again.

  Edited by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini, this collection features original stories from twenty industry giants. Deadly Anniversaries is sure to shock, scare and delight mystery and suspense fans of all kinds. The list of writers includes:

  Doug Allyn

  Lee Child

  Max Allan Collins

  Jeffery Deaver

  Meg Gardiner

  Alison Gaylin

  Sue Grafton

  Carolyn Hart

  Naomi Hirahara

  Wendy Hornsby

  Laurie R. King

  William Kent Krueger

  Laura Lippman

  Peter Lovesey

  Margaret Maron

  Marcia Muller

  Bill Pronzini

  Peter Robinson

  S. J. Rozan

  Julie Smith

  Deadly Anniversaries celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Mystery Writers of America with a collection of stories from some of the top names in crime fiction.

  An anniversary can honor many things: a birth, a wedding and sometimes even a death. In Deadly Anniversaries, editors Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini present new stories from some of the best contemporary authors to honor the diamond jubilee of the Mystery Writers of America, an organization founded on the principle that “Crime Doesn’t Pay—Enough.”

  Each author puts their own unique spin on what it means to recognize a certain day or event each year. These nineteen stories travel across a wide range of historical and contemporary settings and remind readers of how broad the mystery writing tradition can be, encompassing detective tales, domestic intrigue, psychological suspense, black humor and thrilling action.

  By the time this group of bestsellers and award-winners is through, none of us will ever look at anniversaries the same way again. Deadly Anniversaries is sure to shock, scare and delight mystery and suspense fans of all kinds.

  Featuring original stories from

  MWA Grand Masters

  Sue Grafton

  Marcia Muller

  Bill Pronzini

  Margaret Maron

  Carolyn Hart

  Max Allan Collins

  Peter Lovesey

  Edgar Award Winners

  Julie Smith

  Margaret Maron

  S. J. Rozan

  William Kent Krueger

  Laurie R. King

  Laura Lippman

  Naomi Hirahara

  Meg Gardiner

  Alison Gaylin

  Wendy Hornsby

  Doug Allyn

  Peter Robinson

  MWA Presidents

  Margaret Maron

  Sue Grafton

  Laura Lippman

  Lee Child

  Jeffery Deaver

  Meg Gardiner

  Marcia Muller was named MWA Grand Master in 2005. She has published fifty novels, thirty-two in the Sharon McCone series, as well as six short story collections and numerous articles, stories and book reviews. Her other honors include two Edgar Award nominations, three Shamus Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award (1993) from the Private Eye Writers of America, an RT Lifetime Achievement Award (1999), the Bouchercon Lifetime Achievement Award (2005) and a Western Writers of America Short Fiction Spur Award (with Bill Pronzini, 2008). In addition, her character Sharon McCone received the PWA Hammer (2010) for her longevity and contribution to the genre.

  Bill Pronzini was named MWA Grand Master in 2008, making him and Marcia Muller the second pair of married mystery writers to be so honored. (Ross Macdonald and Margaret Millar were the first.) He has published ninety novels, including forty-six in his Nameless Detective series, four nonfiction books and numerous short stories. Among his other accomplishments are six Edgar Award nominations, the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for the best crime novel published in France in 1988 (Snowbound), three Shamus Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award (1987) from the Private Eye Writers of America and the Bouchercon Lifetime Achievement Award (2005).

  Learn more about the Mystery Writers at MysteryWriters.org.

  DEADLY ANNIVERSARIES

  CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA

  EDITED BY MARCIA MULLER AND BILL PRONZINI

  SUE GRAFTON

  LAURIE R. KING

  LEE CHILD

  MARGARET MARON

  S. J. ROZAN

  MAX ALLAN COLLINS

  WENDY HORNSBY

  JEFFERY DEAVER

  BILL PRONZINI

  CAROLYN HART

  PETER LOVESEY

  MEG GARDINER

  MARCIA MULLER

  JULIE SMITH

  WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER

  PETER ROBINSON

  NAOMI HIRAHARA

  DOUG ALLYN

  ALISON GAYLIN

  LAURA LIPPMAN

  To All the Mystery Readers Who Made This Volume Possible

  Contents

  Introduction

  If You Want Something Done Right... by Sue Grafton

  Ten Years On by Laurie R. King

  Normal in Every Way by Lee Child

  The Replacement by Margaret Maron

  Chin Yong-Yun Sets the Date by S. J. Rozan

  Amazing Grace by Max Allan Collins

  Recipe: Lemon Layer Cake

  Ten Years, Two Days, Six Hours by Wendy Hornsby

  The Anniversary Gift by Jeffery Deaver

  The Last Dive Bar by Bill Pronzini

  Case Open by Carolyn Hart

  The Bitter Truth by Peter Lovesey

  Unknown Caller by Meg Gardiner

  April 13 by Marcia Muller

  Whodat Heist by Julie Smith

  Blue Moon by William Kent Krueger

  Aqua Vita by Peter Robinson

  The Last Hibakusha by Naomi Hirahara

  30 and Out by Doug Allyn

  The Fixer by Alison Gaylin and Laura Lippman

  About the Authors

  Acknowledgment

  INTRODUCTION

  This year, Mystery Writers of America celebrates its 75th anniversary.

  Founded at the close of World War II, MWA began as a small association of professional writers dedicated to promoting higher regard for mystery and detective fiction, and to the principle espoused by the slogan “Crime Doesn’t Pay—Enough.” Over the years since, the organization has grown and expanded dramatically to include aspiring crime writers and individuals devoted to the genre, as well as professionals allied to both crime fiction and nonfiction. It currently has more than 3,000 active, associate, and affiliate members worldwide.

  Each year at its annual banquet in New York City, MWA presents the Edgar Allan Poe Awards for the previous year’s best adult and young adult crime fiction, true crime, reference works related to the genre, and television productions; the Raven Award to nonwriters who have made notable contributions to the mystery genre; and other awards established in recent times such as the Ellery Queen Award, the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award, the Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, and the G. P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award. Also bestowed is the organization’s highest honor, the Grand Master, in recognition of those authors whose body
of work has been deemed significant and of consistent high quality.

  Since its inception, MWA has sponsored many excellent anthologies of stories by its members. This volume commemorating its diamond milestone differs from most previous ones in that all those invited to contribute are Grand Masters, Edgar winners, or have served as MWA presidents. The authors and their honors:

  Grand Master: Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller, Bill Pronzini, Margaret Maron, Carolyn Hart, Max Allan Collins, Peter Lovesey

  Best Novel: Julie Smith, Margaret Maron, S. J. Rozan, William Kent Krueger

  Best First Novel: Laurie R. King

  Best Paperback Original: Laura Lippman, Naomi Hirahara, Meg Gardiner, Alison Gaylin

  Best Short Story: Wendy Hornsby, Doug Allyn (2), Peter Robinson, S. J. Rozan

  President: Margaret Maron, Sue Grafton, Laura Lippman, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Meg Gardiner

  Each of the nineteen stories presented here involves, directly or indirectly, an anniversary of one kind or another—wedding, birthday, law enforcement, military, sporting event, others rare and sinister. They encompass a wide range of historical and contemporary U.S. settings—New York, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, the Nevada desert, Iowa, northern Michigan, Texas, North Carolina—as well as London and other U.K. locales. The types of stories also differ widely: detective tales featuring prominent series characters, stories steeped in Chinese and Japanese culture, narratives of domestic intrigue, psychological suspense, dramatic irony, black humor, swift action, quiet horror—and for good measure, one with a supernatural twist and another with an appended recipe. Something, in short, for every taste in crime fiction.

  It has been a privilege and a pleasure for us to serve as guest editors of Deadly Anniversaries. May the reader derive as much enjoyment as we have from reading (and writing) these stories.

  —Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini

  IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE RIGHT...

  BY SUE GRAFTON

  Lucy Burgess waited her turn at the Rite Aid pharmacy counter. The pollen count had soared and she’d gone to the drugstore to pick up Burt’s allergy medication, his bronchodilator inhaler, and a new brand of antihistamine he’d seen on TV. What a baby. Apart from his being an alcoholic and chronically unfaithful, he was becoming tedious. He was constantly misplacing his personal belongings—cell phone, car keys, glasses, wallet—making it her responsibility to locate the lost items. Really, there was no excuse for his being so disorganized. He was a high-profile divorce attorney who battled for his clients as though his life depended on it. He said that in the fight-or-flight stakes, he was all fight, which was what made him such a dangerous opponent. He claimed his stress levels were what kept him on top of his game.

  His high blood pressure did actually worry the doctors, and the asthma he’d suffered all his life was hard on him, but the rest of his ailments were ridiculous. Burt was highly suggestible, but she hadn’t realized how paranoid he was until the trip to India came up. This would be their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, and for years he’d promised her a trip to India. They’d reserved a large stateroom on an elegant cruise line that would take them from the Bay of Bengal around Cape Comorin to the Arabian Sea. Burt had set aside the time—two full weeks in August—which he hadn’t done in years. She thought everything was fine, but then he’d started kicking up a fuss. First he worried about exposure to infectious diseases. Then he fretted about the filth, the vermin, tainted food, and the risk of contaminated water.

  Then, just last week, he’d canceled his reservation altogether, leaving her to go by herself. What kind of anniversary celebration was that? Not that she cared. Why pay good money just to hear him complain? He was probably carving out time for his latest lady-love, but how could she call him on it when she had no concrete proof?

  The most irksome consequence of his cancelation was that now, in addition to her preparations, she had to make sure he’d be comfortable on his own, which included two weeks’ worth of meals, refills on all his medications, and a list of emergency numbers as long as her arm. Orderly as usual, she’d bought a slim pocket-size notebook in which she kept a running tally of all the errands she had to run. The notebook was perfect for slipping in and out of her handbag, allowing her to utilize time that would otherwise go to waste. Standing in line at the gourmet market, she worked on her “to do” list, checking off the stops she’d already made.

  Bank. Check.

  Drugstore. Check.

  The journal was divided into two sections. The first was devoted to things to be accomplished before she left town. In the second section, she kept a running list of ways to kill Burt. She’d come up with the idea as a form of idle amusement. Imagining his demise helped her tolerate his many loathsome qualities, among them his need to always be right and his tendency toward verbal abuse. He would never lay a hand on her, but he put her down every chance he got.

  Under Possibilities, she’d written:

  Gun? Where to acquire?

  Poison? Possible, but how to administer?

  Car wreck? Also possible, but difficult given ignorance of auto mechanics. Who to consult?

  She didn’t write down garrote, because she didn’t have the strength.

  She and Burt had no children. She was ten years younger than he. Early on he’d lobbied for a child, but thank God she’d had the sense to say no. Turned out Burt demanded her total focus. Moody, petulant, and self-centered, he was a man who’d do anything to maintain control. She suspected infidelity was his means of tranquilizing himself, because every time he launched a new affair, his temperament improved. Suddenly, he would become kinder and more attentive, much as he’d been in recent months.

  The first indication of a new dalliance was his staying late at the office, where a series of soon-to-be-divorcées paraded past his desk. These women were vulnerable. He had the power to make or break them financially, which made them oh-so-eager to suck up, so to speak. His current extramarital fling had lasted longer than usual. Burt was easily bored, so most of the women he bedded disappeared within weeks, but this liaison had gone on for months. Lucy had begun scrutinizing his phone bills, looking for a pattern of frequently called numbers. She didn’t want to learn the woman’s identity, because she knew from experience that once a name and face were attached, the affront would be harder to ignore.

  In the interest of keeping tabs on the situation, she searched his desk drawers at home. She checked his calendar for initials and cryptic references. She steamed open the bank statements, studied his expenditures, and then made copies of his canceled checks and all his credit card bills. She kept a record of the hotel rooms, the many expensive meals out, and the flowers he lavished on his paramour. If nothing else, he’d taught her the value of documenting items for later use as ammunition. The week before, she saw that he’d made a cash withdrawal of five thousand dollars, probably to buy jewelry, his modus operandi. Lucy was relieved. Usually, the jewelry came close to the end, like a form of severance pay.

  She’d assumed she was home free until she ran into Laird Geiger, their estate attorney, as she emerged from the dry cleaners that day—yet another item she could check off her list.

  He’d greeted her warmly and bussed her on the cheek. They chatted amiably and were on the verge of parting when Laird said, “Oh, I nearly forgot. I ran into Burt last week and he said he needed to come in for a chat. Have him give Rachel a call and we can set something up. I gather he wants to bring his will up-to-date. Is everything okay?”

  “Oh, we’re fine. You know him. We’re leaving on a cruise, and he wants to make sure he has all his ducks in a row. I’ll deliver the message. Better yet, I’ll call Rachel myself and get it on the books.”

  “Do that,” he’d said. “I’ll be out of town this next week, but Rachel can slot you in as soon as I get back.”

  Before he was even out of s
ight, Lucy could feel the chill descend. They’d had no discussion at all about their wills. Clearly, Burt was up to no good. All she needed was for him to cut her out of his estate, removing her as his executor and prime beneficiary. For the first time, she understood he must be serious about the woman, whoever she was. If talk of divorce was not far away, he’d make sure she got creamed.

  That night in bed, Burt watched CSI while rubbing salve on an imaginary rash. Smelling the ointment, she began to think in more concrete terms about killing him. She propped her journal against her knees, tapping her lip with her pen as she analyzed the choices.

  Hit-and-run? Hard to pull off without witnesses.

  Bludgeoning? Ugh. All that bone and splattered brains? No, thanks.

  During a commercial, she caught Burt peering over at her. “You’ve had your nose stuck in that thing for weeks,” he said. “What’s so fascinating?”

  She closed the journal, a finger on the page to save her place. “Just some ideas I had about the silent auction for the charity luncheon next year. I wasn’t happy with the format.”

  “They suckered you into doing that again?”

  “I insisted. Brenda was in charge this year and completely botched the event. She was all over the place, dropping the ball right and left. Pathetic. We could have made a lot more money if she’d done as I said.”

  He gave her the indulgent smile he used when he was systematically betraying her. “I have to hand it to you, kid. You may be a cold fish, but you’re efficient as hell.”

  “Thank you, Burt. That means a lot to me.”

  Burt had the good grace to laugh while she went back to her list. Stabbing would be nice.

  * * *

  On Tuesday, she drove into Beverly Hills to Saks Fifth Avenue. At the makeup counter, she watched as a saleswoman named Marcy smoothed a drop of liquid foundation on the back of her hand. She and Marcy discussed the virtues of “Ivory Beige” versus “Medium Beige.” Lucy made her selection and when she reached for her wallet, she realized her handbag was gone. For a moment, she stood perplexed. Had she set it down somewhere? Left it in the shoe department when she was buying her Ferragamos? Most certainly not. She remembered distinctly that she’d placed the bag on the glass counter near the perfume display. Someone had come along and lifted it. A wave of intense irritation swept over her as she thought how much work it would take to replace her driver’s license and close all her credit card accounts. Fortunately, she’d put her car keys in her jacket pocket so at least she could get home.